2019 Winners & Shortlists

R RATED RADIOS

BrandSAUDI TELECOM COMPANY
Product/Service'TUBY' VIDEO APP FOR KIDS
EntrantJ. WALTER THOMPSON Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA
CategoryFinancial Products & Services, Commercial Public Services, B2B Products & Services
Idea Creation J. WALTER THOMPSON Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA
Media Placement UM MENA Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

Saudi Arabia is facing a major health challenge: almost one fifth of Saudis are diabetic and the numbers are only increasing. To combat the disease, our brief was to launch a nationwide awareness campaign about the causes of diabetes. Our objective was to create a long-term behavioral change by educating the public about the various lifestyle behaviors that increase the risk of diabetes, while doing so in an attractive, convincing and memorable manner.

Background.

Our creative idea was “Lose Your Habits”. Why this idea? For a long time, people have tackled only poor diet and lifestyle choices when approaching the topic of diabetes. But in Saudi, the problem runs much deeper than that. It lies in deep-rooted food-related behaviors and traditions specific to Saudi culture. You can never show up empty-handed to a gathering, so you bring food. Even in hospital visits, you bring sweets. If you don’t finish your plate, it’s a sign of disrespect. When you’re having just two friends over, it’s your duty to prepare a feast. That’s why we went one step backwards and addressed the root cause of diabetes in Saudi and urged Saudis to face the harsh: they needed to lose these habits that are making them sick. We launched the idea through a memorable and fun song that made Saudis stop, think and ultimately change behavior.

Describe the creative idea.

Our creative idea was “Lose Your Habits”. Why this idea? For a long time, people have tackled only poor diet and lifestyle choices when approaching the topic of diabetes. But in Saudi, the problem runs much deeper than that. It lies in deep-rooted food-related behaviors and traditions specific to Saudi culture. You can never show up empty-handed to a gathering, so you bring food. Even in hospital visits, you bring sweets. If you don’t finish your plate, it’s a sign of disrespect. When you’re having just two friends over, it’s your duty to prepare a feast. That’s why we went one step backwards and addressed the root cause of diabetes in Saudi and urged Saudis to face the harsh: they needed to lose these habits that are making them sick. We launched the idea through a memorable and fun song that made Saudis stop, think and ultimately change behavior.

Describe the strategy.

Our campaign focused on Saudis who believe that diabetes is inevitable and mainly caused by genetics rather than bad lifestyle habits and behaviors. Due to increased governmental communications, many have become numb to public awareness messages, so we needed to break through and make our audience connect with what we’re saying. Our campaign was all-encompassing and addressed Saudi men and women of different age groups who were guilty of practicing traditions and habits that were bad for them.

Describe the execution.

We launched with a sing-along music video showing different bad habits, traditions and behaviors that are common among Saudis. Although the message was serious and urged them to lose these habits, its entertaining nature ensured it stuck in their minds. We launched on the most popular online platforms along with mini-videos showing specific scenarios of behaviors leading to diabetes. On social media, we spread sharable posts showing relatable Saudi caricatures practicing unhealthy behaviors. The same creative was used on the Ministry of Health’s physical and online assets. The whole campaign was also endorsed by online celebrities, public figures and medical experts, giving it more credibility and reach. Not to mention, brands used our hashtag as promo code to reward good and healthy behavior, from gyms and food delivery apps to ride-hailing apps. This was supplemented by on-ground activities and nationwide PR coverage. The campaign ran for one month during November.

List the results.

Our campaign was one of the most successful public awareness campaigns in KSA, with an earned PR Value of 10 million Saudi Riyals (2.6 million USD) and a total of more than 5,199,246 views across social media. Media impressions were about 6M and interest in the topic of diabetes increased by 25% compared to previous months, becoming the #1 trending healthcare topic in Saudi Arabia. And the cherry on top was that we changed a serious preachy public awareness topic into a fun, sharable and palatable one.

Credits

Name Company Role
Chafic Haddad J.Walter Thompson Chief Creative Operations Officer
Rayyan Aoun J.Walter Thompson Executive Creative Director
Shine KM J.Walter Thompson Associate Creative Director
Vishal Munyal J.Walter Thompson Associate Creative Director
Joe Aboudaher J.Walter Thompson Head of TV Production KSA
Jad Haddad J.Walter Thompson Associate Business director
Ziad Rayes J.Walter Thompson Account Director
Dana Alkutoubi J.Walter Thompson Head of Strategic Planning KSA
Ahmed Alsahhaf Saudi Telecom Company GM Marketing & Communications
Faisal Alsaad Saudi Telecom Company Traditional Media Director
Eardrum Eardrum production house
Ralph van Dijk Eardrum Director
Jessie Williams Eardrum Producer
Abby Sie & Myles Lowe Eardrum Sound Engineer