2018 Winners & Shortlists

CHANGING THE FACE OF THE UAE

BrandAL FUTTAIM MOTORS
Product/ServiceTOYOTA
EntrantHUG Dubai , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryLow Budget / High Impact Campaign
Idea Creation HUG Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production HUG Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

While all other brand content featured flags and cultural cliches, Toyota changed the way UAE National Day looked and sounded by releasing a hypnotic song with bold colorful typography, daring people to show their love for the UAE in a way no one had ever done before.

The Brief

The total combined creative, media and production budget was less than USD 20,000. Because of the high relevancy and ad rank our Cost Per View was an outstanding USD 0.006 only.

Creative Execution

Video, being the most watched and shared media online, was our chosen format. We needed to create a video with thumb stopping power, something every UAE resident could relate to and could not skip or scroll past. Which is why our video started with a Toyota Land Cruiser, a car that has transcended its status as a mere car to become a UAE national symbol, flying over a pink desert. Once we got people’s attention, it was important we keep them watching till the very end. Our goal was to showcase UAE culture in a new way, and that’s exactly what we did through our imagery, typography, patterns and colors. Backed by a mesmerizing tune with one simple lyric “If you love the UAE”, people felt challenged to prove their love, and that’s exactly what they did using our video.

Results

This video helped keep Toyota top-of mind in a month where the dealership observed 67% increase in month-on-month sales. * Most shared automotive video during UAE National Day weekend (Dec 1st - Dec 4th) * Most successful Toyota UAE Facebook post in 2017 * Over 2 million people reached and 1 million views

Toyota’s “If you love the UAE” video was created for UAE residents to share and celebrate National Day in a different way. Its daring look and provoking message captured people’s attention and they immediately responded by proving their love for the UAE through thousands of comments and shares helping Toyota stay top-of-mind during THE most important sales month of the year.

During UAE National Day, social media is flooded with National Day content. Social media interactions also peak during National Day weekend as people and brands show their love. Unfortunately, brands prefer to play it safe with almost every piece of content looking identical. Our strategy was simple. Change the way UAE National Day looks like. Change the way it sounds like. And give UAE residents something they actually want to share and celebrate online.

Credits

Name Company Role
Simon Reid Hug Executive Creative Director
Karim Yusuf Hug Creative Director
Michael Widgery Hug Creative Group Head
Akshay Shankar Hug Account Director
Ryan Rozario Hug Business Director
Savio Dias Hug Senior Animator
Liam Ketley Hug Copywriter
Sara El Amir Hug Illustrator
Sasha Gogosh Hug Producer
Ali Mustafa Ali Mustafa Production Music Producer
Sajith Kadambat Al Futtaim Toyota Digital Marketing Manager
Rashed Altaf Al Futtaim Toyota Social Media Manager
Links
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