2013 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

Branded entertainment in the MENA region is still in its infancy. While there are clients and networks that have embraced this form of communication, there are still several networks which area wary of how the communication is perceived. With the prevalence of state run networks across the region, the ability to create content is limited. It is more accepted with private and paid channels. The ability for networks & talent to craft carefully created programs to appear as though they are not a paid endorsement of the product is the key to balanced success. This narrow window of accepted branded content is navigated by only a few agencies with specialized divisions.

Results

In a period where Samsung and Apple launched their new S3 and iPhone5, BlackBerry was struggling to sustain its relevance amongst youth in Saudi. With no product news during this time, BlackBerry needed a breakthrough platform that makes it a preferred brand again. We needed to find a voice that spoke directly to our target, someone who could strengthen BlackBerry's consideration and bring back its exciting and fun image. That person was Omar Hussein. In the first two seasons of the show, the audience could only watch passively. In the 3rd season, BlackBerry built a premium entertainment experience that gave users an exclusive opportunity to co-write segments of the show with Omar. We faced the challenge of walking the fine line between content integration and direct endorsement that’s less convincing to young users. Through a dedicated BlackBerry app, fans were able to participate with direct message topics, requests, questions and ideas sent directly to Omar. For the first time ever, Omar seamlessly wove BlackBerry and more importantly, users content into an entire 1.5 minute segment of his 7-minute show called “Harobnaro” (“Hot out the Oven” in Arabic). Using the fans’ input as a starting point, he brought his coveted sense of humor and satire to create one of his most memorable segments to date. The interactivity between Omar and his BlackBerry fans was designed around his own unique and culturally-relevant style. All communication happened through the BlackBerry mobile app that allowed fans to submit topics, messages, requests, questions and ideas for the show. Through the app they were also able get access to exclusive content like fan video replies, behind the scenes, blooper and were able to watch the shows. The app was supported on Altayer's YouTube channel, BlackBerry’s social pages and featured in BlackBerry App World.

Saudi Arabia’s mainstream media is widely censored by the government. Saudi youth struggle to find content that appeals to them or allows them to participate freely in building their own entertainment experience. As it stands today, only 1% of online media is produced in Arabic which does not allow for choice or diversity that the Arab youth crave. Meet Omar Hussein, the John Stewart of Saudi Arabia and creator of the satire YouTube-based show “Altayer” (“On The Fly” in English). Omar challenged the mainstream media establishment. His show attracted 45 million views and 507,000 subscribers due to his witty and outspoken commentary on socio-political topics in Saudi.

The app we well received and rose to become the no 1 local app on AppWorld in Saudi Arabia with 90,000 downloads (Source : Blackberry App World Stats) BlackBerry segment’s “HaroBnaro” received a staggering 5.3 million views. Fans’ participation increased to record levels, posting 31,500 comments and 161,000 likes on YouTube after 6 episodes. ?(Source : Youtube Insights) BlackBerry managed to reverse their downhill brand preference (increased by 5% and its consideration increased by 4%) by tying up with one of Saudi’s most influential personalities and creating an exclusive entertainment experience enabling them to be part of the satire revolution. (Gfk Brand tracker)