2014 Winners & Shortlists

#GIVETHEMAMENTOS

BrandPERFETTI VAN MELLE
Product/ServiceMENTOS
EntrantMEMAC OGILVY Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryBest Use of Social Media
Entrant Company MEMAC OGILVY Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advertising Agency MEMAC OGILVY Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

Mentos wanted to adapt their ‘fresh thinking’ global platform to produce their first-ever campaign for the region. We also needed to increase brand engagement with Arab youth in a more relevant way. With this in mind, we discovered something that fit the brand perfectly. As Arabs, we often find ourselves doing things that don’t make sense, yet we do them anyway as part of culture. Call them idiosyncratic or plain bizarre; we’ve all partaken in these behaviors. This unique insight inspired our campaign, where it is during these moments that Mentos is the ‘fresh thinking’ needed when people around us don’t make sense. With social media as a massive channel of expression in the region among teens, and Memes trending among Arab youth, it was the perfect way for a refreshing brand like Mentos to tap into its youthful audience. So we created an entertainment platform for Arab youth on Social Media, generating hilarious Facebook Memes and Tweets in Arabic and English, inspired by everyday situations in our culture that could really use fresh thinking. From melodramatic moms to our obsession with plastic, we encouraged people to #GiveThemAMentos when others don’t make sense. We launched our campaign with a TV ad, drawing viewers to visit our campaign hashtag. And with the help of Twitter – we even sent out packs of Mentos to those in serious need of fresh thinking, not only giving people a Mentos digitally, but in reality too.

The Brief

Mentos needed to increase brand consideration and engagement among Arab youth in the Middle East. With a social media campaign, we needed to enhance their presence on Facebook and Twitter by connecting with their fans and followers in an innovative and fresh way.

Results

In the first days of our launch, #GiveThemAMentos was proving to be a success with our Memes and Tweets circulating the blogosphere and social media. In the first 2 weeks alone, Facebook Post likes on Mentos Arabia increased by 344%. Facebook Post Shares also jumped by a refreshing 938%. A significant growth in engagement levels compared to previous content. And 8 weeks later, over 3.7 million unique people were reached with over 4.7 million social media impressions. With thousands of New Facebook fans joining Mentos Arabia, it was clear that our audience found our content refreshing too.

Execution

Inspired by this collective insight, we created a highly entertaining platform for Arab youth on Social Media, generating hilarious Facebook Memes and Tweets in both Arabic and English, inspired by everyday situations in our culture that could really use some fresh thinking. From melodramatic moms, to our obsession with plastic wrap, we encouraged people to #GiveThemAMentos when others don’t make sense. We first launched our campaign with a TV ad that aired on major networks across the region, drawing people to visit our campaign hashtag to view our refreshing content, but also to tag situations in their everyday lives that need fresh thinking. With the help of Twitter, we then sent out packs of Mentos in the mail to those in serious need of fresh thinking. Through multiple media channels, we found a variety of ways to give people a Mentos, when those around them need fresh thinking the most.

The Situation

With social media as a highly popular form of expression and the language of ‘Memes’ trending heavily among Arab teens, there was a unique opportunity to break tradition in the region by creating a social media led campaign, reconnecting with our audience directly in their own language spoken through Memes. Compared to other major brands in the region, this is something seldom done or seen as too risky. Traditional advertising like classic billboards or radio are more the norm. So this also presented an untapped opportunity to do something completely fresh and fearless with our communication approach.

The Strategy

We knew for this to happen, we needed to create a campaign that was highly relevant to their everyday lives, but also highly entertaining and buzz worthy. Being an Arab teen that’s constantly connected on social media channels and surrounded by their circle of friends, we wanted to offer our audience interesting and share-worthy content that would reinforce Mentos as a voice of freshness. It was also important for Mentos to establish its regional credibility among Arabs, not forgetting its refreshing perspective as a brand.

Credits

Name Company Role
Ramzi Moutran Memac Ogilvy Creative Director
Sascha Kuntze Memac Ogilvy Associate Creative Director
Kareem Shuhaibar Memac Ogilvy Copywriter
Sabia Fatayri Memac Ogilvy Art Director
Evan Kearney Memac Ogilvy Strategic Planning Director
Waleed Fareed Memac Ogilvy Planner
Shadi Khermasho Memac Ogilvy Arabic Copywriter
Maya El Kai Memac Ogilvy Arabic Copywriter
Carmel Missilmany Memac Ogilvy Agency Producer
Stephen Minaar Memac Ogilvy Business Director
Charlotte Tansill Memac Ogilvy Account Director
Ema Linaker Memac Ogilvy Account Director
Mani Du Plessis Memac Ogilvy Account Manager
Nayri Bedros Memac Ogilvy Account Manager
Sonam Mahadev Memac Ogilvy Account Executive
Nora Nasr Memac Ogilvy Account Executive
Maram Ashour Memac Ogilvy Junior Graphic Designer
Souheil Zahreddine Editor