2012 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

Arwa3 Abaya 3 delivered real brand/business results. 62% of viewers now associate Persil as an ‘expert in Abaya fashion’, compared to 24% of non-viewers. A record breaking 750,000 votes were gained during the finale. 33% of viewers stated they’d purchased more Persil as a result of watching the show. Sales increased by 81% (compared with 2010), share of total detergents grew by 3% whilst share of liquid detergents rose from 45% to 62% (20% higher than targeted). Persil Abaya remains no#1.

Creative Execution

Our idea was to use Arwa3 Abaya to shift associations from ‘fashionable’ to ‘fashionista’ - to move Persil from the Abaya mainstream to a more premium positioning. No market personifies luxury fashion quite like the Middle-East so to gain credibility we formed strategic partnerships with three of the region’s most popular brands - Swarovski, Armani and Hanayen. We changed the format from amateur to more professional designers. We introduced well-known judges including famous Saks designer Amal Murad and Editor Mirvat Ghanem. Weekly ‘Challenges’ were presented by influential celebrities such as famous jewelry designer Reem Al Fass. Our luxury partners featured in key episodes to amplify Persil’s premium positioning. Swarovski and Hanayen gave master-classes to contestants, whilst Armani provided the finale backdrop. Social media and other channels were used to support the show & create buzz.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

‘Persil Abaya Shampoo’ - a specialized liquid detergent specifically designed for washing the black Abaya - traditional dress wear for Muslim women. In 2009, we conquered the category by creating ‘Arwa3 Abaya’ – an amateur design initiative across the Middle-East - a chance for women to showcase their enthusiasm for Abaya fashion on national television. After two successful seasons, the competition awoke and retaliated by piggybacking on our fashion strategy. Therefore, we had to reignite Persil’s position and differentiate the brand from its ‘me-too’ competitors.