2018 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

It’s all about the thrill. Given the exaggerated emotional rush that over-consumes Egyptians during the rare happy moments they experience; we created the vehicle for their expressions. Nothing can beat a song when it comes to the accuracy of portraying one’s emotions. Using a narrative of emotions, ‘from the people to the people’, is always the sincerest way to deliver a message. That moment where the last whistle of the match is blown with the score in Egypt’s favor, was the initiation of the moment, and the literal start of our song. Capturing that celebratory moment from the very start, starring real Egyptians showcasing their raw emotions that would literally be happening a few seconds later. With Amr Diab’s voice narrating the emotional expression, being the representative voice of Egypt, we would deliver the perfect fusion of an audio-visual sentiment.

Creative Execution

With its core reality of being a collaborative brand campaign, the song was about a lot more. The Egyptian and multi-award winning Middle Eastern musician since 1989, Amr Diab, labled as ‘Al Hadaba’ (verbatim: the unbeatable), was the lead singer of our national anthem. With backup singers, there were not professional performers, but ordinary Egyptians symbolizing the voice of the people, we owned the moment. Celebrating Egypt’s win, we heard the whistle blow three times, with ‘Russia here we come’ in the minds of every Egyptian. Portraying a real shot of the empty streets of Cairo, with the moment everyone literally got out of their streets turning every street, home, and work-place to a proud celebratory festivity. On every digital and social media platform, every television channel, every radio station and every street, our song was the first thing Egyptians heard or saw in Egypt.

Vodafone and Pepsico asked for nothing in return. Gifting and sharing the moment with the nation was their objective. And it paid off; 2,000,000 organic views in 3 hours, reaching 7,600,000 people in one week. The song was a hit, trending on YouTube, Twitter, and organically taking over every local radio- station. It didn’t stop there, the song was on every news outlet, reaching free PR coverage worth of 8,911,525 EGP. Organically, the song, in audio-video, was played at the official Presidential Honoring Ceremony for the National team, receiving a standing ovation. While songs diffuse themselves amongst crowds, it is often difficult to achieve through a branded song; but our organic success proved otherwise. And it doesn’t end there; based on its impact, Amr Diab has decided to hold a concert in Russia in June 2018, to celebrate Egypt’s qualification internationally, using our national anthem.

Music can sometimes feel distinct when they first appear, and may become anthems to specific emotions. A Vodafone-Pepsico collaborative brand campaign and song aimed to own a moment 98M Egyptians were waiting for, we owned Egypt’s heart. From a campaign song to a national anthem, our song managed to evoke the feelings that were struggling to come-out, given the exuberant shock of disbelieve of finally qualifying for the world cup. A song released seconds after the last whistle announcing our qualification, ended up carrying Egypt’s overwhelmed emotions of the win and becoming the engraved memory of that moment.

It didn’t matter if your telecom provider was Vodafone or if your favorite coke beverage was Pepsi. The audience was every Egyptian, regardless of their whereabouts. The plan was to create a piece of art that can convey that moment’s feeling; one that was never felt before. For years, music has become the expressive method of emotions for people. Creating a song that can be the emotional bridge between the collaborative brands and the Egyptians, at the celebratory occasion at hand was the purpose; a tune that can be the sound of every fans’ beating heart, and words that describes every emotion they have. If you couldn’t express yourself, the song would do it for you. We wanted the own the tune that becomes the anthem for every win. Hopeful for a joyful ending, our song would be the nation’s representation of pride, not just a brand campaign.