2014 Winners & Shortlists

THE G2 LAB

BrandLG ELECTRONICS
Product/ServiceMOBILE PHONE
EntrantARENA MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryBest Integrated Content Campaign
Entrant Company ARENA MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Contributing Company ARENA MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Contributing Company 3 HAVAS DIGITAL MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Contributing Company 2 MBC GROUP Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

Branded content is becoming ever more popular in the region due to the feasibility of integrating the brand across live shows. It is fast becoming an essential touch-point for mass brands that don’t have strict media guidelines. Successful brand entertainment is targeting an audience with shows initiated and intended to be watched by them. Brands will then elevate and extend the story through context and familiar targeting rather than something being produced to target them. Station and Supplier restriction is namely having the brand abide by its rules, for example, not sharing its content as long as it through their social platforms, maintaining the image and quality of the station and finally not over exposing the brand.

Results

LG wanted to reposition themselves in what is a heavily saturated smartphone category. They knew that being social and socialising is an integral part of the region’s culture, so designed their G2 smartphone to centre on human interaction and connectivity. A phone designed for people and for everyday life. The principal challenge was to really emphasise that the G2 was designed for the user, rather than to compete in terms of tech advancement and irrelevant gadgetry against its rivals - a phone to make life good. A multichannel launch took place across radio, print, OLV, social media, events and online advocacy, to drive users to a live series created on YouTube, which featured celebrity hosts and technology experts. We called it The G2 Lab. Ten days before the lab began; we predominantly used online media, radio and LG social channels to drive users to the lab. We also handed out 14 G2 phones to our experts and celebrity hosts to promote the launch on their blogs, shows and professional channels, before inviting them onto the lab to discuss their G2 experience and also showcase the phone’s features interactively. The lab incorporated other activities and engagement opportunities with our viewers through real-time competitions and media sharing on each of the show’s air dates. Users from around the region dialled in via live webcam to discuss and chat about the phone with our experts and hosts. Simultaneously, radio tie-ins across KSA and the UAE, special print operations, event activationss and broadcasts also continued the G2 story through other media channels.

People learn best from people, so a human element was at the core of our multi-channel and integrated content strategy. LG launched the G2 in a unique, social and personable way to emphasise its usability, rather than its technology. This primarily focused on The G2 Lab – a live, celebrity hosted and interactive YouTube mini-series. Users were driven to the lab via online media, radio, print, OLV, social media, events, online advocacy and t 14 G2 phones were handed to our experts and celebrity hosts to promote the launch, before inviting them onto the lab to discuss their G2 experience.

The G2 smartphone was designed with connection, sociability and creativity at its core and by delivering an interactive and integrated content-driven campaign we made sure that the G2’s message was memorable and always: learning from you. In just three weeks we had Google pick up the G2 Lab on YouTube as a case study for the MENA region; had over 600,000 unique visitors visit the G2 lab in the first ten days; over 2,000,000 YouTube views; gain over 750,000 Fans on Facebook; 16,000 new followers on Twitter, with over 200,000 unique engagements, and 8,000 unique stories surrounding the G2 launch were created online. Not only was this digital growth a great achievement in such a competitive category, but it was also reflected in the client’s figures. Throughout the launch LG’s growth in the region multiplied, brand loyalty increased by 7%, their social fan base increased by 20% and LG ranked in the Top 3 of regional smartphone brands.

Credits

Name Company Role
Piero Poli Havas Digital Middle East General Manager
Taizoon Dadla Arena Media Middle East Business Unit Director
Darius Labelle Havas Digital Middle East Head Of Creative Services
Kavita Dhyani Havas Digital UAE Head Of Digital Media Services
Mohammed Ajawi Havas Digital UAE Group Account Director
Aldar Kurdi Havas Digital UAE Senior Art Director
Mayang Gore Havas Digital UAE Associate Media Director
Abdulrahman Alagha Havas Digital UAE Senior Account Manager
Dalia Ismail Arena Media Middle East Senior Media Planner
Ghassan Kalash Arena Media Middle East Media Manager
Louay Fakhoury Havas Digital UAE Web Development Manager
Omar Aref Havas Digital UAE Search Executive
Karina Thakur Arena Media Middle East Media Executive
Khaldoon Rizeq Havas Digital UAE Social Media Executive