2015 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

Branded Content is a relatively new market for the Middle East, so it’s difficult to give a detailed picture of the regional situation. However, the major players of the consumer electronics category (like Samsung, Nokia, and Apple) have not ventured far beyond mall activations and YouTube/Facebook ads. So there’s a real opportunity to engage and entertain people in the region with a fresh, unique experience.

Results

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. Into this situation, Sony was about to launch Xperia Z3, the first ever fully waterproof range of smartphones and tablets. We needed to create a launch campaign that would create a strong emotional response in people, that would turn Sony into a desirable brand and turn potential customers into Sony fans. Since the Xperia Z3’s waterproof feature was a global first for a mobile range, we created THE WORLD’S FIRST UNDERWATER STORE to launch it in. Five metres below the sea off the coast of Dubai, it allowed us to demonstrate the Xperia Z3’s unique feature in an impactful and newsworthy way. 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 a free Xperia Z3. Once the store was open, we invited select media and key influencers to experience to a special event in order to amplify publicity. And we shot an Internet film, which spread across our social channels and out into the wider world. Later, we sent the story to various tech sites, ad industry blogs, and major press for coverage – turning the pop-up store into a huge PR success.

Before the underwater store opened off the coast of Dubai we released a series of teaser images to the press, hinting that there was something incredible waiting under the sea. This created a huge buzz among the public, who swarmed our social channels wanting to know more, and how they could come visit the store. We also ran a Facebook competition inviting people from across the Middle East to come to Dubai to visit the store. This created over 60,000 views in 3 days. By the time the store opened, millions across the region were excited to see it.

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 a month 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 worldwide, the store was talked about in news articles around the world including Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Wired, GQ, Gizmodo, CNN, and T3, as well as industry blogs including Ad Age. We also received international TV coverage, including a Discovery Channel documentary. Our Internet film earned over 5.25 million views, and Sony’s Twitter followers increased by 21%. In total, the campaign generated an earned media value of over $4.5 million. And best of all, Xperia sales increased 115%, with retailers across Dubai selling out of Xperia products for over a week.