2016 Winners & Shortlists

THE FITNESS ACCOUNT

Short List
BrandEMIRATES NBD
Product/ServiceTHE EMIRATES NBD FITNESS ACCOUNT
EntrantFP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryUse of Digital in a PR Campaign
Entrant Company FP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advertising Agency FP7/DXB Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production Company LIWA ADVERTISING Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production Company 2 MILES STUDIOS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

The UAE has a problem of physical obesity: “Over 60% of UAE residents are overweight or obese.” (Gulf Business) “Lack of an active lifestyle is a prime cause of obesity in the UAE.” (Intelligent Health) The UAE also has a problem of financial obesity: “UAE residents sucked into a cycle of debt” (The National) “The primary cause of debt is lack of savings” (Emirates 24/7) So, when Emirates NBD, the leading bank, wanted to increase its deposits and its innovative equity, we addressed both problems through a first-of-its-kind mobile banking platform. Introducing: THE EMIRATES NBD FITNESS ACCOUNT - the region’s first-ever fitness-based savings account. It seamlessly integrates one’s fitness with one’s savings through gamification and mobile banking devices. Users needed to open a Fitness Account with Emirates NBD’s mobile app. Sync the app to compatible mobile devices. Set daily goals in numbers of steps. Users can get moving and earn up to 2% interest. The more you move, the more you earn: 0 steps/day = Earn 0.2% interest on your savings, 5000 steps/day = 1% interest, 12,000 steps/day = 2% interest. An integrated 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. 99% positive sentiments, $230,000 earned media and counting, Winner of EFMA’S innovation award. In just one month: (a) 53 million steps and counting. (b) AED 16.07 million saved.

The Brief

Emirates NBD, the leading bank, wanted to increase its deposits and innovative equity. Our goal was to address the problems of physical obesity and financial obesity that were so prevalent among UAE residents. We needed to create 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 in the world in smartphone penetrations, we chose to activate this idea via mobile and smartphones.

Execution

The Fitness Account was launched as a mobile app across Apple's distribution network; featuring primarily on the iTunes Store and seeded to key influencers and owners of Apple products such as the Apple Watch to initiate word of mouth. An integrated 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.

(1) 99% positive sentiments (2) $230,000 earned media and counting (3) Received endorsements across local and regional media. Some 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) “Emirates NBD wants you to be fit and healthy.” (Gulf Marketing Review) (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 just one month: (a) 53 million steps and counting. (b) AED 16.07 million saved and counting.

The Strategy

Introducing: THE EMIRATES NBD FITNESS ACCOUNT - the region’s first-ever fitness-based savings account. We wanted to target those people who are fitness conscious or wanted to be fitness conscious. And had a smartphone (73.8% of UAE's mobile consumers carrying smartphones; highest in the world). The Fitness Account seamlessly integrates one’s fitness with one’s savings through gamification and mobile banking devices. Users needed to open a Fitness Account with Emirates NBD’s mobile app. Sync the app to compatible mobile devices. Set daily goals in numbers of steps. The more they moved, the more they earned: 0 steps/day = Earn 0.2% interest on your savings, 5000 steps/day = 1% interest, 12,000 steps/day = 2% interest.

Credits

Name Company Role
Tahaab Rais Fp7/dxb Creative Strategy/Regional Head of Strategic Planning
Josephine Younes Fp7/dxb Creative Director/Art Director
Nayaab Rais Fp7/dxb Creative Director/Copywriter
Oliver Robinson Fp7/dxb Senior Creative Director
Spiro Malak Fp7/dxb General Manager - Business Unit
Vicky Kriplani Fp7/dxb Account Director
SAMEER ISLAM Fp7/dxb Senior Strategic Planner
LAYAN EL HAFI Fp7/dxb ACCOUNT MANAGER
ERNA REDZEPAGIC Fp7/dxb SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Sagar Rege Liwa Advertising Director
Andrew Boulter Liwa Advertising DOP
Shane Vessaokar Liwa Advertising Producer
Vishal Munge/Ashraf Mohammedunny Liwa Advertising/FP7DXB Editor
Raghav/Arjun Liwa Advertising Music
Puja Chatterjee Liwa Advertising Servicing
Rajat Kaura/Kunjika Talpade Liwa Advertising Creative
Magda Hajduk/Katarzyna Gajewska Liwa Advertising Wardrobe/Production Design/Makeup
Syed Umair Ali Liwa Advertising Animation
Joseph Alipio/Abdul Wahid/Rizwan Nikhil Fp7/dxb Studio artists
Dominic Fernandes/Aamir Aijaz/Asih Wulansari Emirates NBD Business Marketing Team