2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

Formula 1 races are by nature one of the most anticipated and entertaining sports events around the world. To showcase our work, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix provided the perfect vehicle for our campaign to gain optimum global exposure across all offline and online media platforms.

Background

The arrival of the Formula One Grand Prix to the Saudi Arabian shore heralded a new chapter in the kingdom’s motor sport world. Saudi Arabia, a country with a rich heritage which has always played a leading role in the Islamic world has now come face to face with the challenge of building and strengthening its global role as an open and tolerant country. With moderation and openness part of its spirit, the fact remained that Islamic law (Sharia) was at the core of its constitution.

Describe the creative idea

So how could a traditionally conservative country with strict rules host its first F1 championship while staying in line with its future vision of 2030? Introducing, Overtake the Future. A dynamic campaign signature that reflects the Kingdom’s desire and readiness to join the exclusive international club that has traditionally hosted F1 racing events. The signature allowed us to set the pace for the main idea, which was to combine Western culture with a Middle Eastern touch to mirror the country’s vision of embracing change and Western culture. We chose to go with Arabic calligraphy as a main defining element across our campaign.

Describe the strategy

Our challenging task was to create a solid identity that resonates with our target audience and make them feel proud while at the same time staying relevant to the global one. We started building up on our approach based on insight and local trends, taking into consideration individual and consumer demographics as well as the sponsoring organizations’ expectations. The need to create harmony was crucial. So after exploring the cultural and artistic parameters, we found common ground that captured the essence of two different cultures and combined them in a coherent yet creative way.

Describe the execution

The ornamental Arabic script, the most fundamental element of Islamic art embraced the Latin words in all communication forms to reflect a country that champions diversity and openness to the rest of the world. We chose versatile Arabic calligraphy, the highest form of conveying the written Arabic word and married it with the Latin script to become the visual language of the SAGP. It became the most prominent element of the F1 event, overtaking all communication material and the identity of the Grand Prix for the first time since 1951. It was also applied on a 2021 F1 prototype on display on display at Jeddah airport and across outdoor advertising across the city.

Describe the outcome

The F1 drivers fell in love with their calligraphic names on top of their garages, sharing it on their social media platforms and optimizing global exposure of the Saudi Arabian GP. Even the race winners were announced in Arabic calligraphy, another first in F1 history. As a direct result of the campaign, millions of fans both local and global, expressed their pride and amazement, making it the most viewed race of the decade. One week after the Grand Prix race, UNESCO added Arabic calligraphy to its intangible cultural heritage list.