2017 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

There are always two sides to a story. #thisisegypt, began as an initiative from Egypt’s youth, to showcase their country in a different light; adopted as the official Egyptian tourism hashtag as a tool to counter the negative imagery circulating globally and show the world our side of the story via social media and share the diverse experiences. It’s was time to get the message across from the people of Egypt to the people of the world in attempt of closing the perception gap and encourage them to come to Egypt experience it and create their own story that reflect the authenticity and fusion of Egypt’s offerings.

Creative Execution

The campaign launched online introducing #thisisegypt as a platform to show the world the real Egypt that is not seen on the news. Prominent social media influencers were invited to visit Egypt and post their journey using the hashtag encouraging their followers to share their experience in Egypt too. Digital screens in priority markets were used to showcase the authentic experiences. Furthermore, traditional TV spots and advertorial content were used to complement one another; both were promoting destinations and addressing the current global perception.

The brand film received 411 million impressions resulting in $2,075,000 USD in earned online media Reach from international travel influencers: 5.5 million Screens achieved a reach of over 14.5 million By the end of 2016 a rise in inbound figures of 25.34%

The campaign was showcased in multiple types of media demonstrating how well the different types compliment and build on each other communicating the brand's message #thisisegypt.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

To challenge the global perception, we moved away from traditional tourism advertising to an inside-out approach where the international campaign started at home. The international campaign was an extension to a larger ecosystem where user-generated content was utilized to highlight a local authentic perspective to close the perception gap, be it an Egyptian’s local or a traveler’s experience.. Our target comes from Eastern and Western European countries primarily looking for an escape from the chilly winter months. Farther away, tourists from Asia and the Americas visit Egypt for the cultural oriented sights on the banks of the Nile Valley. Egypt has a diversity of destinations and experiences that can appeal to the luxury travel or the authentic experience seekers from around the world.