Initiative MENA received international recognition for its creative accomplishments in Media Innovation during the gala ceremony for The Internationalist Awards, a platform that rewards creative ideas and people, which recently took place in New York.
Ramzy Abou Chacra, the Managing Director of Initiative MENA commented, “We are quite excited to have four of our campaigns recognised at The Internationalist Awards for Media Innovation. This is the fifth consecutive year Initiative MENA has done well at “The Internationalist Awards” thanks to the coordinated efforts of a solidly committed and hardworking team. We will continue on creating more innovative ideas that allow brands and companies to channel their vision into artistic expressions.”
Its first win and highest honour was for its work with KFC’s ‘Flying Bucket’ campaign (Dubai), earning Initiative its Gold award.
The second honour of the night was given to KFC’s #ThisisEgypt by Colonel Sanders campaign (Dubai).
The last two Bronze awards were presented in recognition of Rabea Tea’s Fans United campaign (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) and Dubai Media Incorporated’s (DMI’s) Human Foosball – The Victorious campaign (Dubai).
Gold Winning Campaign at the Internationalist Awards - KFC’s ‘Flying Bucket’ campaign - (Dubai, UAE)
KFC’s 'Flying Bucket' campaign was aimed to showcase the brand’s ability to deliver anytime, anywhere. A market leader in the UAE for 25 years, KFC wanted to remind people that it remains the undisputed delivery front runner in the country. In a country that loves to break records and be the first, ‘bigger, taller, faster’ videos are widely watched and shared online. Leveraging that insight, KFC went all out with an event highlighting its unique delivery capabilities, putting down a huge bucket of sandwiches, via a helicopter, to thousands of beachgoers on one of Dubai’s most popular beaches. The entire operation was captured by the crowds and quickly shared on social media, while KFC’s cameras were also rolling to record all the action. A few days after the event, KFC released the Flying Bucket video, which rapidly caught the attention of UAE users, and it wasn’t long before news channels, bloggers and traditional media picked up on the excitement and started reporting the stunt.
Silver Winning Campaign at the Internationalist Awards - KFC’s #ThisisEgypt by Colonel Sanders campaign (Cairo, Egypt)
To mark the 50th anniversary celebrations of KFC’s Original Recipe, Colonel Sanders, the brand’s goodwill ambassador and symbol, arrived to Cairo, where he visited the streets, posed for pictures next to the Nile and various monuments, and interacted with local Egyptians throughout his journey. The Colonel’s journey inside the country soon became the talk of the town. Hashtags such as #TheColonelinEgypt and #KFC50yearsoriginal were soon trending on social media platforms, thereby leaving a positive impression on the Egyptian people.
Bronze Winning Campaign at the Internationalist Awards - Rabea Tea’s Fans United campaign (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
As part of Rabea Tea’s efforts to grow market share amongst the youth, it was decided that engagement needs to be strengthened with the young football audiences. Rabea Tea’s three-part campaign started with sponsoring a highly rated football TV show on MBC (Action Ya Dawry). In addition to the TV sponsorship, Rabea Tea’s online banners were placed on a popular football website for up to five months. The final stage of the campaign took place at the stadium itself, where Rabea Tea conducted themed activities for fans prior to the game. The activities ended with a special activation where plastic bags covered every seat in the stadium, urging fans to help clean up the stadium after the match. The campaign was well received by the media, including the ‘The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)’.
Bronze Winning Campaign at the Internationalist Awards - Dubai Media Incorporated’s (DMI’s) 'Human Foosball – The Victorious campaign (Dubai)
The Victorious, a football TV show hosted by Dubai Channels Network, has become one of the biggest talent shows in the Arab world. The first season enjoyed record number of viewers in KSA and the UAE. In its second season and with new line-up of superstars, the network was looking to build on its past success, aiming to create a unique experience that would engage the youth and entertain fans of the sport. As most of football fans also love to play foosball (table football), the idea was to bring the youth of Dubai together and recreate the foosball table. The twist was that instead of fans and heroes controlling little plastic figures, they would be the players. Hype for the event was built on social media platforms and during the TV show. The Victorious Facebook page shared posts and videos, which kept fans engaged. The campaign saw over 4000 participants participate over two weekends. A a result, the campaign was well recognised by the local media, and the show viewership increased.
