2019 Winners & Shortlists

REASONS TO CELEBRATE

BrandRECKITT BENCKISER
Product/ServiceDUREX CONDOMS
EntrantHAVAS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryUse of Digital Platforms
Idea Creation HAVAS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

Great direct digital campaigns starts with an inspiring data insight. Like this. Nine months after every major sports event there's a baby boom as fans celebrate with sex. Great insights create powerful direct ideas. Like getting Arab men to turn their passion for the 2018 FIFA World Cup into reasons to celebrate after every game with Durex condoms. Which in turn breaks every social media benchmark for the brand and drives record-breaking direct sales...opening the door to a whole new brand strategy.

Background.

Situation: Condom advertising in the MENA region is highly regulated. No kissing, touching or even revealing clothing. Any attempts to do so are met with immediate censure by conservative elements of society. Durex, therefore, seeks out other platforms that engage directly and appropriately. Brief: For the first time ever the 2018 FIFA World Cup would feature four Arab teams - Egypt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Tunisia. A great opportunity for Durex because fans often celebrate with sex...and nine months later there's a baby boom. So how can Durex own more reasons to celebrate - with fewer babies as a result? Objectives: Hijack the digital football conversation, make Durex top of mind in every game and drive direct sales on souq.com.

Describe the creative idea.

Aware that most of their audience would have a second screen open during the TV games, Durex LIVE Tweeted cheeky new condom foil designs out - before during and after every match. From THE CROWD PLEASER condom, posted seconds after Mo Salah scored for Egypt, to THE DRAMATIST, as Brazilian Neymar performed his inevitable overreaction to a tackle, to THE EXTENDER as the semi finals went into extra time. Each post was accompanied by a caption leading directly to souq.com to purchase condoms - or the World Cup Celebration pack, containing condoms, lube and a roll-up football pitch bedspread.

Describe the strategy.

Data gathering: The most important data insight came from demographic research indicating strong correlation between birth rate increases and major international sports competitions nine months earlier. Target audience: 93% males in MENA between 25 and 40 years old with football indexing highest among sports interests. Over 70% of this group keep their mobile open as a second screen while watching sport on TV. Approach: Become part of the Twitter conversation around football in each match with Durex's football-savvy condom posts. Using the "real time" element of Twitter, posts landed seconds after the event to which they related. Call to action: Direct to purchase at souq.com for either condoms by discrete delivery or the "World Cup Celebrations" pack.

Describe the execution.

Implementation: Like in football, reaction speed was critical. A mini creative hub was set up in a local sports TV bar. Arabic and English creatives worked live through every match, creating posts for immediate approval by client and legal before posting by media on Twitter. By the Final, this process was streamlined to less than two minutes from finishing the idea, to appearing online. Timeline: Luckily the first match featured local side KSA against hosts Russia - giving Durex high engagement from the start through the other 63 matches - from June 14th through to July 15th. Placement: 64 Tweets appeared, 10 of which were paid in the highest viewing games. Scale: The campaign appeared throughout MENA for the month.

List the results.

The results surprised everyone. While a tiny minority of hard-line conservatives objected, the vast mass of fans loved it. * The engagement rate smashed Twitter's benchmarks by over 900%. * E.commerce sales rocketed by 250% over the same period a year before. * Offline retail sales also jumped by an incredible 28%. * The organic follower base tripled making @DurexArabia the fastest growing Durex site globally. * All the special "World Cup Celebration" packs sold out. * Over 14,000 more men found a new way to purchase condoms for those moments worth celebrating. * The final result, however, will remain unknown until the birth rate figures come out after April 2019.

Credits

Name Company Role
Mark Fiddes Havas Worldwide Executive Creative Director
Andrew Pearson Havas Worldwide Creative Director
Nadia Karim Havas Worldwide Art Director
Tiffany Rebello Havas Worldwide Copywriter
Fabio Silveira Havas Worldwide Head of Planning
Mohit Jain Reckitt Benckiser Regional Marketing Manager
Sara Khalil Reckitt Benckiser Brand Manager
Christina Yepremian Havas Worldwide Senior Writer
Fuad Tharakaniyil Havas Worldwide Videographer
Shefeeq Marakkatepurath Havas Worldwide Graphic Designer
Justine Dib Havas Worldwide Account Supervisor
Links
Social Media URL