2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Arabic is one of the top 5 languages spoken in the world. But, only an estimated 25-30% of residents in the UAE have grasped the language. Because the majority of the UAE is made up of expats, English is the lingua franca on the streets. Physical and online Arabic classes are widely available, but many expats cite the lack of time and busy lifestyle as reasons for not learning the language. Around 81% of expats have never taken Arabic courses or instruction of any kind, and 38% believe that Arabic is too difficult to be learned properly. Also, the opportunities for expats to experience the Arabic language are insufficient in real-life situations, so they are rarely required to use Arabic for everyday communication.

Please tell us how you designed / adapted your campaign for the single country / region / market where it aired.

The campaign was launched in line with 2020's 'World Arabic Language Day' celebrations. Arabic is the official language of the UAE. But, the diverse expatriate population in the country has led to English being the preferred language of communication. 'Arablish' was launched to make the Arabic language more accessible to all, in an attempt to break the language barrier and reduce the cultural divide.