2010 Winners & Shortlists

BE HEARD CAMPAIGN

Bronze
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BrandDU
Product/ServiceTELECOM PROVIDER
EntrantLEO BURNETT DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Entrant Company:LEO BURNETT DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advertising Agency:LEO BURNETT DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Credits

The Campaign

By mid 2009, one thing everyone kept hearing about was the global economic crisis. But while we all knew about the difficulties faced by the big corporations, how the crisis impacted the lives of everyday people was something we didn’t hear enough about. The Be heard campaign wanted to change that. By asking the public to voice their opinions, we let them know that du, the UAE telecom provider, was listening to their calls for better value during the global economic crisis, and responding by offering the most affordable services on the market. The Be heard campaign started a conversation with the people of the UAE. But it also provided the UAE with a forum in which to share their own thoughts with each other, creating a real sense of community and support during the challenges of 2009.

Success of the Campaign

The results of the Be heard campaign were beyond all expectations. There were 12,000 visitors to beheard.ae in the first 10 days after launch, with over 400 questions posted by the public. After a month online, 23,000 visitors had gone to beheard.ae, with an average time of 4 minutes spent on site, and 700 questions added. As a direct result of the Be heard campaign, top of mind awareness for du went up by 12%, and sales increased by a dramatic 7%. Just as importantly, public perception of du as a ‘cheap’ brand changed. du was now not only a brand that offered the UAE real choice, flexibility and value during the credit crunch through cost-effective products and services. It was the people’s brand – the brand that listened to the opinions of the people it serves.

Describe how the campaign/entry was launched and executed across each channel in the order of implementation.

In phase 1, the Be heard campaign was communicated without revealing du’s identity. Press, outdoor, radio and du representatives on the ground all led audiences to a website – beheard.ae – where the conversation with the public (and between the public) could take place. At the website, we asked them to tell us by telling us a bit about themselves, then invited them to share their experiences as well as their expectations during the credit crunch. Had they been economizing? Where they looking for more value? How had the situation impacted their families? The second phase of the campaign finally revealed du as the brand behind the push to get the UAE talking and saving during the crisis. This second phase introduced the solution to many of the problems aired by the public in phase 1: more affordable ways to stay in touch with the people dearest to them.

Credits

Name Company Role
Malek Ghorayeb Leo Burnett Regional Executive Creative Director
Munah Zahr Leo Burnett Creative Director
Zaid Alwan Leo Burnett Copywriter
Samer Lahoud Leo Burnett Art Director
Sara Anani Leo Burnett Digital Creative Director
Ronald Zouien Leo Burnett Account Director
Jad Hindi Leo Burnett Account Manager