2011 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

In two weeks,over 100,000 SuperSonic CD’s had been distributed, of which 40,000 were paid for towards charity. It was played 44,000 times and downloaded 21,000 times online, and generated thousands of comments, Likes and Tweets. At Batelco’s Call Center, we turned 6000 daily calls to 6000 audio branding opportunities. Without one advertisement, SuperSonic resonated across Bahrain and Batelco became part of its urban culture. The tracks were heard all across the Kingdom, on car speakers, iPods, on mobile phones and in nightclubs. For the first time ever, an Audio Signature didn’t just move the people, it got them dancing.

Creative Execution

Promoting interaction with the brand, the SuperSonic CD’s were sent to Bahrain’s leading DJs who played it in nightclubs, restaurants and lounges. The Irish band Boxtones even composed their own version of the song and played it live at several venues. As popularity grew, people began requesting the tracks, unaware it was Batelco’s audio signature. We then gave the CDs to nightclub goers. The CDs promoted Batelco’s Soundcloud and zedge.net pages where people downloaded the tracks or got them as ringtones. Free copies of Batelco’s CD were placed in iPod powered kiosks at Bahrain’s leading malls. To further enhance the empowering effect of the music and create a real impact on peoples lives, people were asked to donate a nominal $2 for charity in exchange for the SuperSonic CD. The tracks were also used as call waiting tones for Batelco’s Call Center, effectively branding every phonecall.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

In an environment already cluttered with Brand Audio Signatures, Batelco - Bahrain’s leading telecommunications company - wanted to create a a new one of their own. For their Audio Signature to stand out, it didn’t just have to be heard, but loved. We composed a new Batelco Audio Signature. Using the same melody as the Batelco Audio Signature, we used its melody to create five different tracks in popular genres - Glitch, Rock, Hip Hop, Lounge and House. They became SuperSonic - the Batelco Audio CD, targeting the youth of Bahrain, who are 65% of the population.