2015 Winners & Shortlists

THE WHEEL

Short List
BrandVIVA BAHRAIN
Product/Service4G NETWORK
EntrantMEMAC OGILVY & MATHER W.L.L.; BAHRAIN Manama, BAHRAIN
CategoryBrand or product integration in to an existing programme or platform
Entrant Company MEMAC OGILVY & MATHER W.L.L.; BAHRAIN Manama, BAHRAIN
Contributing Company MEMAC OGILVY & MATHER W.L.L.; BAHRAIN Manama, BAHRAIN
Production Company TALKING PICTURES Manama, BAHRAIN

The Campaign

When you’re the last entrant in a market that’s small, conservative and driven strictly by price-oriented promotions advertised through traditional media, there’s only one way to overpower your competition and emerge as the officially recognized No.1 telecom network in the country. You have to do things the unconventional way. That’s the story of VIVA’s entry into Bahrain. In a short span of 5 years it has surged ahead of Batelco and Zain, its primary competition and won over a lion’s share of the market by way of it aggressive pricing and audacious advertising strategy. In keeping with this ‘untraditional’ approach, VIVA asked us to create a strategic idea that would help create a buzz around its 4G LTE Broadband offering.

Results

VIVA wanted us to stir up a buzz in the market to promote its 4G LTE Broadband Packages. Challenge: A difficult task, especially when you consider that you’re product isn’t unique and 4 other competitors offer it as well. Objectives: The only way we were going to drive more enquiries and acquisitions were if we created an idea that our audience could relate to and closely associate with. And so, the idea of the ‘buffering wheel’ was conceived. Idea: Playing on the insight that Bahrainis simply love going to the movies, we pulled off the perfect stunt. We leveraged VIVA’s association with CineCo – the island’s largest cinema operator, to create a ‘fake beginning’ to every movie that would play. The one thing in common that all movies have is the opening sequence of the Production Studio – like the characteristic MGM Lion intro or the FOX Studio intro. Strategy: Timed to perfection, we played our ‘fake intro routine’ as the lights completely blacked out and the audience expected the movie to start. Mid way through, the routine paused and the ‘buffering wheel’ appeared. It stayed spinning for a long 20 seconds. Long enough for our audience to experience the same frustration they endure when videos on they their smart devices buffer at unbearably low data speeds. Just when the crowd began to react adversely, our message flashed. The audiences immediately acknowledged the ingenuity of the idea because they truly connected with it. Moreover, because VIVA is strategically located in every mall & multiplex, we were able to generate substantial enquiries and new acquisitions.

The idea stemmed from a simple insight: people in Bahrain love going to the movies. And this gave us the perfect opportunity to get the audience to truly experience the benefits of VIVA’s product. The average multiplex has 17 halls, 200 seats per hall and plays 5 daily shows. Do the math and you have a captive audience that averages 13,000 on the lower side, per day. Now take that number and multiply it by 2, which are the two largest multiplexes in Bahrain. We had the undivided attention of an audience that even ‘print’ media couldn’t guarantee.

Because VIVA is strategically located in every mall & multiplex, we were able to generate substantial enquiries. From the 13,000 (on average) movie buffs targeted per day, 5,000 of them enquired about VIVA’s 4G LTE Broadband Packages via our stores or call centre number. Considering we ran the campaign for two weeks, we had a captive audience of 350,000 which generated 85,000 enquiries. Moreover, the shared frustration and then acknowledgment of the live audience maximized the impact of this carefully timed stunt. By running this spot after the lights had dimmed when people were expecting their movie, we ensured maximum message relevance and impact.

Credits

Name Company Role
Johan Ohlson Memac Ogilvy Bahrain Creative Director
Dan Shepherd/Smith Memac Ogilvy Bahrain Client Service Director
Shyam Unni Memac Ogilvy Bahrain Planner
Divyan Kriplani Memac Ogilvy Bahrain English Copywriter
Saadique Waggie Memac Ogilvy Bahrain Associate Creative Director
Gaurav Paul Memac Ogilvy Bahrain Account Director
Alya Janahi Memac Ogilvy Bahrain Account Manager
Degal Pinto Memac Ogilvy Bahrain Associate Creative Director