2022 Winners & Shortlists

FEMININE ARABIC

Short List
BrandTWITTER
Product/ServiceTWITTER
EntrantVMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryCorporate Purpose & Social Responsibility
Idea Creation VMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Placement TWITTER Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production VMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Post Production TRUFFLE FILM Beirut, LEBANON

Why is this work relevant for Creative Strategy?

Twitter wanted to drive true societal impact. Knowing that brands carry significant weight and emotional connection with people in the region, it knew it had to devise a smart strategy to get brands to share such vision. Twitter saw an opportunity to start a movement with inclusiveness and respect for all genders at the core of it – and used brands to amplify the message. A first of its kind feature in Arabic allowed brands to engage with women in the feminine form, helping women Arabic speakers to claim their place in the platform and brands to become more relatable.

Background

In the Arabic language, verbs have genders that are based on their respective subject (noun) and in turn, a noun may be masculine or feminine; there is no neutral option. And this creates a bit of a dilemma, as the default grammatical gender in Arabic has become the masculine form. Twitter estimates that close to 60% of its users in MENA are female. However, when brands address their audiences through the platform they are speaking to them as if they were male. This poses a challenge: Brands are not able to speak with women in the way they should be addressed, and, as a result, miss the opportunity to further engage and create meaningful connections. Connections that could not only drive more human inclusiveness, but also commercial growth for their businesses. So how could Twitter stay true to its purpose of triggering positive societal change while helping brands succeed commercially?

The Interpretation of the Challenge (30% of vote)

In the Arabic language, verbs have genders that are based on their respective subject (noun) and in turn, a noun may be masculine or feminine; there is no neutral option. And this creates a bit of a dilemma, as the default grammatical gender in Arabic has become the masculine form. Twitter estimates that close to 60% of its users in MENA are female. However, when brands address their audiences through the platform they are speaking to them as if they were male. This poses a challenge: Brands are not able to speak with women in the way they should be addressed, and, as a result, miss the opportunity to further engage and create meaningful connections. Connections that could not only drive more human inclusiveness, but also commercial growth for their businesses. So how could Twitter stay true to its purpose of triggering positive societal change while helping brands succeed commercially?

The Insight / Breakthrough Thinking (30% of vote)

Twitter’s overall objective was to foster an environment where all voices can join the conversation. And ultimately, targeting and partnering with brands seemed to be the right strategy to deliver the intended societal impact, as brands carry a significant share of voice and action within society. Being trusted entities with tremendous power to disseminate good. So, the goal to create inclusivity and pivot the way female Arabic speakers were addressed wasn’t achieved by merely engaging with women and men online, but by ensuring their trusted brands adopted the innovation and led by example. Being brands that walked the walk and talked the talk. Powered by ingenuity, Twitter allowed brands to communicate with every single one of their users by integrating feminine Arabic to the experience, making Twitter the first social platform to create genuine inclusivity. It also contributed towards helping brands rethink engagement strategies, leading to business and commercial success.

The Creative Idea (20% of vote)

#FeminineArabic was a new movement launched by Twitter, inviting brands to communicate more inclusively with their female audiences. While simple, it proved to be a powerful creative solution to a problem many never really understood, bringing a united voice driving inclusivity in the Middle East. The solution. Twitter launched a new language feature that allowed brands and users to address Arabic speaking women as they should be addressed: as women. The launch was supported by inclusivity workshops and debates developed in partnership with brands across the region.

The Outcome / Results (20% of vote)

+50 partners and brands participations: Instantly, agencies directly engaged with Twitter by re-tweeting the post or commenting on it. A few of those brands: Adidas, Microsoft, Nissan, Samsung, Infiniti, Mastercard, Galaxy Chocolate, Puck, Mercedes, UN Women Arabic, EU in Arabic, Rotana Music, Shahid VOD, UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, Sayidaty Our hashtag and campaign emoji, were trending on the platform and exchanged among brands to include them part of their tweets and messages they were addressing to their users. The movement gained even more momentum - with brands embracing it and creating full-fledged #FeminineArabic campaigns +18M Total Video Views +15K Campaign Mentions +140 (local, regional, and international) media outlets coverage (a few names): Adweek, Campaign ME, Euro News, Reuters, Vogue, Sky News, Channel News Asia, Business Insider Mexico...

Please tell us how the brand purpose inspired the work

Twitter has always been about creating a safe space to start stimulating conversations and debates, whether be it by brands or users. It is also a platform where, in MENA, almost 60% of their users are females. Through the services, exposure and benefits it offers, Twitter is a space that connects brands to their users and enables them to grow their businesses. Creating that movement offered an advantage, not only to Twitter but also to brands to be among the first to be part of it. It offered new grounds and opportunities for brands to recruit new customers but also create a longer lasting relationship with existing ones.

Credits

Name Company Role
Nick Walsh VMLY&R Commerce Dubai CEO, MENA
Manuel Borde VMLY&R Commerce Global Chief Creative Officer
Till Hohmann VMLY&R Commerce Chief Creative Officer
Julian Hernandez VMLY&R Commerce Executive Creative Director
Mauricio Sanaiote VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Creative Director
Gregory Mardikian VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Managing Partner
Elias Bassil VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Head of Strategy
Adrian Mutescu VMLY&R Commerce Strategy Director
Sachin Mendonca VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Strategy Director
Fabio Medeiros VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Strategy Director
Ahmed Samir Salama Abdelhalim VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Senior Arabic Copywriter
Lucas Pimenta VMLY&R Commerce Motion Graphics Editor
Maha El Hawari VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Client Commerce Director
Nisreen Faris VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Project Manager
Zoe Scraggs VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Project Manager
Cynthia Karan VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Senior Arabic Copywriter
Manar Munjed VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Arabic Copywriter
Saleh Dadir VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Art Director
Muhammad Omer VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Head of Studio
Karim Al Amin VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Digital Designer & Motion Graphics
Zubair Tahir VMLY&R Commerce Dubai 3D Designer & Motion Graphics
Ginny Kemp-Taylor VMLY&R COMMERCE Dubai Head of Marcomms & Creative Services
Jacobo Concejo VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Art Director
Moey Shawash VMLY&R COMMERCE MENA Digital Strategist
Mauro Bisso VMLY&R Commerce Dubai Senior Art Director
Prajakta More VMLY&R Commerce Dubai English Copywriter
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