2009 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

For 4 weeks, Galaxy became inextricably linked with passion and female self-expression for 7 million female MBC viewers across the GCC (CPM around USD$25 less than a typical TV campaign). Reach was further extended through branded features in women’s magazine. Newspapers published Gaza-inspired poetry, mentioning Galaxy as the “partner” promoting poetry amongst women. (valued at over USD$20,000 at zero-cost) Over 4,300 (supposedly reserved) Arabic women submitted poems, willing to read them on-air. As the first poetry competition to specifically target women, the response was so overwhelming MBC decided to continue the segment and integrate it into other MBC mediums for the coming seasons, with Galaxy as a partner. ‘Frequent users’ of Galaxy increased by 5%, and awareness amongst females increased by an impressive 16%. Finally, this Poetry initiative was given a standing ovation from Global Mars, who described poetry as “spot on” in associating Galaxy with women’s me-time.

Creative Execution

Galaxy created a poetry segment within the Morning Show on MBC1. This was entitled “Passion for Words” to mirror Galaxy’s tagline, “Pure Chocolate Passion”, and the show was branded in Galaxy’s colors, including the backdrops and TV set. Every time “Passion for Words” was mentioned, so was Galaxy; not only during the program, but also in the subsequent editorial features, news follow ups and prize giving. The Galaxy prize was perfectly designed to rekindle Arab women’s love affair with the brand. Committed to letting women be women, Galaxy offered self-actualization through indulgence, with luxurious gifts like silk robes and scented candles. Galaxy also inspired self-expression by offering items like a Mac Laptop, a poetry book and calligraphic pens, not to mention the incredible publication opportunities presented by the program itself and the resulting editorial in leading magazines and newspapers.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

When Galaxy first hit the market it caused a sensation. Consumers described it as ‘creamy’, ‘silky’, ‘luxurious’ – ‘seduction by chocolate’. The brand inspired passion, and created an addiction that ensured its position as category leader. Unfortunately, as with any love affair, the initial lust didn’t last. As the passion faded, Galaxy began to lose its unique positioning and, as a result, its market share. Our challenge was to reignite the lost passion between Arab women and Galaxy chocolate, by reminding women of Galaxy’s integral role in their personal ‘me’ time. Research provided insight into Arab women’s need for self-expression: illustrated by numerous poetry blogs, where women use poetry to celebrate who they are as people and within society. Galaxy’s strategy was to create an outlet for female self-expression. Working with MBC, we developed a Galaxy-branded segment inviting women to submit poems to be read on air – linking women’s passion for self expression with their passion for Galaxy.