THE MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM GLOBAL INITIATIVES
Product/Service
THE MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM GLOBAL INITIATIVES
Entrant
THE MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM GLOBAL INITIATIVES Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Category
Integrated Campaign Led by Digital
Idea Creation
MULLENLOWE MENA Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Placement
UNIVERSAL MEDIA Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR
MARKETTIERS4DC London, UNITED KINGDOM
Production
THE CONFESSIONAL London, UNITED KINGDOM
Background
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when millions were losing their jobs, those that needed our help most were forgotten and left to suffer. As charitable donations plummeted globally, the billions that would normally have been donated to the needy; had simply dried up and millions were unable to receive the support they required to live. In the UAE, those most affected by this backlash were the hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers, whose income is vital in putting food on the table. We answered an ordinary food donation brief from an NGO, where our challenge became to encourage donations at a time where charity had never been closer to home. The reality was that the world had stopped donating. We created a unique donation mechanic, unlike anything seen before, with an objective to capture people’s attention and, ultimately, turn a charitable cause into worldwide entertainment.
Describe the strategy
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when millions were losing their jobs, those that needed our help most were forgotten and left to suffer. As charitable donations plummeted globally, the billions that would normally have been donated to the needy; had simply dried up and millions were unable to receive the support they required to live. In the UAE, those most affected by this backlash were the hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers, whose income is vital in putting food on the table. We answered an ordinary food donation brief from an NGO, where our challenge became to encourage donations at a time where charity had never been closer to home. The reality was that the world had stopped donating. We created a unique donation mechanic, unlike anything seen before, with an objective to capture people’s attention and, ultimately, turn a charitable cause into worldwide entertainment.
Describe the execution
The World's Tallest Donation Box was a multi-faceted and highly-innovative digital campaign that leveraged the power of modern technology, cross-channel marketing techniques and a unique online donation mechanic to provide 1.2 million meals to those most affected during the global pandemic, while utilising the Burj Khalifa's light display in a way never seen before. Over seven days, strategic digital and offline promotion, including the use of social media, influencer marketing, TV and radio, drove doners to the initiative's specially-developed microsite, which displayed the 1.2 million pixels for sale – each representing a light and a meal. Once donors had selected and purchased their lights, the site's back-end pushed updates to the Burj Khalifa's display servers in real-time, which lit the world's tallest building's lights in a gleaming display of hope and solidarity.
List the results
The campaign was expected to reach its target within one month of launching. In just seven days, all 1.2 million lights were sold, thanks to the generous donations from people of 110 nations and many global brands including Amazon, McDonalds, Unilever, Atlantis Resorts, VISA, West Zone, Tristar Group, Chalhoub Group. What started as a tall ask, quickly became a shining example of human generosity, with USD 3.3 million raised in food aid and just over 1.2 million meals donated. The initiative was covered over 400 times by news outlets, worldwide, and reached a staggering 4.3 billion people.
USD 3.3 million raised in 7 days
1.2 million lights illuminated
1.2 million meals donated
166 countries reached
110 donor countries
4.3 billion media reach
1000+ online articles
400+ TV News stories worldwide
500 + Radio
175 million video views
3 million+ website visits in 7 days
USD 6.7 million in free marketing
Credits
Name
Company
Role
Mounir Harfouche
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Chief Executive Officer
Matthew Butterworth
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Managing Director
Paul Banham
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Regional Executive Creative Director
Prerna Mehra
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Creative Director & Head of Design
Greg Brown
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Copywriter
Zaheer Abbas
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Art Director
Mohammed Jawad
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Motion Graphic Designer
Mounir Mohammed
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Creative Services Director
Rami Ghanem
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Group Account Director
Amina El Ashry
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC
Account Management
Khaled Al Shehhi
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives
Client
Latifa Almaarzooqi
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives
Client
Ghaya AlBannay
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives
Client
Sherouk Maher
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives
Client
Ahmed Sari
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives