2022 Winners & Shortlists

STUCK

BrandDUBAI SCIENCE PARK
Product/ServicePARALYSIS AWARENESS
EntrantTECOM GROUP - DUBAI SCIENCE PARK, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryAudience Engagement or Distribution Strategy for Branded Content
Idea Creation FP7 McCANN Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Idea Creation 2 McCANN HEALTH Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Placement FP7 McCANN Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Placement 2 McCANN HEALTH Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR TECOM GROUP - DUBAI SCIENCE PARK, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR 2 FP7 McCANN Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR 3 McCANN HEALTH Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production FEEL PRODUCTIONS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Post Production FEEL PRODUCTIONS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Post Production 2 MANGOJAM STUDIO FZ LLC Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Additional Company DEJAVU Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

An unexpected, unnerving experience involving an unentertaining 365-second film in cinemas across the UAE, targeting people who were stuck in their cinema seats, generated awareness, and conversations about paralysis, for the first time in the region.

Background

1 in 50 people in the Middle East suffer from some form of paralysis. This makes it critical to provide those suffering with comprehensive, high-quality treatment as well as preventative care whenever possible. But paralysis remained unspoken of in the UAE. No brand in the Middle East has ever created any communication or education about preventing or managing paralysis. Dubai Science Park is a leading science and healthcare business community, home to more than 400 companies in fields such as biotechnology and healthcare among others, employing over 4,000 professionals. Dubai Science Park wanted to help generate and conversations around paralysis to attract more research and innovation in the region in paralysis cure and relief. This meant we needed to create the right level of awareness and capture the right media attention.

Describe the creative idea

We wanted to give people the experience of feeling stuck (as paralyzed people do), starting out with when they were out in the world, stuck in cinema seats. Influencers, in the UAE across a cross-section of age groups and nationalities, were invited by Dubai Science Park to a new film’s screening. But the entertainment experience they expected, was disrupted by a 365-second film that showed the reality of people suffering from paralysis 365-days-a-year. For the first 316 seconds, nothing happened, as cinemagoers got restless, frustrated, and anxious, until the rug pull when it was revealed that this was how it felt to be paralyzed every day of the year - yet there was hope in preventing and managing paralysis with Dubai Science Park’s facilities and innovations. The film surprised viewers and in turn, was endorsed by popular influencers, as well as earned coverage on popular TV news and media platforms.

Describe the strategy

HUMAN TRUTH: Our unconscious empathy. As human beings, our unconscious empathy influences how we classify the importance of things we should focus on. It’s only when we feel what others are going through that we really become aware of their need and their anxieties. And only then do we care. STRATEGY: Feel what a paralyzed person feels. To break the apathy and catch attention, a disruptive approach was needed to trigger the conversation. To get people aware and talking about paralysis and inviting innovation to help research and cure paralysis, we wanted to trigger the feeling of being locked down, while PEOPLE were out in the world (relatively) unrestricted, creating that unconscious empathy. Highlighting the challenges facing people with paralysis would help shed light on how to prevent it.

Describe the execution

We partnered with Roxy Cinemas. Across Roxy Cinemas, for 3 months, a 365-second film let people feel what someone with paralysis goes through 365 days a year. The film’s online version (of 100 seconds) earned 50% view-through-rates; unprecedented for a video where nothing happens for the first 40 seconds. Through seeding and owing to the untold nature of the topic, the film was organically featured on leading news channels and talk shows on TV as well as on media platforms worldwide. Leading news channels (including CNN globally) and talk shows made paralysis considerably talked about for the first time. Famous influencers like Zainab Al-Eqabi (who is paraplegic) joined in and spread the word. And the film’s buzz helped make history by creating the World Paralysis Awareness Day, registered on June 24, 2021, to be held on October 1 every year.

Describe the outcome

“STUCK” received acclaim from leading marketing media platforms along with people: “Uncomfortable, arresting cinema ad.” (Adweek) “Haunting. Impressive. Terrific job.” (Shots) “Goes against entertainment trends.” (The Drum) “Chilling. Traps viewers.” (Little Black Book) “Eerily Effective.” (Branding in Asia) “Perplexing yet powerful experience.” (ArabAd) “You know when you feel like you’re stuck? And then,you realize you’re experiencing something life-changing? Honestly, it’s an amazing idea.” (Hazem, cinemagoer) “It just made you feel what people in this condition felt.” (Tom & Sabine, cinemagoer) “I’m glad we saw something like this. It’s very good.” (Ahmed cinemagoer) We saw a spike in conversations: $1.22 million earned media value. 522 million social media impressions. +147% awareness about paralysis. +328% searches about paralysis. +163% conversations about paralysis. And witnessed investments and interest from businesses towards partnering with Dubai Science Park for paralysis cure as well as care: +72.2% qualified business leads as partners at Dubai Science Park.

Credits

Name Company Role
Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi Dubai Science Park Managing Director
Reem Shabaan Tecom Business Districts Executive Director
Saad Yusuf Tecom Business Districts Director of Marketing and Events
Amy Elaskary Dubai Science Park Marketing Manager
Tahaab Rais FP7 McCann MENAT Concept & Idea
Tahaab Rais FP7 McCann MENAT Film Director
Tahaab Rais FP7 McCann MENAT Writer
Saad Yusuf Tecom Business Districts Writer
Aeyaz Hassan Dejavu Dubai Director Of Photography
Sandip Shivtarker FEEL Productions Executive Producer
Manasvi Gosalia Dejavu Dubai Executive Producer
Angee Ibrahim FEEL Productions Producer
Jayvee Banaag FEEL Productions Post Production Producer
Zera Azmi N/A Hair and Make-up Artist
Ebin . FEEL Productions Editor
Swapnil Patole (ICG) Famous Studios Ltd. Chief Colourist
Karen Kamel McCann Health Dubai General Manager
Fouad Abdel Malak FP7 McCann Dubai Regional Executive Creative Director
Tahaab Rais FP7 McCann MENAT Regional Head of Strategy
Prajakta More McCann Health Dubai Associate Creative Director
Prajakta More McCann Health Dubai Writer
Aditi Shah McCann Health Dubai Art Director
Richa Kavalekar McCann Health Dubai Principal Medical Writer
Syed Shuja FP7 McCann Dubai Designer
Inaan Budhiraja McCann Health Dubai Senior Business Development Executive
Wilbur D’costa MangoJam Studio Executive Producer
Joe Najm MangoJam Studio Sound Designer
Ashraf Muhammedunny FP7 McCann Dubai Case Editor, Motion Artist, Videography