2011 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

- 7 million viewers from across the region tuned in to the show*. - The show received over 4,500^ pieces of fan mail as well as sparking numerous conversations in social media. - Close to 1,290^ couples applied to participate, 370 of which were from Saudi Arabia. This was a commendable achievement for a society known to be conservative with the public representation of women. Kraft Cheddar had sown the seeds of change in the Arab TV landscape. The brand’s consumption grew by 8%during the same period strengthening its position as the category leader.

Creative Execution

We turned the Musalsal formula on its head and joined forces with Fatafeat (the region’s only food channel) to create a groundbreaking show – Mr. & Mrs. Congeniality, Middle East’s first game show for couples. The show portrayed a growing breed of Arab couples for whom relationships are about teamwork and parity. In this battle of television fame, couples were pitted against each other and were quizzed on personal trivia and kitchen etiquette. 40 real-life couples were recruited after screening them for their chemistry and love for food. For the first time ever on TV, we saw couples working in teams and husbands cooking for their wives! The show portrayed unscripted slice-of-life with real emotions, laced with everyday humour, making it entertaining and relatable. Kraft Cheddar was weaved into the fabric of the show through subtle integrations. We also engaged viewers through interactive communities on Fatafeat’s website as well as Facebook.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

"Men are from Mars, women are from Venus". Arabic Musalsals (soap operas series) have long glamourised this 'battle of the sexes'. Once a winner with audiences, this clichéd formula was now past its sell-by date as it did not depict the progressive Arab societies of today. But how do we break the dominance of a soap ritual which had become ingrained in public consciousness, and was still a force to be reckoned with on prime-time television? This is when Kraft Cheddar rose to the challenge. Having been a household cooking staple for generations, the brand was fighting its own battle: consumers did not perceive it as contemporary and versatile. Kraft did what no brand or media had dared to in the region: shatter the 'battle of the sexes' ritual to celebrate the modern Arab couples – something unheard of in the region!