2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

THE WORLD IS BETTER WHEN WE ACT TOGETHER

BrandEXPO 2020 DUBAI
Product/ServiceEXPO 2020 DUBAI
EntrantFACE TO FACE UAE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Idea Creation FACE TO FACE UAE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production FACE TO FACE UAE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production 2 BOOMTOWN PRODUCTIONS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production 3 SYMPHONIC Dublin, IRELAND

Why is this work relevant for Integrated?

The campaign’s message worked through a wide variety of integrated communications. The campaign was launched on Social Media with a ‘Teaser’ message featuring glimpses of Lionel Messi to provoke curiosity. The campaign’s message was expanded on with a “hero” film that explained how collaboration results in a better world. This message was championed on outdoor hoardings and in-mall digital screens. The campaign’s message was further emphasized with radio mentions and PR coverage. But the theme of integration went beyond channel selection and into the production of the footballs, co-ordination of the distribution networks and documentary film making.

Background

Situation: There is limited regional and international awareness towards Expo 2020 Dubai. Also there is high local awareness but only a very limited understanding of what it is, it’s proposition and the content. Brief: In 2016, Expo 2020 Dubai partnered with Lionel Messi as the first Expo 2020 Dubai Brand Ambassador. We wanted to leverage this partnership to generate awareness and engagement around Expo 2020 Dubai. Objective: Increase awareness & engagement around Expo 2020 Dubai.

Describe the creative idea

Expo 2020 Dubai will see millions of people come together to share ideas and create a better future for our world. Collaboration is one of Expo’s core philosophies. And what better way to bring the theme of collaboration to life than the world’s most popular sport, football, and the world’s best footballer, Lionel Messi. Steered by one of Expo’s guiding principles ‘The world is better when we act together’, we created an integrated campaign that celebrates the shared love of football and its ability to make connections. We staged a world-wide game of ‘keepy-uppie’, starring Messi and featuring people around the world collaborating to keep the ball in the air. The ball was kicked off from Dubai and we watched it travel around the world, towards its final destination - a small community in Kenya, where a young team of footballers receive the ball and meet Messi in person.

Describe the strategy

Data gathering/insights Just occasionally a basic truth so self-evident presents itself that it would be self-indulgent folly to try and label these as insights or pass them off as being data-driven. This exercise had 3 such basic truths 1: There are disadvantaged children in the world 2: Football is globally loved 3: Humanity performs better when we all pull together Approach Connecting communities through the love of football. We developed a campaign that symbolised this, then extended it by physically distributing 2020 special footballs to deserving global communities. All kicked off by the world’s best footballer, Lionel Messi. Target audience A global audience that defies the usual descriptors – in short, anyone we want to feel excitement for and motivation to visit EXPO 2020 Relevance to platform The broad nature of the target audience required multiple platforms all of which were engaged in a clear, concise and relevant way.

Describe the execution

The campaign worked seamlessly across a whole spectrum of integrated channels such as Snapchat, Instagram stories, YouTube, Outdoor, Radio and PR, over a period of 1 month globally. Each media selection was optimised for its individual strengths. Social media started the conversation with bite-size teasers, followed with a big-production “hero” film. The central message of “The World’s Better when we Act Together” was supported by outdoor hoardings and a strong in-mall presence. Radio mentions and PR coverage took the theme and expanded on the message of collaboration. To record genuine commitment to the campaign and to add scale to the project we made a series of documentaries which showed the balls being distributed to communities in Jordan, Kenya and the Phillipines.

List the results

Reach: 279.3M Engagement: 2.6M Achievements against business targets: 20% increase in reach & impressions against planned targets. Association with global football icon Lionel Messi achieving a significant increase in awareness of Expo 2020 Dubai and emphasizing on its theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and delivering an optimistic message of unity and collaboration.

Credits

Name Company Role
Paul Barrass Face to Face UAE Concept Creator, Script Writer & Art Director
Raef Ahmad Feronyah Face to Face UAE Art Director, designer & typographer
Srelesh PP Face to Face UAE Art Director
Zaher Houlayhel Face to Face UAE Art Director
Fabian Ruether Face to Face UAE Art Director
Rahil Malik Face to Face UAE Print and production
Vijay Mani Face to Face UAE Artwork
Edward Jose Face to Face UAE Artwork
Mark Sell Face to Face UAE Project management
Mohammad El Hakam Face to Face UAE Project management & agency Producer
Anthony Ward Expo 2020 Dubai Giving the go ahead on Project
Douglas Palau Expo 2020 Dubai Advisor
Dina Al Naib Expo 2020 Dubai Project handeling & approving concept from Expo 2020 side
Shane Martin Boomtown Productions Producing & film production
Daniel Kilalea Boomtown Productions Producer & Production manager
Mannu Singh Boomtown Productions Producer & post production management
Cassiano Prado Boomtown Productions Film director
Joao Padua Boomtown Productions Director of picture