2015 Winners & Shortlists

XPERIA AQUATECH STORE

BrandSONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
Product/ServiceMOBILE
EntrantFP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Entrant Company FP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advertising Agency FP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production Company MUDDVILLE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

Apple and Samsung dominate the mobile market in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Sony has been quietly improving its products to the point they now outperform the leaders in many ways. But to win “share of pocket” vs. iPhone and Galaxy, Sony first needed to win “share of desire” by repositioning itself as a brand that people really wanted to spend time with. So when they launched Xperia Z3, the first ever fully waterproof range of smartphones and tablets, we saw an opportunity. THE WORLD’S FIRST UNDERWATER STORE let us highlight this unique feature in a way that turned potential customers into Sony fans. The project was extremely bold for the Middle East market, so it took months of thinking, testing, fixing, and trying again before we had a fully functioning, WiFi-enabled, breathable store 5 metres under the sea.

Success of the Campaign

From the very first presentation, the client was as excited about this project as we were, which allowed us to really push the limits of what we could achieve. The public reaction across the Middle East was also very positive – in a region where brands don’t take such big risks, ours paid off: within 4 weeks brand preference was up 4 points, and our brand sentiment score jumped to 91% positive (compared to a Sony global average of 40%). As our story spread from Dubai to more than 80 countries, we were talked about in articles including Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Wired, Gizmodo GQ, CNN, and T3. Our Internet film earned over 5.25 million views, and our Twitter followers increased 21%. Total earned media was over $4.5 million. And Xperia sales increased 115%, with retailers across Dubai selling out of Xperia products for over a week.

Describe how the campaign/entry was launched and executed across each channel in the order of implementation.

In the run-up to the store opening we released a series of teaser images hinting at what was waiting beneath the waves, creating a frenzy of media and public demanding to know more. We also set people across the Middle East a challenge through Facebook: come visit the store and drown your smartphone for an Xperia Z3. In just 3 days, over 2,000 took part for the chance to travel to Dubai for the opening. Besides the members of the public who visited the store, we invited media and key influencers for a special event, complete with afterparty on the beach. We also used the opportunity to shoot an Internet film, which spread across the world through our social channels. And we sent the full story to various tech sites, ad industry blogs, and major press for coverage – turning the pop-up store into a huge PR success.

Credits

Name Company Role
Paul Banham FP7 DXB Executive Creative Director
Mo Aram FP7/DXB Art Director
Chris Booth FP7/DXB Copywriter
Karl Uhlemann FP7/DXB General Manager Manager Business Unit
Alston D'sa FP7/DXB Account Manager
Khaled Hamza FP7/DXB Head Of Creative Services
Brence Dsa FP7/DXB Producer
Erol Salcinovic FP7/DXB Design Director
Kuba Skowronski FP7/DXB Senior Designer
Sameer Ketkar/Celia Jaber FP7/DXB Senior Designer
Tahaab Rais FP7/DXB Head Of Strategic Planning And Insights
Aakriti Goel FP7/DXB Digital Strategic Planner
Sameer Islam FP7/DXB Strategic Planner
Srinivas Kuniyil FP7/DXB Assistant Production Manager
Jon Shaikh/Scott Rawsthorne Diamond Bullet Director Duos
Jac Mulder Muddville FZ LLC Dop Lighting Cameraman
Leigh Ferreira Muddville FZ LLC Producer Post House
Sasan Saeidi FP7/DXB Managing Director
Gita Ghaemmaghami Sony Mobile Communications Marketing Communication Manager
Nicolas Firdy Sony Mobile Communications Marcom Digital Manager/Sony