2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

Whether or not viewers chose to download the Deliveroo app, our films actively called on viewers to take action - to skip the wait. By pressing the Skip Ad button, each and every viewer became an active participant in our brand's narrative, effectively agreeing that cooking is a cumbersome waste of time that should be skipped whenever possible.

Background

Dubai is a city of convenience and for many, takeout is a way of life. But during the Covid-19 lockdown, Deliveroo sales took a significant dive as many people - suddenly finding themselves with much more free time than usual - started to cook from home instead. Deliveroo is a food delivery app that can deliver almost any meal you can think of in 15-20 minutes. Our brief was to somehow remind people that cooking from home isn't all it's cracked up to be, reminding existing Deliveroo users to use our service while also getting more people to download and use our app.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

We live in a world where people have become accustomed to instant gratification.It's no secret that most people hate YouTube pre-roll ads, with 96% of people opting to skip them as quickly as they can. People are hungry for content, and they have no time for things that come between them and the things they want to watch. YouTube's Skip Ad button lets you skip commercials in the same way that Deliveroo helps you skip the act of having to cook for yourself.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

We specifically targetted the upwardly mobile, unmarried adults for whom cooking at home would be seen as more of a chore at times where they would most likely be contemplating dinner between the hours of 4 pm and 8 pm. We especially targetted those about to watch cooking-related content. Our films included a link for users to download the Deliveroo App.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

We created The Most Skippable Films in the World - YouTube pre-roll films that were specifically designed to be skipped as part of our message. The Most Skippable Films in the World are the first YouTube Pre-Roll films that actively encouraged viewers to skip them. The three films showed - in real time - the painstaking and boring preparation of three dishes - roasting a turkey, simmering a complicated bolognese sauce and waiting for pizza dough to rise - each clocking in at over three hours each. And each offering the viewer a simple way out - to simply skip it by using YouTube's built-in "Skip Ad" button. Throughout the three hour run-time, various messages popped up actively goading the viewer into skipping the monotony. By skipping the film, the viewer acknowledged that ordering food from Deliveroo is by far the more sensible thing to do.

List the results (30% of vote)

Our films were targeted at a very specific sub-section of the Dubai population. In the end, 323,244 people viewed it and actively decided to skip the wait. During the campaign run time app downloads increased by 12% and sales increased by 9% compared to the same time last year. And the 7 wonderful weirdos somehow made it all the way to the end were rewarded with a discount voucher for Deliveroo.