2022 Winners & Shortlists

THE DONATION PLATE

Silver Lynx

Case Film

Presentation Image

BrandMOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM GLOBAL INITIATIVES
Product/ServiceTHE 100 MILLION MEALS INITIATIVE
EntrantGOVERNMENT OF UAE MEDIA OFFICE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategorySocial Behaviour & Cultural Insight
Idea Creation GOVERNMENT OF UAE MEDIA OFFICE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Placement GOVERNMENT OF UAE MEDIA OFFICE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR GOVERNMENT OF UAE MEDIA OFFICE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production SOCIALEYEZ FZE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for Social & Influencer?

To activate meal donations to support UAE’s 100 Million Meals Initiative, we connected with influencers who were foodies and restaurant goers (a majority of whom tend to share their meal photos online), at the moment they were taking a photo of their meal via their mobile phone, by prompting them to response and donate a meal via their mobile phone too, through a unique QR code-driven experience. The initiative then scaled from influencers to the public. As this campaign involves a use of influencers and is inspired by social behaviours and insight, and travelled courtesy influencers, it fits this category.

Background

#FoodPics is among the 25 most popular hashtags ever used. But while most people enjoy sharing their food pics, they remain apathetic towards those who don’t have food pics to share because of lack of access to sufficient and quality food. As per reports from the World Health Organization, due to COVID 19, the world hunger crisis has only escalated, with the hunger-stricken population, globally, standing at 52 million. currently standing at a whopping 52 million. So, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) Foundation launched the “100 million meals” donation initiative, to combat the world hunger crisis. And it needed help to activate meal donations.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

We created “The Donation Plate” consisting of the world’s first incognito QR code, designed to be picked up by mobile camera sensors, even if the QR code was covered by the food. And we placed that QR code, as a designed mnemonic, on plates in popular restaurants across the UAE. As people took their food pics to share on social media via mobile, they were prompted, through the QR code encoded into the plate, to share a meal too - by visiting a mobile site. To make it easy for everyone to participate, and at scale, we kept the mechanics and investment of donation simple: 1 dirham donated equalled 1 meal contributed. QR codes are widely used across the world. This unique idea put a fresh spin to QR code, creating the world’s first hidden QR code, designed to not be missed.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

We didn’t want to push people on their mobile phones or laptops on their couches, beds, or chairs through an online video ad onto a website to donate. Most people, unfortunately, skip such ads to do with hungry children and hungry families, owing to ad apathy. Instead, we wanted to pull people contextually by targeting their social behaviours when out in the world and taking food pictures, to deliver a meaningful message about those who are unable to enjoy food pics, because they can’t enjoy food. And in creating that emotional engagement, we wanted to activate donations. Our strategy, therefore, was to convert a moment of sharing a meal’s photo into donating a meal too.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

QR codes are an intricate matrix of pixels. Our design saw us re-design a QR code to be detectable while obstructed by food, yet while blending seamlessly in with the plate aesthetics. We created the plates, working with designers and by partnering with 200 restaurants across the UAE, who had the plates, therefore, not costing money (that we could instead give to those hungry). The engagement started with influencers being invited to restaurants to try out “The Donation Plate”. Influencers’ interactions (and donations) gave the initiative traction, with their social shares giving the campaign effective media amplification. And as people dining across UAE restaurants engaged, the donations started to increase exponentially. The idea travelled across national press, and leading news and media platforms. It also reached television news in the UAE, and abroad. 12 food banks and 9 humanitarian and charitable organisations teamed up to deliver the meals donated.

List the results (30% of vote)

In delivering a meaningful message when people least expected it, “The Donation Plate”, in just 28 days, helped contribute significantly to the UAE’s 100 million meals initiative. We made 11% of the contributions to the 100 million meals target, as 11 million dirhams donated via The Donation Plate idea (tracked using the QR Code) led to 11 million meals donated - from people in the UAE to disadvantaged and underprivileged individuals and families in 20 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa regions. For context, our target with this idea was 8 million dirhams in 50 days. We achieved 11 million dirhams in 28 days.

Please tell us about the social behaviour and / or cultural insights that inspired your work

The UAE has a thriving restaurant and café scene. A melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, one gets access to foods and delicacies from around the world in the UAE. So, there’s a food-loving culture that’s prominent out here. Along with a food-loving culture, there also exists a culture of sharing one’s foodie experiences. The number of people sharing photos of their meals under #foodpics on social media is among the top 25 hashtags used, with a total of 60 percent of millennials participating in the sharing. It’s one of the highest used hashtags in the UAE too. We wanted to target this moment of sharing a meal, contextually, by getting people to donate a meal too.

Credits

Name Company Role
Khaled AlShehhi UAE Government Media Office Executive Director of New Media and Visual Production
Latifa AlMarzooqi UAE Government Media Office Senior Social Media Manager
Ghaya AlBannay UAE Government Media Office Social Media Specialist
Ahmed Sari UAE Government Media Office Art Director
Ghaleb Al Jawhary UAE Government Media Office Senior Copywriter
Mohammad Mahmoud UAE Government Media Office Senior Video Editor
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