2016 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

The Fitness Account was a mobile app that got UAE to walk 53 million steps and save AED 16 million in a month. It was a direct banking channel from Emirates NBD. Seamlessly integrating one’s fitness with one’s savings through gamification and mobile banking devices, it rewarded people for their physical activity with higher interest - directly. The more they moved, the more they earned. 0 steps/day = 0.2% interest on their savings, 5000 steps/day = 1%, 12,000 steps/day = 2%. Users needed to open a Fitness Account with Emirates NBD’s mobile app. Sync the app to mobile devices. Set daily goals and move! We activated it via direct response campaign that made it famous across the UAE through an online film, a launch event, digital and social content and 1-to-1 direct marketing with existing mobile banking customers. Partnerships with Fitness First, adidas, Beyond Fitness and MetLife drove usage.

Creative Execution

To increase Emirates NBD's deposits and innovative equity, we created an idea that would get UAE moving and saving, and get the press talking positively about and endorsing Emirates NBD as an innovative bank. Given the high penetration of smartphones (according to Google, UAE ranks #1 globally in smartphone penetration), we chose to activate this idea via mobile and smartphones. A direct response campaign made it famous through an online film, a launch event, digital and social content and 1-to-1 direct marketing with existing mobile banking customers. Partnerships with Fitness First, adidas, Beyond Fitness and MetLife drove usage.

Results

(1) 99% positive sentiments (2) $230,000 earned media and counting; received endorsements across local and regional media. Examples: (a) “A new phase in digital banking as it effectively combines customers’ health and lifestyle goals with their banking needs.” (Gulf News) (b) “Turn health into wealth with Emirates NBD.” (T3) (c) “Be fit and healthy with Emirates NBD.” (GMR) (4) Winner of EFMA’S innovation award: “An idea whose time has come! Value-based behavior incentives were the one missing piece from wearable device models.” (EFMA & Accenture) (5) In 1 month: (a) 53 million steps and counting. (b) AED 16.07 million saved.