2015 Winners & Shortlists

MY SISTERS & I

BrandALWAYS
Product/ServiceFEMININE NAPKINS
EntrantSTARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryFiction: series or film
Media Agency 2 STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Entrant Company STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Agency STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

Consumers in the GCC are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their media consumption, and the region has witnessed a growing appetite for branded entertainment. Saudi Arabia alone has seen a big boom in both the production and consumption of digital content, especially videos, becoming the biggest user of YouTube per capita in the world. Branded entertainment in the region is subject to the similar restrictions as traditional advertising. Content needs to be culturally sensitive and abide by the rules and regulations of the governing bodies across the GCC. Inappropriate religious, sexual, and political references were strictly forbidden. With menstrual hygiene being a sensitive topic, especially in conservative Saudi Arabia, Always saw the internet as a safe haven to create its own experience platform & produce original content for women. Content that mattered. Content they were happy to share, discuss, & bond over.

Results

How does a brand like Always connect with Saudi women without making them feel uneasy and communicate to them which product line is right for them? Realizing that the source of this low self-esteem was stemming from a lack of education, Always capitalized on their need for entertainment during menstruation by creating a series of inspirational webisodes personifying its product line through the characters. This gave rise to “My Sister’s & I” campaign. A series of 8 webisodes about 4 sisters with different personalities, supporting and empowering each other to succeed. Each sister was a role model inspired by one of the Always sub brands. Always Sensitive was personified in Yasmine, the caring and loving motherly sister who constantly worries about others. She is sensitive and delicate by nature. Always Diamond was personified in Alia, a demanding and ambitious perfectionist fashion designer. Alia enjoys the finer & more premium things life. Always Night was personified in Sara, a career-driven women who spends late nights in the office trying to prove herself. Always Ultra was personified in Farah, the free-spirited and hyper active sister who’s always on the go. The series lived on both the Always Arabia “BeingGirl” Facebook page & YouTube with online banners driving viewers to the episodes. To keep the conversation going, each episode on Facebook was accompanied by a Q&A competition & conversational posts: “Which sister are you?”, “What do you think of Alia’s sense of fashion?” and “Which of these characters best describes your sister”. Based on their answers, respondents were directed to learn more about the Always product that bests fits their personality and lifestyle. Moreover, the first 3 respondents to answer also received a gift from Always.

It’s awkward to talk about menstruation, let alone communicate it on mass channels. In Saudi Arabia, the subject is seldom discussed with the family due to cultural sensitivities. Most Saudi women grow up not knowing enough about their menstrual cycle. Those that do know were fortunate enough to grow up with an older sister or an understanding mother. Furthermore, life becomes uneasy for Saudi women during menstruation. The discomfort restricts their social life condemning them to wait out this period at home. Low on self-esteem, many find solace in the privacy of the web, passing time on social media.

The series sparked a conversation between young females and initiated discussions on Facebook about each of the “My Sisters and I” characters. Total views on YouTube reached 800K with an average view per episode at 100K. The series received over 10,000 likes on Facebook, with almost 1000 participants engaging with our Q&A competition and conversational posts Always witnessed market share growth (+1 point versus previous year), which indicates that the consumers' engagement resulted in driving purchase intent.

Credits

Name Company Role
Salwa Andraos Starcom Mediavest Group Senior Account Manager
Hanibal Ahwash Starcom Mediavest Group Media Manager
Links
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