2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Background

MAGRABi, the region’s leading eyecare and eyewear retailer with 150 stores across the Middle East, has been on a mission to elevate the industry standards and reinvent the optical category, by shifting its perception from a cold & medical experience into an engaging lifestyle one. With this objective in mind, in 2017, MAGRABi uplifted their traditional retail concept into an environment that explores the science and art of eye care, creating a fully immersive experience that connects the customer emotionally to the brand. With 32% of the Arab population aged between 15 and 29yr, the concept was designed to connect with a booming youth segment: The Millennials. To increase social following & engagement, and then attract this segment into the MAGRABi stores, we defined and activated a strong communication platform via online channels, one that would trigger attention, then emotions, and position the retailer as the “inspiring vision expert”.

Describe the strategy

With Arab Millennials in mind, a Middle East online penetration at 67%, Saudi Arabia undergoing major social reforms, and influencers changing the perception of Arabs globally, we knew that creating a ‘love brand’ for the ‘connected generation’ meant going bold. It meant capturing the zeitgeist of the moment, staying relevant to the progressive Arab youth and empowering them in their journey of change. As the experts in the business of ‘vision’, want to inspire you to #EmpowerYourVision. Ripe with growing political and sectarian issues from Qatar & Iran crisis to Sunni/Shiaa tensions… this image of a region divided over religion was in utter conflict with the peaceful, modern Arab youth. So, we chose Ramadan, the region’s season of togetherness, as the opportunity to deliver a message of unity in vision reminding Arabs of the beauty of their shared Identity. After all, Magrabi cares for Arabian eyes since 1927.

Describe the execution

To pay tribute to the ‘Arab identity’ (‘Al Ourouba’ in Arabic) we revived one of the oldest ideologies of our history. ‘Al Ourouba’, which has often been misused over the years by radicalised Arabs as an Islamist ideology, is in fact a celebration of the unity of Arab values and culture, regardless of religion. Our campaign message was a powerful Arabic play on words, which translates to “our Arab identity lives through our vison”. We brought together top influencers from different Arab countries, and through a new-age tribute online film, supported by a multi-channel campaign, spread across 5 countries, we called upon the Arab youth of today to unite under one secular & progressive vision of tomorrow. We leveraged unique features of social channels: a CSR campaign on Instagram, and a snapchat lens for Augmented Reality product try-ons - the first of its kind for eyewear in the Middle East.

List the results

Racking up 32Million views across channels, online platforms, social media & organic PR played centre-stage to major engagement, serving up 95Million impressions across channels. A meshing of positive messages with generational, cultural & ideology clashes, made way for social debate around differing visions of ‘Al Ourouba’ (Arab Identity), and user generated content. A 15% engagement rate on Instagram, with 32% followers increase on the account. On Snapchat, the Augmented Reality try-on experience generated 17Million impressions & 3Million try-on views, and exceptional 115-second playtime. The overall impact on business was exponential: double digit growth on sales, +12 points Top Of Mind leap, almost double all KPIs with 15% less spend compared to previous campaign, and purchases during the last week of Ramadan gave the CSR activity a 10K frames donation. A bold campaign from a brand & company that has big dreams & a vision for the Arabia of tomorrow