2015 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

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 450,000 which generated 14,500 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 media impact.

Creative Execution

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. We leveraged VIVA’s association with CineCo – the island’s largest cinema operator, to create a ‘fake beginning’ to every movie that would play. 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 long enough for our audience to experience the same frustration they endure when videos on they their smart devices buffer at unbearably low 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.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

VIVA needed a clutter-breaking idea that would demonstrate the superiority of its 4G LTE Broadband with the aim of acquiring new customers. Especially because its closest competitors (Batelco & Zain) had the same offers on the same product. The idea stemmed from a simple insight: Bahrainis love the movies. The average multiplex has 17 halls, 200 seats per hall and 5 daily shows. That’s a captive audience of 13,000 on the lower side, per day. Now take that number and multiply it by 2, to account for Bahrain’s two largest multiplexes. To drive more enquiries for VIVA’s 4G LTE Broadband Packages we created an idea the audience strongly related to. We created the ‘buffering’ stunt, a ‘fake beginning’ to every movie, which played at the start of every film. While playing, a ‘buffering wheel’ appeared, leaving our audience as frustrated as when their devices buffer videos at low speeds.