2019 Winners & Shortlists

REASONS TO CELEBRATE

BrandRECKITT BENCKISER
Product/ServiceDUREX CONDOMS
EntrantHAVAS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryFast Moving Consumer Goods
Idea Creation HAVAS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

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 digitally and ideally in real time for real time response. 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 football conversation LIVE, make Durex top of mind in every game and drive direct sales on souq.com.

Describe the creative idea.

Aware that most of the 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 overacted after 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 came from demographic research indicating a strong correlation between birth rate increases and major 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 onTV. Approach: Become part of the Twitter conversation around football in each match with Durex's football-savvy condom posts. Using the "real-time" advantage of Twitter, posts landed seconds after the event to which they related. Call to action: Direct 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 execution 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 for 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 site globally. * 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 rate 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
Alena Smirnova Havas Worldwide Account Manager
Elisa Silva Gomes Havas Worldwide Designer
Rabah Katteri Havas Worldwide Digital Designer
Fabio Silveira Havas Worldwide Head of Planning
Fuad Tharakaniyil Havas Worldwide Videographer
Mohit Jain Reckitt Benckiser Regional Marketing Manager
Sara Khalil Reckitt Benckiser Brand Manager
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