2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Background

stc, telco leader and one of the most valuable brands in MENA, is going through a meaningful cultural change. The economic and social transformation of the region has driven new business strategy, moving from telco to become a regional digital powerhouse in the businesses of fintech, entertainment, insurance, health and more. It was necessary for stc to evolve, become a purposeful brand and reconnect with the new generations. • Become a digital innovator that goes beyond the telco business • Become a regional leader generating impact beyond key markets • Become one family, from different brands within the portfolio to one brand with a singular experience

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

This is not a cosmetic change, but a cultural change. stc purpose is to become a catalyst for change and a tool for the future. The new stc speaks about the future and seamless progress. But we needed to find a way to express the future in a simple, human and innovative way. The new strategy, both business and brand, is condensed in "Everything's going forward!", which expresses the inherent desire of people for change, empowering all to take steps forward in what they believe in.

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

The answer was in a digital and human movement that transforms, discovers, activates, opens, facilitates and is omnipresent when we interact with screens: the "slider". The power to go forward and change is - and always has been - at our fingertips. This "forward gesture" is dynamic because it invites the user to act. It’s interactive because it’s user-centric and doesn't work without you. It's creative because it's a tool that allows us to do things we couldn't do before and shows us what's yet to come. A new full brand expression (new complete set of visual assets, colors, multilanguage font family, illustrations, photography, sonic, retail and digital experience, in all touchpoints, internal and external) emerges from the "slider", a visual metaphor that is always on the move and determined to bring the future closer. The slider puts people at the core of change: “You make everything go forward!".

List the results (20% of vote)

New services beyond telecom (entertainment, fintech, insurance, apps and more) and new markets beyond the Kingdom. A new name, visual and verbal expression, personality and attitude that finally match what is being transformed - from a local telco to a regional digital powerhouse. Moving from two brands (VIVA becomes stc) and all its subsidiaries, b2b brands and initiatives, towards one unified brand in three markets (KSA, Bahrain, and Kuwait) with all the benefits in terms of unifying management, advertising, suppliers, and initiatives. “Everything’s going forward!”, by allowing people to move forward in their personal and profesional lives, turning their customers into real agents of social change, not just followers.