2015 Winners & Shortlists

PROJECT AKSHAR (ALPHABETS)

BrandSMARTLIFE
Product/ServiceGET SMART PROGRAM
EntrantFP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryUse of promotional stunts/live advertising/live shows/concerts & festivals
Entrant Company FP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advertising Agency FP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Agency UM MENA Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production Company MINT MENA Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Brief

In Dubai, learning English will help its many labourers get better jobs and salaries. But with average monthly salaries of $220, and a hard life of 12-hour work shifts, they neither have the money nor time to educate themselves. SmartLife, an NGO for Dubai's labourers, wanted to help them improve their status and quality of life. So, we created Project Akshar (Alphabets), where we set out to graduate Dubai's labourers from blue collar to white collar.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We launched free English classes. And to encourage registrations, we designed a learning system to show how easy learning English words could be. We turned Dubai into a blackboard for them. Labour camps became Educational camps. Transport buses became School buses. Construction sites became Learning sites. Mundane routines became Inspiring journeys. We shared a number to reach us at – again, for free via a missed call. We also created: Learning flashcards, a Karaoke song, Vernacular newspaper print ads, Bus shelter ads around labour camps, a special edition book to generate funds and a social media app that increased awareness.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

We’re transforming their lives of labour into lives of learning: (1) 4000+ students graduated. (2) 28% cleared job interviews for white-collar jobs. (3) 12% started businesses back home. (4) 23% got promoted to white-collar jobs from existing blue-collar jobs in the same companies. (5) 37% got higher salaries including a labourer graduating from 800 AED (~$220) to 8000 AED (~$2200) per month. (6) The project is invited to be a part of the Government’s ‘Happy Dubai’ initiative. (7) All costs were pro bono ($0) courtesy our partners. (8) Unprecedented earned media worth $230,000 across TV, Press, Radio and Social Media.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

They didn’t have the money. So we launched free English classes, where corporate sponsors funded the educational material, schools and camp management teams shared classroom space, and white-collared professionals volunteered their time to become their teachers. And they didn’t have the time. So we showed them how easy it was to learn English, Hence, the relatable communication using an effective learning technique made them pick up English words along their daily journeys. In the spirit of free English classes, we shared a number they could give a missed call on and SmartLife called them back to enroll them.

Credits

Name Company Role
Tahaab Rais FP7/DXB Head Of Strategic Planning And Insights
Paul Banham FP7 DXB Executive Creative Director
Josephine Younes FP7/DXB Associate Creative Director
Nayaab Rais FP7/DXB Associate Creative Director
Josephine Younes FP7/DXB Art Director
Nayaab Rais FP7/DXB Copywriter
Tahaab Rais FP7/DXB Creative Strategy
Vicky Kriplani FP7/DXB Account Director And Channel Concepts
Lokesh Karekar Visual Artist
Sameer Ketkar FP7/DXB Senior Designer
Erol Salcinovic FP7/DXB Design Director
Khaled Hamza FP7/DXB Head Of Creative Services
Kashif Ahmed/Amit Borawake FP7/DXB Studio Artist/Retouch Artist
Pankaj Nainwal/Kim Anandani FP7/DXB Senior Technical Lead/Digital Designer
Dolly Saidy/Mario Atallah MINT MENA Production Consultant/Senior Agency Producer
Ashraf Mohammedunny Dop/Cameraman/Editor/Motion Artist
Mohammad Hajjar W/Studio Photographer
Rafeeq Kaniyankandi/Saleem Kuniyil W/Studio Assistants
Aurangzaib Zafar FP7/DXB Editor
Jihad Sibai UM DUBAI Business Director