2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

The printed editions were then dispatched to readers that celebrated the initiative online, people of interest, key influential figures and even caught the eye of government officials such as the Minister of Youth and Culture, praising the efforts of the campaign.

Background

The region’s leading English news publication “The National” wanted to celebrate the UAE’s 50th Jubilee with an idea that would create social media buzz and drive earned media - the main creative challenge was, at the same time, to celebrate the country's history and to invite all our readers to take a pledge for the future.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

The Ghaf Tree is the UAE’s national - it thrives in harsh desert climates for up to 50 years, a growth pattern that is similar to the UAE. It was under these trees that the vision of UAE sprung out of the desert, 50 years ago. To celebrate the vision of the country founders and, at the same time, to inspire the future of the nation we created a special edition of 'The National' that could be planted to grow into a Ghaf tree.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

We sent the special edition to people that could maximize the generation of earned media, together with an invitation to make a video and post about the initiative: (1) People that would celebrate the initiative online (2) Key influential figures - with high reach and who could get picked up by other media publications (3) People of Interest of 'The National' - key stakeholders of the newspaper

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

The Ghaf Paper is plantable. It's 100% biodegradable - made of pressed seed paper embedded with Ghaf tree seeds and printed with vegetable oil. The printed editions were then dispatched to readers that celebrated the initiative online, people of interest, key influential figures and even caught the eye of government officials such as the Minister of Youth and Culture, praising the efforts of the campaign.

List the results (30% of vote)

More than 1.3 Million views (social content) within 24 Hrs Increase of 170% Brand Mentions Increase of 127% Positive Sentiment Increase of 40% Engagement on Instagram Coverage in 16 countries across 4 continents