2016 Winners & Shortlists

A STORY OF WOMEN, FOOD AND CHANGE

Short List
BrandMAGGI
Product/ServiceCOOKING AIDS
EntrantPUBLICIS MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Entrant Company PUBLICIS MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advertising Agency PUBLICIS MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Agency MEC MENA Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production Company FILM MASTER Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Brief Explanation

Campaign objectives: Create engagement and affinity. Drive category growth by increasing consumption. Our target is the Arab woman. Across the region, she wants to make a difference to her family and community, but believes that she doesn’t always have the power to. As the brand whose purpose is “make a difference”, MAGGI believes otherwise. Our message: every woman can be a force for change, regardless of her situation. The idea for MAGGI Diaries originated around the insight that, Arab women draw strength from other women. From the circle of family and close friends, as well as the networks that they nurture online, their ‘sisterhoods’ are a source of solidarity and support. Our strategy, then, was to use true stories of women who changed the world around them to inspire our audience to do the same.

The Campaign

As market leader, MAGGI’s objective was to drive growth by increasing consumption in a category where differentiation was increasingly difficult. The brand needed to set itself apart, both in style and content, with communication that transcended existing category conventions, while remaining true to its brand purpose, “make a difference”. Knowing that Arab women want to do more for their families and communities but feel constrained by “rules” limiting their actions, we launched “MAGGI Diaries”, a series of webisodes telling the true stories of women who had overcome challenges to achieve their dreams, help others, even change the world around them. As main content, “MAGGI Diaries” was supported by an integrated campaign including PR, ATL support, additional content and on-ground activation, resonating with women across the region, leading to a commercial and communication success for the brand.

Creative Execution

“MAGGI Diaries” was released as a series webisodes chronicling the cultural and culinary journey of real housewives, as they travel to different countries to meet other women on a mission to make a difference. The integrated campaign included: • PR : to announce our mission and journey • TV : to reach and direct viewers to the YouTube channel • YouTube: video inspiration, amplifying views and maximizing reach. Its user-friendly interface enhanced the experience and recipe discovery. • Facebook: accelerated engagement by driving conversations and preparing the way for a change in habits through daily posts and competitions. • Instagram: food travel diary showcasing the authenticity of the experiences, the beauty of the ingredients and encouraging women to cook the recipes. • Twitter: to keep people up-to-date of the journey, further enhanced by the ambassadors’ experiences. • On-ground events: live demonstrations of how food can make a difference.

MAGGI’s empowerment message resonated with women across the region. • 69% of those who watched MAGGI Diaries said, the series inspired them to bring about a change in their lives. • MAGGI bouillon, (which accounts for most of the MAGGI business in the region) grew volumes by 90% in the UAE, 14% in Kuwait, and 10% in Lebanon, suggesting that culinary discovery triggered an increased interest in and use of the product. • Women engaged avidly with our content. Diaries’ YouTube channel had an 18% view-through rate (versus a regional norm of 14%). Facebook had a category-leading 24% engagement rate while the brand saw a 400% growth on Instagram since launch. Twitter had an engagement of 9% and 14,959 new followers. In all, MAGGI Diaries had 26 million views across all channels. • Finally, MAGGI Diaries was a marketing success, delivering an ROI of 308% for the brand.

Credits

Name Company Role
Alex Brunori Publicis ME/Dubai Regional Executive Creative Director
Ramzy Haddad Publicis ME/Dubai Executive Creative Director
Charles Niquinto Publicis ME/Dubai Creative Director
Kamel Zeitouny Publicis ME/Dubai Copywriter
Myrna Khoury Publicis ME/Dubai Deputy General Manager
Stefania Hurtado Publicis ME/Dubai Account Director
Kimi Nath Publicis ME/Dubai Regional Planning Director
Khaled Shehab MEC Dubai Business Director
Raja Paul Youssef MEC Dubai Associate Account Director
Fatima Shaikh MEC Access Director