The Hidden Room

The What

The Hidden Room seamlessly combined cultural insights with creative ingenuity. Spearheaded by Leo Burnett and led by Tahaab Rais, Chief Strategy Officer and his team, Liwa partnered to ensure high production value and top-tier execution that authentically captured the personal aspect. By delving into the lives of real households and embracing the genuine struggles, stories, and motivations of domestic workers, this approach gave vitality to the concept.

Challenge

Through a comprehensive study conducted by Leo Burnett across the Middle East, it came to light that 94% of homeowners tend to hide a particular room when giving guests a tour of their residences – the maid’s room.

In a parallel inquiry, 329 domestic workers were asked about their favourite place within the households they serve. Amidst the various spaces they discussed, a consistent revelation emerged – their personal living area, the one place they should cherish, remained concealed.

Originating from diverse corners of the globe, expatriate domestic workers are employed in many homes in the Middle East, often dedicating years to serving the same family. A far cry from the grandeur of the high-rise apartments and luxurious villas they work within, most workers make do with tiny living quarters typically measuring just 7 x 10 feet, or less. These spaces often contain furnishings that are second-hand, presenting a mix of mismatched, well-worn, and less-than-ideal pieces.

Liwa was entrusted with the task of identifying families ready to engage in this initiative, granting access to their homes for documentation and renovation, all while consenting to being recorded for the project's objectives. Overcoming this logistical challenge involved collaborating with multiple maid agencies and convincing families to permit the portrayal of their actual residences, domestic staff, and the accompanying challenges. This was crucial to bring this concept to life. 

Approach and Execution

"The Hidden Room" is a short film that follows the journeys of four women: Melat, who has been a nanny for 6 years; Wasanti, with 28 years of experience as a caretaker; Queenie, an 8-year househelp; and Reshma, who has worked as a housekeeper for 17 years. Hailing from various parts of the world, these women have found themselves in the Middle East, far from their own families.

Under the guidance of Leo Burnett, Liwa took charge of on-ground operations by offering efficient and comprehensive production support, followed by meticulous post-production work. 

The transformation films captured the process of converting congested and poorly lit living spaces for domestic workers into customized rooms that reflect their individuality, eliciting feelings of joy and comfort. 

Liwa's strategy was to  elevate production value and authenticity. We finally featured four domestic workers from varied backgrounds and spanning different age ranges. These individuals worked in both villa and apartment settings, offering a comprehensive and diverse portrayal of their experiences. This added depth to the narrative and created a hard hitting, immersive experience for the audience. 

The decision to shoot in the homes of the families added a layer of genuineness.

Liwa conducted interviews with each of the domestic helpers, delving into their individual personalities, preferences, and backgrounds. The objective was to ensure that their new transformed setting would be an extension of their identity. As part of the project, members of the Home Box design team undertook a process of redesigning these spaces. While the physical dimensions of the rooms remained unaltered, the interiors and furnishings underwent a complete reimagination aimed at creating a more spacious and homely atmosphere. 

Upon reveal, the domestic workers’ emotional responses were truly heartening. The employers also expressed their excitement and satisfaction in equal measure. This contributed to the realism of the narrative and allowed for a more nuanced exploration of the dynamics between domestic workers and their employers. Over the next few days, the team successfully transformed all four rooms and managed to capture heartwarming, unscripted moments on camera.

In addition to positively impacting these individuals, Leo Burnett in collaboration with Home Box launched “The Hidden Room Collection”, which provides beautifully designed furniture and furnishing items for the small spaces where domestic workers typically live. Data-driven simulators helped homeowners choose the right furniture for different room types. To drive engagement, influencers documented their own shopping stories of purchasing the collection, while Home Box recycled and repurposed old furniture from transformed rooms by donating these items to underprivileged communities in cities across the Middle East.

Impacting people, culture and business, this documentary became the only MENA branded content to air at film festivals, namely NBC Universal Short Film Festival 2022 and International Human Rights Festival 2022.

The project was awarded Grand Prix (Creative Commerce), Gold (Digital) and 2 Bronzes (Brand Experience & Activation – Consumer Goods | Healthcare) by Dubai Lynx, 2023. It aso bagged 2 Golds and 1 Bronze at the MENA Effies, 2023.