STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Category
Use of Print in a Media Campaign
Media Agency
STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Entrant Company
STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Agency 2
STARCOM MEDIAVEST GROUP Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Results and Effectiveness
Hareem Al Sultan captured the hearts and the minds of audiences again in its fourth season! We overcame cultural taboos and previously considered improper themes – those of cheats, rivals, power and seduction - were gossiped about.
Furthermore, OSM’s brand awareness increased by 14% within the UAE and 20% within KSA. We delivered an 11% increase in sales from April – May 2014 while the series aired. Furthermore, on days when a theatrical performance took place, sales increased by a phenomenal 208% proving that live consumer engagement contributed to the overall sales increase across the campaign duration.
Creative Execution
How do you re-capture an already once-captive audience? We needed to re-emphasize the drama and intrigue of the series by developing an integrated media / consumer engagement campaign.
To build anticipation of season 4, we invited readers to re-live the romance of the Ottoman Era series by using the romantic poetry from the show in print. Interactive and seductive, the ad was more than just words on a page and reminded viewers of the show they loved and missed.
In major magazines, a full page, interactive ad included a poem that readers could slide out of the page. The poems matched upcoming scenes in the next series and tied into themes of romance and opulence from the Ottoman era, when written word was the fundamental communication tool.
Insights, Strategy and the Idea
To seduce the audience into watching the season 4 premiere of Hareem Al Sultan, OSN wanted to show just how different a broadcast channel can be. While many rival networks flout social norms and Eastern culture in favor of the West, OSN delivers a boundary pushing series that has captivated Arab audiences with its topics of love, lust and distrust. In Arabic culture, these passionate emotions are not openly discussed or portrayed. However, poetry is an acceptable expression. By creating a television series that dealt with these themes in a poetic manner, we aimed to further seduce the public with the romance of the Ottoman era and capitalize on Hareem Al Sultan’s previous season cliff hanger endings for economic benefit – to increase sales performance, build brand awareness and generate greater audience engagement via retail channels.