2016 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

Gulf Bank was emerging from the crisis of 2008 and beginning to rebuild its reputation and brand equity, as well as reestablish itself as a leading in the Kuwait banking and financial sector. Kuwait has long been known as a tolerant and accommodating country. However, that harmonious balance was disrupted after the terrorist bombing don June 26. Daily life was at a standstill, as the attackers sought to stoke sectarian tensions and rock the balance of the country. It was under these circumstances that Gulf Bank took action to deliver a message of solidarity, affirming the fabric of the country.

Results and Effectiveness

The TVCs success was tied to the impact it had on the Kuwaiti people, measured both qualitatively and quantitatively. It reached over 800+ posts on Instagram and Twitter from followers and celebrities. The hashtag #AnaKuwaiti, was on the popular trending list within one hour of its launch. On YouTube, the film was viewed over a million times as of its first week and remained as one of the top 5 videos. In terms of business growth, the two customer propositions had seen double digit growth, the youth segment increased by 52% and the Kuwait salary increased by 12%.

Creative Execution

The timing of the TVC was paramount, and the situation required an immediate and strong message to the community. Our media strategy leveraged mainstream, digital and social media. We used both broad and narrow media channels in order to ensure maximum reach, while generating the highest amplification. The TVC was aired on Kuwaiti TV stations and also released it on YouTube. On YouTube, the TVC remained on the top 3 popular videos in Kuwait for 10 days. It was also placed on the YouTube trends dashboard as the most viewed video in Kuwait for 2 days.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Kuwait was shaken to its core, and the Bank wanted to deliver a message of solidarity, tolerance, and acceptance. The focus was on family and generations and so decided on the concept of a child asking his parent about religious sects and the father emphasizing that we are all Kuwaitis which became the name of the message “I Am Kuwaiti” and the trending hashtag #AnaKuwait. Following the positive response to the message and within 48 hours, the video was release on traditional channels and social media