2018 Winners & Shortlists

YOUR SEAT BELT, YOUR LIFE

BrandABDUL LATIF JAMEEL
Product/ServiceJAMEEL LEAGUE
EntrantABDUL LATIF JAMEEL Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA
CategoryBusiness Citizenship / Corporate Responsibility
Idea Creation ABDUL LATIF JAMEEL Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA

The Campaign

The creative idea behind the campaign was based on making everything larger-than-life and ubiquitous. The most-anticipated and most-watched football game of the year in Saudi Arabia – Ittihad vs. Alhilal – was chosen to maximize exposure. A giant seatbelt was paraded around the football pitch while a German puppetry company commanded spectators’ attention with its abstract portrayal of the results of a crash in which seatbelts are not used. Also optimal attention-grabbers were the seatbelt-themed new jerseys worn by all teams in the Pro League. We built on this initial splash with social media campaigns and roadshows to all corners of the Kingdom, making sure that people understood this was not a big city issue but one that reaches into every village and hamlet across the nation.

Execution

On March 5, 2017, Ittihad Club of Jeddah and Alhilal Club of Riyadh, the biggest football rivals and fan favorites across the Kingdom, met in the yearly Saudi El Clasico. In front of a live crowd of more than 55,000 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, KSA and a television and online audience reaching millions, the world’s largest seat belt was revealed. With local celebrities, safety advocates and public figures in attendance, the unveiling was then followed up by puppeteers enacting the consequences of not wearing a seat belt in a traffic collision. The head of the local traffic department also addressed the crowd. Both Ittihad Club and Alhilal Saudi Club teams donned specially-designed jerseys incorporating a seat belt motif. Referees did the same. All 12 remaining Saudi Pro League teams showed support for the campaign by also wearing the special seat belt jersey at their matches.

The campaign launch sparked a media frenzy which then segued to the launch of the social media outreach campaign and a public roadshow to highlight the importance of seat belts in reducing road-traffic fatalities. The total numbers were astonishing: • Over 100,000 people at live events, • Over 1 million television viewers, • Over $500,000 in earned print media. Five unique hashtags were launched and used during the campaign to monitor the total online social reach: • (Saudi Pro League) • (‘Buckle your seat belt’ round) • (Community Jameel) • (Your seat belt, your safety) • (Road traffic safety initiative) With over 50 million impressions recorded for these hashtags, support for the campaign was also picking up across all social network sites and was being talked about by young Saudi drivers and, no doubt, their passengers, as well.

The Situation

The work features a spectacular, multi-faceted live event in a football stadium full of 55,000 expectant fans. It uses celebrities from the worlds of TV and sport to drive home a social message in a unique environment, via a unique format.

The Strategy

ALJ knew that there were a few things with which young Saudis, especially, were obsessed. Football came first; then came social media and cars. We reviewed the number of football fans attending games and following them on TV and online, and decided that the Ittihad-Alhilal match, known as Saudi El Clasico, was the optimum event for launching the campaign. Even more popular than TV in KSA are the various social media in use by, mostly, young people. KSA has the highest usage of social media in the Middle East. We followed up the debut at the football game with Twitter and Facebook posts, reinforcing them with public road show events around the country.

Credits

Name Company Role
Martin Copus Abdul Latif Jameel Head of Sponsorship
Hassan Ghalayini Abdul Latif Jameel Director, PR & Communications
Rami Turki Abdul Latif Jameel SGM, Sponsorship
Mohammed Hakami Abdul Latif Jameel Director, Community Jameel
Hasan Al Farshooti Abdul Latif Jameel Marketing Specialist