Once hailed as the “Switzerland of the Middle East,” Lebanon has spent recent years in economic freefall. Since the 2019 liquidity crisis, unemployment has surged, livelihoods have vanished, and the middle class has all but evaporated. The impact has been especially acute for women. According to United Nations data, female unemployment has soared by 63 percent, leaving many in search of not just income, but purpose.
Yet amid the financial wreckage, an unlikely source of hope has emerged — from the shelves of a supermarket.
In 2024, Puck, a well-known cheese brand owned by Arla Foods and a staple in Middle Eastern kitchens, launched a campaign it called “Selfless Shelves.” The initiative repurposed Puck’s own shelf space inside Carrefour supermarkets across Lebanon to spotlight the work of independent female cooks. Their homemade mouneh — traditional preserved foods that form the backbone of rural pantries — took the place of commercial products, offering these women a rare chance to generate income and regain a sense of agency.
The campaign, developed by FP7 McCann in collaboration with human-first agency Current Global MENAT, documented the journey of five women navigating life amid Lebanon’s prolonged crisis. Through a blend of storytelling and social impact, the effort aimed to show not just how these women survive, but how they continue to nourish their communities with heritage and resilience.
Mouneh — the age-old custom of preserving produce for leaner months — has become more than a culinary tradition. For many Lebanese women, it is now a lifeline. Items such as makdous (pickled baby eggplants stuffed with walnuts and chili), orange peels, pumpkin jam, za’atar, and the tart spice sumac found space not only on retail shelves, but also on e-commerce platforms, connecting consumers to artisans directly.
Puck did more than offer exposure. It provided its recyclable jars for packaging, space for signatures and personal stories, and a platform for women to share their dreams alongside their goods.
The initiative has not gone unnoticed. “Selfless Shelves” was shortlisted for the prestigious Titanium Lions at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. It also won the Grand Prix in three categories at the Dubai Lynx Awards — Creative Commerce, Direct, and Glass: The Award for Change — and earned a Wood Pencil at the D&AD Awards.
More than a marketing campaign, it became a story of quiet defiance — a reminder that in a nation where so much has been lost, acts of care, craft, and solidarity still persist.
In a country still searching for economic stability, the women behind Selfless Shelves are offering more than preserves — they are preserving hope.
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