2018 Winners & Shortlists

VODAFONE - MAKE IT RAIN

BrandVODAFONE EGYPT
Product/ServicePRE-PAID TOP-UP CARD
EntrantJ. WALTER THOMPSON CAIRO, EGYPT
CategoryFinancial Products & Services, Commercial Public Services, B2B Products & Services
Idea Creation J. WALTER THOMPSON CAIRO, EGYPT
Production BIGFOOT FILMS Cairo, EGYPT
Additional Company VODAFONE EGYPT Cairo, EGYPT

The Campaign

Being a value driven segment, money is everything. With an innovation that allowed us to give them more than just the value purchased, it was simple: scratch once recharge, scratch twice to make it rain. We couldn’t just rewrite an existing Shaaby music hit to meet our sell; we’ve always been a brand with its own personality, and we weren’t going to change that. Borrowing from the trend, the genre itself, we created our own. The Shaaby tune that meets everyone’s taste; not too noisy, and not too pop; but the perfect fusion between authentic, trendy, electronic and oriental sounds. We had our own brand-born celebrity; the Genie. Upgrading him was easy, but making him the man that other Shaaby celebrities endorse was a challenge. And we found the perfect match; the top musicians of the genre and rising to take over the industry, Oka & Ortega and Ahmed Shiba.

Creative Execution

Starring our brand-born celebrity, the Genie, and accompanied by celebrities Oka, Ortega and Shiba, swag was our name. Released in music-video form, the song was shot across various places relevant to the mass segment’s daily lives; fish market, streets, local-juice bar. Hitting all social media platforms, the tune and dance were instantly supported by a full on digital campaign, using celebrity expressive icons to respond to consumers on the Vodafone page, supported by GIF and video material that showcased how we made it rain. On the same day, a traditional and LED-based outdoor campaign, followed by on-ground activations, took over every city and governorate; in every bus-stop, rides were on Vodafone, in every farm market, groceries were on Vodafone. In every wedding, our song and celebrities were the entertainment. At every point-of-sale and every sidewalk an entertainment truck was there, bringing our campaign and making it rain at every doorstep.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

15 days after launching, results broke records of highest-generating promo in terms of business and communication: Communication Results: - 50 Million Views - 700K Engagement - User-generated content took over all platforms, with other brands and companies riding it success by using it on their official pages. - #1 trending video on YouTube. - #1 song on music charts. - Interim Net Promoter Score increased 10 points - Requests on Celebrities’ & Brand pages for a longer version of the song, of which both the brand and celebrities responded. Business Results: - Transactions increased by 1.4%. - Active-base increased by 2% - Engaged subscribes from Active-base increased by 3.6% - Peak Versus Peak redemption increased by 10% with total redemption increasing by 9%.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

In a country where television is key, our challenge was to reach the entire nation without it using a first-of-its-kind top-up card; scratch once to recharge, twice to win. We had to go big or go home. The Shaaby music, an uprising oriental-electronic genre, has become the nation’s favorite. Abusing the up-rise, we created a catchy-original, taking-over Egypt. Launching it on social-media, an interactive-outdoor campaign, taking our celebrities and song to every street and point-of-sale, we spoiled a nation tackling their necessities. Buying transportation tickets, groceries and even breakfast, in a weeks’ time, we integrated our promo within Egypt’s culture.

Despite the economic situation affecting 97% of the population, mobile-phones are still a necessity. With a 36% price increase on pre-paid cards, consumers’ purchasing behavior and market dynamics changed. Since everything was more expensive with a static income; money itself has become a luxury. Providers altered their strategies, competing on a ladder of value to beat the duality war. But Vodafone had an edge; a top-up card that doesn’t just offer value, it makes it rain money. With a song aimed to generate more than just business results, we used our creative approach to compensate users in their daily but most consuming costs. From covering their transportation fees, to paying for their groceries, we had their backs. And entertained them on their way to work and during their walk back home. It was not just a promotional message, it was a promise we were going to keep.

Credits

Name Company Role
Mai Azmy J. Walter Thompson Cairo Managing Director
Ibrahim Islam J. Walter Thompson Cairo Head of Creatives
Diana George J. Walter Thompson Cairo Business Unit Director
Heba Hosny J. Walter Thompson Cairo Account Manager
Karim Magdy J. Walter Thompson Cairo Account Executive
Farah Sultan J. Walter Thompson Cairo Copywriter
Marwa Khalifa J. Walter Thompson Cairo Senior Art Director
Mahmoud Shahaat J. Walter Thompson Cairo Art Director
Amir Adib J. Walter Thompson Cairo Planning Director
Tameem Younis Freelancer Director
Begad Omran BigFoot Films Executive Producer
Karim Osman BigFoot Films Producer
Links
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