2013 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

Challenge As a home-grown fashion boutique that proudly supports UAE-based designers, we wanted to celebrate National Day in a way that engages and resonates with locals and expats alike. Objectives We wanted to connect with other members of the community by celebrating the one thing we all had in common: we were all living and contributing to the UAE, we were all a part of its inspirational story. Strategy We turned National Day into a National month, getting people to capture and share what they loved most in the UAE, bringing them together by creating a platform for social engagement that gave them a creative voice. First we launched an Instagram campaign, urging everyone to instagram their favourite places in their city, and built a portal that streamed everyone's pictures. Then we recorded a song that we all loved, shot a music video and shared it online. We also produced a short film where we interviewed different people and asked them what inspired them most about their city. It all culminated with a National Day street party that featured an art installation made up of 41 Instagram pictures, which were framed in plexi glass 'building blocks'. The party referenced several elements from our childhood in the UAE. Results In just one month our viral reach grew by up to 11,234% and we received free media coverage in print,TV and radio, worth over USD 208,000 in print alone. This campaign was driven solely by communication & PR, including press releases, social media, media relations and finally a big event.

The Brief

Both locals and expats living in the UAE share the same sense of pride and love for their city. There's a connection, a shared sense of nostalgia and belonging that resonates among all. There's something very special about being part of a country so young, and knowing that you are contributing to it, in some way big or small, every day of your life. As a home-grown boutique that proudly supports UAE-based designers we wanted to create a platform for our audience to share their stories, and celebrate National Day in a way that struck a chord with all.

Results

In just one month our viral reach grew by up to 11,234% and we received free media coverage in print,TV and radio, worth over USD 208,000 in print alone. This campaign was driven solely by communication & PR, including press releases, social media, media relations and finally a big event.

Execution

was launched on November 4th with a call out to everyone to instagram places they loved in their city, while hashtagging #webuiltthiscity. The pictures all streamed directly onto the portal. This was communicated via press release, direct mailer and consistently on all our social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, blog and Instagram. As momentum built, more and more people and publications printed, shared and tweeted about the campaign. On November 22 we released the song, making it available for download, and on the 27th we shared the music video on Youtube. We presented at Pecha Kucha Dubai the next day with an interactive live sing-along. All this culminated with the street party that included an art installation made up of 41 selected Instagram pictures, framed in plexi glass "building blocks", a screening of the short interviews film, a pop-up 'baqala' (old-school neighbourhood grocery store) and a pop-up Emirati cafe.

The Situation

s*uce is a home-grown, niche fashion brand that aims to inspire creativity and nurture local talent. When the UAE National Day rolled around, we wanted to celebrate in a way that was different, meaningful and engaging. A majority of the UAE's residents are expats, many born and raised here, with their own memories of places growing up and their own stories to tell. We wanted to connect with people of all nationalities, and remind them that just like them, our story also began in the UAE.

The Strategy

#Webuitthiscity is an inspiring, empowering and uplifting sentiment. It all began when we decided to record the song and change the lyrics to focus on the UAE. Next, we sought to create a platform for social engagement that would give a creative voice to our existing audience, while enabling us to reach out to a new one. Since we had recently become active on Instagram (one of the fastest growing platforms in the UAE), we thought it was perfect as it enables fast and easy sharing of individual perspectives, and we would create a portal to keep track of all the images. Finally, we wanted to reach out to people beyond the physical realm of our stores. So we planned a celebratory street party in Al Quoz, where everything from the art installation to the food and giveaways tied back to all those things we all loved about the UAE.