2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

THE FILM WE NEVER SHOT

BrandZAIN TELECOM
Product/ServiceRAMADAN FILM
EntrantLEO BURNETT Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA
CategoryExcellence in Audience Engagement or Distribution Strategy for Branded Content
Idea Creation LEO BURNETT Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA
Production LEAP STUDIOS Jeddah, SAUDI ARABIA

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

This campaign demonstrates how, a telecom operator, was able to entertain all of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, by engaging its target audience to produce and co-create entertaining content during a depressing time, lockdown 2020.

Background

Every year, on Ramadan, Zain, Saudi’s most colorful mobile operator, is known to launch a film and an originally composed song to bring joy and positivity to the Kingdom. But Ramadan 2020 was different. Lockdown meant it was impossible to shoot. Lockdown also meant people were depressed this Ramadan and they needed a dose of Zain positivity more than ever. Our objective was to find a way to create a meaningful and colorful Ramadan brand experience, despite the lockdown.

Describe the creative idea

The solution? we still made a film, a film that we never shot. We harnessed the power of our audience and instead of making a film for them, we engaged them to shoot the film in their houses, by themselves. And we called it, the Zain Pajama song. A song composed by us but sung, shot and filmed by our collective audience.

Describe the strategy

Our target audience was the whole Kingdom. They were experiencing lockdown fatigue. And the loneliness and depression peaked because Ramadan was approaching. Ramadan is a time spent with family and 2020 would be the first Ramadan for many without family or a big gathering, because they couldn’t even take internal flights to get together. We wanted to give them a way to connect among each other again, all the while spreading positivity. Our target audience became our makers. And this is how by allowing the people to film the film, it turned into a brand experience for the 43 homes that shot. But also, for the whole Kingdom watching, who could relate.

Describe the execution

This is how we implemented the film we never shot: We couldn’t get a director so we let people direct themselves. We could not get a singer so we let people do some genuine singing. We could not go into people’s homes so we let each person shoot from within. We relinquished complete production control to the people. Cameras: 43 Phone cameras. Location: 43 real homes. Director: The people. Singer: the people. Wardrobe: Pajamas. We composed an original song and we let them sing it as perfectly or imperfectly as they wanted. And we created that film in record time. The 43 houses were shooting and singing simultaneously. We then placed the film on all the social media platforms and on the music platforms. And we changed the thumbnail of our clip every day on Anghami to give credit to all our 43 makers.

Describe the outcome

6 million impressions 2 million views on Youtube only 57% twitter view rate 1 nation singing all together, in their pajamas.

Credits

Name Company Role
Mohammad Bahmishan Publicis groupe KSA Conceptualization
Mohammed Sehly Leo Burnett KSA Conceptualization
Saadi Alkouatli Leo Burnett KSA Conceptualization
Ehab Armanious Leo Burnett Conceptualization
Nawaf Alhoshan Leo Burnett Writing
Eli Kanaan Leo Burnett conceptualization
Amr Massri Leap studios Production
Peter Atta Freelancer Music composition
Fady Yamak Leo Burnett Conceptualization
Hussein Fakih Leo Burnett KSA Conceptualization
Rayan Alturki Zain KSA Support
Thamer Farsi Leo Burnett KSA Support
Mazen Mitri Leo Burnett KSA Support
Jihad Elrassi OMD Media
Links
Video URL