2014 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

In 2011, Sprite ran a campaign that turned laborers into cricket stars. But the campaign’s runaway success also highlighted the boundaries that still divide UAE’s diverse cricket loving communities. Too many people remain divided by superficial differences. We wanted to change this by connecting individuals, communities, classes and countries that have not always mixed. Shoaib Akthar came from humble beginnings to become a fast bowling legend. Like Sprite, he endeared himself to fans from all walks of life through outspokenness and charisma. We created a cricket tournament. Then Shoaib and Sprite spent 6 months surprising everyone from Pakistani laborers to Indian business leaders, from the cricket pitch to the boardroom – uniting people of different backgrounds around one common passion and making lifelong dreams come true. We refreshed entire communities, connecting more than 150,000 people to their hero, to each other and to the brand. We erased boundaries, broke taboos and created history. This translated into astonishing growth for Sprite (14% year on year), with 34% sales growth during the campaign period, including 57% growth among laborers.

The Brief

The objective was a complicated one, because the idea needed to be communicated to a variety of audiences in a variety of locations, about a variety of phases of the campaign. Our target audience was South Asians in the UAE, and regardless of their age, nationality or background, we wanted to bring thousands of them together based on their true love for cricket.

Results

By staying true to our brand promise, we refreshed entire communities, connecting more than 150,000 people to their hero, to each other and to the brand. We erased boundaries, broke taboos and created history. This translated into astonishing growth for Sprite (14% year on year), with 34% sales growth during the campaign period, including 57% growth among laborers.

Execution

We launched the campaign by raising awareness for our main Cricket Tournament and recruiting people across the UAE to participate. We communicated this to our diverse audience members through posters circulated in labour camps across the UAE and through radio spots. We then enticed and encouraged our audience members to meet the legendary cricket star in person (Shoaib Akthar) at our activations, surprising thousands by turning their lifelong dream into a living reality. We then launched an on-pack promotion, through Sprite cans and in-store media, and encouraged people to enter to win prizes. After spreading awareness and creating a PR frenzy through various channels leading up to the Cricket Tournament, we launched a TVC and radio spot inspiring people to watch the grand final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The Situation

Sprite’s brand promise is all about being Refreshingly Authentic. It is a product for strong willed people, regardless of social status or ethnicity. The first Sprite Cricket Stars was held exclusively for laborers in the UAE, to give their expat lives more joy while they work hard and miss their families a long way from home. But this highlighted another problem: The social inequality that exists in the UAE. Superficial differences still divide and segregate UAE’s diverse cricket loving community. We needed to change this by connecting individuals, communities, classes and countries together that have not always mixed in the past. We felt that with Cricket, we had the perfect opportunity to bridge this divide and unify people around their passion for cricket.

The Strategy

• As Sprite’s brand promise is all about being Refreshingly Authentic, we chose the most refreshingly authentic character we could find in World Cricket to represent the campaign (Shoaib Akthar). This culminated in a bold, fresh and worthy PR strategy, one that would leave a positive effect on the South Asian community, but on humanity as well.