2018 Winners & Shortlists

ARABIC REASSEMBLED

Bronze

Case Film

Presentation Image

BrandAL FUTTAIM
Product/ServiceIKEA
EntrantIMPACT BBDO Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryPosters
Idea Creation IMPACT BBDO Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR IMPACT PORTER NOVELLI Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production BIG KAHUNA FILMS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Additional Company ROOTS ADVERTISING Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

The answer lay not in what IKEA makes, but how they do it - assembly. We designed a series of posters that celebrated the beauty of assembly, and showcased powerful statements that came together to promote the cause on Arab Literacy Day, and support an in-store activation that ran simultaneously. Each poster was crafted to look exactly like the familiar graphics in IKEA's iconic instruction manuals, and used that medium to deliver an unexpectedly strong message about the Arabic language.

Creative Execution

Placed around IKEA stores, the series of four unique posters were rooted in the IKEA design sensibility. Each one featured a different typeface and statement. Headlines translation: 1 Express with every letter. 2 Abjad Hawwaz or the Arabic lorem ipsum, a common phrase used to describe the alphabet. 3 Letters become words, words become sentences. 4 Construct and create. Body copy: Encourage your children to assemble words by joining letters, and instill the love of our language in their hearts. #ArabicReassembled

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

The posters placed in the IKEA stores helped raise awareness about learning the Arabic language and reconnecting people to it, as well as bringing attention to an in-store activation based on the same topic that ran in stores simultaneously, pulling in over 300 participants.

Our approach was to capitalize on one of IKEA's core equities: Their expertise in assembly, and extend it to an unexpected domain: Language. IKEA stores enjoy a high footfall of families and kids, so featuring them in store was a natural choice. The posters were strategically placed to be noticed, as this is where customers browse and look around before they shop. The posters communicated the cause as well as supported an in-store activation that promoted Arabic and ran at the same time.

Credits

Name Company Role
Paul Shearer Impact BBDO Dubai Chief Creative Officer
Omar Al Jabi Impact BBDO Dubai Creative Director
Ahmed El Goweiny Impact BBDO Dubai Business Strategy Director
Shweta Tariq Impact BBDO Dubai Senior Copywriter
Yousef Ashram Impact BBDO Dubai Head of Arabic Copywriting
Celine Barakat Impact BBDO Dubai Senior Arabic Copywriter
Rasha El Saadi Impact BBDO Dubai Senior Art Director
Madhu Kunhappan Impact BBDO Dubai Art Director
Nicolaas Van Der Merwe Impact BBDO Dubai Art Director
Mohsen Mahbob Impact BBDO Dubai Visual Graphic Artist
Mohammed Sarakhosh Impact BBDO Dubai Digital Designer
Penelope Siebert Impact BBDO Dubai Business Unit Director
Rasha Lambe Impact BBDO Dubai Account Director
Rama El-Azzouni Impact BBDO Dubai Account Manager
Charlotte Adam Impact BBDO Dubai Account Manager
Sarah Jackson Impact Porter Novelli Associate Director
Kaye Rawlings Impact Porter Novelli Consultant
Amanj Nouri Impact Porter Novelli Senior Account Executive
Suresh Subramanian Freelance Photographer