2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

Our Groove campaign didn’t follow the typical ad campaign playbook. Where most brands aiming to tap into entertainment and music simply try to create associations with their brands/products, we took a more authentic approach and tried to add value to the region’s music landscape. With ME-Pop, Chevrolet created an entirely new genre of music that Arab millennials could claim ownership of. Our deep collaboration with regional artists also helped ensure authenticity in our approach at every step and allowed us to launch a Groove themed album that took the shape of true entertainment, not advertising.

Background

The challenges facing Chevrolet Groove in 2021 were substantial. Groove was a brand new crossover with no nameplate recognition. It was being targeted to a whole new Chevrolet audience of lifestyle-oriented millennials in the budget crossover category. And it was launching at a time when automotive marketing budgets were at their lowest and consumers weren’t looking for big-ticket purchases. We needed a different approach in order to stand out. Groove needed to target an entirely new younger audience: those looking for the affordability Groove offered, but also always looking to enhance and reflect their youthful lifestyle. We knew that music was a key avenue through which to connect with Arab millennials on their level, but also learnt that they felt their unique music tastes were underrepresented in favor of the typical mainstream songs. We wanted to address this need and do something nobody ever expected from a car brand.

Describe the creative idea

Chevrolet didn’t just want to associate Groove with music, but create a new genre of music to better represent today’s Arab millennial musical culture. To achieve this authentically, we partnered with a host of regional artists. Our pitch to them was simple: Korea has K-Pop. Japan has J-Pop. But the region’s popular music sounded like most western pop music. We invited our artists to create a genre that spoke to the heart of the Middle East – “ME-Pop”. Working with the region’s leading music production and talent management association, we paired diverse artists with distinct sounds together and gave them the freedom to create so they retained their unique voices and melodies. The pairings were out of the ordinary and risked creative clashing, but with a clear brief and the help of our talent association’s knowledge of artists, we managed to create an album that introduced ME-Pop to the region.

Describe the strategy

The rules of the crossover category Chevrolet Groove was entering into were simple: If you want more, you have to pay more. But Chevrolet Groove broke all the rules, pairing exciting technology with an incredible price. The unique music collaborations in our ME-Pop music perfectly reflected this unique combination of tech & affordability offered by Chevrolet Groove. And the music itself was just the first step. In keeping with our authentic approach, our campaign focus wasn’t a TV spot, outdoor billboard or activation; but the very music platforms where millennials were listening to, and engaging with, the region’s artists. Our album found a home on Spotify, Deezer, Anghami and Apple Music. Here, it would reach those looking to find new trendy music to listen to, as opposed to the typical advertising approach of pushing our comms onto viewers with paid media dollars.

Describe the execution

We worked closely with our artists to define ME-Pop’s signature sound, ensuring we reflected regional tastes while offering Arab millennials something new. Solidifying the brand link, all tracks mentioned the Groove or Chevrolet (something already familiar to modern pop), allowing us to seamlessly integrate our brand into the excitement created around ME-Pop. Adopting the approach taken by mainstream artists launching an album, we dropped 2 hit singles online to build listener appetites ahead of dropping the full album. Our first single and hero track, “Balash Ana”, featured A-lister Carmen Soliman and up-and-comer Flipperachi. Building on the hype (which was a hit!) we used the track in our Groove ad, translating the buzz around the song onto Groove. We also created TikTok-style dance videos set to our ME-Pop songs and featuring Groove, and added streaming widgets on Groove’s webpage allowing visitors to listen to the album without leaving the page.

Describe the outcome

Our authentic approach to tapping into the entertainment industry, coupled with our new music genre’s signature sound made ME-Pop and Chevrolet Groove an instant hit. During the campaign, we saw: Over 4 Million streams of our ME-Pop tracks on music platforms. That’s over 216,000 hours spent listening to ME-Pop (or 9,000 days. Or 24 years.) Long enough to watch The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition) over 64,870 times Our biggest hit, “Chokran” by Jamila ft. Grini, became an organic TikTok sensation with over 10,000 videos created by users featuring our song, even without a hashtag challenge. Across all music and social channels, ME-Pop received over 43 Million plays in total Our music chart success inevitably translated to sales success, with Chevrolet completely selling out 90% of its stock of Grooves across KSA, Kuwait & UAE before the campaign was even over.