2016 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

Huawei Be the Star was an open invitation for Huawei & Nancy Ajram fans across the MENA region. We reached out to them through an online portal, supported by a digital campaign, and an on-ground roadshow; attempting to find the next singing sensation. Fans participated by submitting a video of them singing Nancy Ajram’s ‘Nam bi Albi’ made available as a Karaoke track on www.huaweibethestar.com, and shared it on Social Media to ensure their video gets the maximum number of likes. The top 10 contestants then created self-promo videos stating why they would like to win, out of which we flew the top 5 contestants to Dubai to attend the final event for a chance to perform live in front of Nancy, get a shot at the title, and win a grand prize which was USD 25,000 worth of gold & the winner got to sing on stage with Nancy.

Creative Execution

The campaign microsite launched on 2/4/15. Over the first 4 weeks registration & voting happened, weekly winners were announced and they received a Huawei Mate 7. The 10 semi-finalists were announced on May 3rd and were asked to submit promo videos. The 5 finalists were shortlisted and were announced on May 16th. The finalists performed live on May 25th and the winner was announced. Throughout the campaign, on-line banners went on major websites and SM posts took place on Huawei & Nancy’s pages. Roadshows were held further engagement at Malls in 5 countries across the period.

Results

Thousands of participants from all across the Arab world participated in Huawei ‘Be The Star’ contest. Entries poured in and so did the votes and shares. Hundreds of thousands of people engaged through the online platforms. The final show was a massive hit. Farah Chakhachiro, the big winner, performed with Nancy Ajram on stage and took home $25,000 in gold. Arzu is a child prodigy who was discovered at the Huawei 'Be The Star' Competition. She was chosen by Huawei & Nancy Ajram to be groomed into a star. The contest’s success was so huge that Huawei is planning a second season.