2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

COMMERCIALS AREN'T FOR TEFAL

BrandSEB GROUPE
Product/ServiceTEFAL COOKWARE
EntrantPEOPLE OF THE INTERNET Cairo, EGYPT
CategoryExcellence in Audience Engagement or Distribution Strategy for Branded Content
Idea Creation PEOPLE OF THE INTERNET Cairo, EGYPT
Media Placement PEOPLE OF THE INTERNET Cairo, EGYPT
Production PEOPLE OF THE INTERNET Cairo, EGYPT

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

With the rise of tech, the evolution of pop culture, and the rabid need to keep up with the world's limited attention span; advertisements aren't just for selling; they're for leaving a mark on minds across the globe. Our concept uses parody to engross audiences in a satirical (yet tactical) take on cookware advertising. It's a tongue-in-cheek representation of how Ramadan advertising becomes, and effectively refreshes public opinion about the stories art of advertising. It is an ad tucked within a comedic sketch; it is entertainment with a tactical goal.

Background

Ramadan is its own season within a season, dedicated nowadays to which brand has the loudest voice, the flashiest colors, and the biggest budget. It's a season synonymous with two things: cooking, and advertisement. We had a simple request, but with a couple of catches: come up with a Ramadan campaign that targets women ages 25 to 60, to increase our social media reach and engagement; with a decidedly low budget for production and media. We needed to establish Tefal as a Top of Mind brand when it came to cookware. So we had to think outside the pot, so to speak, in order to increase engagement on our social platforms.

Describe the creative idea

In order to stand out among the clutter of Ramadan advertising, we decided to create an ad that is similar to all other ads, but with a fresh satirical twist to stay in people's minds. We came up with the same old cookware ad composition: happy family dinner, warm fake smiles, central product placement, but without a product. Apart from our logo; the copy did not contain a single piece of Tefal cookware, effectively making this family have an imaginary feast of sorts. Tefal, as it stands, has no time for ads; it's too busy making Iftar and Sohour what they are. Commercials aren't for Tefal. Paired with a humorous script and lively voice over, and our risky strategy of dropping it in the last 5 days of Ramadan; it was quite the maneuver.

Describe the strategy

Ramadan's last few days are the peak of advertising white noise; every ad becomes almost identical, and waning interest starts to push audiences away from whatever it is that's delaying them from their soap operas. We dropped our copy on March 31 - a time where big budgets run out, and interest wears thin. And because it was a satirical approach to modern Egyptian advertising, it stuck with audiences due to its refreshing take on commercials at large. In addition to this bold move, we launched a digital contest consisting of 5 questions whose answers could only be found within the copy itself. Using heightened moderation efforts, and a humorous, engaging tone of voice, we were able to solidify Tefal as a friend more than a brand. In addition, we featured the top 3 recipes of Ramadan in a series of 6-second bumper ads, further hammering on Tefal's strengths.

Describe the execution

The copy decidedly ignored the fourth wall, taking viewers on a journey through the creative process and its many failures, and using that energy to parody modern Egyptian advertising. Scenes you're used to; voice over work you're accustomed to; compositions you've seen a thousand and one times, but with a twist. Tefal was nowhere to be seen, whether it was a pot or a pan. We gave people a typical Ramadan ad without a hero, because the hero was too busy for the limelight. Tefal belongs in the kitchen, not in advertisements. We then asked 5 questions whose answers could only be found in the copy. Winners received a full set of Tefal cookware.

Describe the outcome

- 6,141,168 total reach - 3,142,799 total views - 2.7 million paid views - 396,000+ Organic views - 651,955 total engagement - 9,862 total shares - 15,401 comments - 101,583 reactions

Credits

Name Company Role
Yasser Seif People of the Internet Ideation, Strategy & Copywriting
Hameed Farouq People of the Internet Ideation & Copywriting
Ahmed Hassan People of the Internet Ideation & Copywriting
Noha Kamal People of the Internet Producer
Omar Khaled People of the Internet Director of Photography
Kareem Maghraby People of the Internet Director
Mayar Mahmoud People of the Internet Account Management
Links
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