2011 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

- 8 million Iraqis were glued to ‘Captain Rayan’ during the World Cup. - Tang sales increased +49.7% - A phenomenal broadcast success with other leading Arab stations buying the TV rights to transmit in Lebanon, Jordan and Algeria - giving Tang $840,000 worth of additional airtime value. - Season 2 in production.

Creative Execution

But where would this Idol live in a place where digital penetration is almost zero? Their life and media is not complex. It’s about football, and their access to entertainment is TV. Tang produced ‘Captain Rayan’ from scratch and aired exclusively on Iraq’s leading entertainment channel – Al Sumaria. The 12 episode series became the first ever animated ‘soap opera’ on Iraqi television creating a new genre in itself. Though Captain Rayan was a ‘reel’ character – he voiced ‘real’ hopes and aspirations of millions of Iraqi youths. His story was the story of every Iraqi - an underdog who dreams of becoming a footballing hero in a hostile world and achieves it against all the odds. We treated Rayan like a real football star, making him part of their neighbourhood – on their billboards and branding in their local corner shops.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

As Iraq rises from the ashes and begins to rebuild and regain its footballing glory, it’s clear that this sport represents more than to them than just a pastime, it’s a form of escape from the harsh realities of growing up in a war torn country and one that truly unifies their decimated neighbourhoods. So how could Tang, a powdered beverage, harness the power of football and build on its own brand promise of bringing people together? Tang’s answer: give Iraqi's youth their first taste of a neighbourhood idol. An Idol that they could relate to, that would inspire them and one that has the same passion for football as they do. Meet ‘Captain Rayan’, an animated character and a first of its kind TV series for Iraq. Our mission was to make this show part of their unmissable viewing.