Saudi Women’s Online March
Procter & Gamble
Issue 38 | March 2016
Agency
Leo Burnett Beirut
Creative Team
CCO Bechara Mouzannar Regional Exe. Creative Director Malek Ghorayeb Creative Directors Yasmina Baz Ralph Arida Art Director Karen Feghali
Production Team
Regional Operations Director Youssef Naaman Communication Director Fadi Bustros Head of Planning Zeina Joujou Digital Planning & Strategy Jad Jureidni PR Planning Tala Arakji
Date
April - May 2015
Background
Facebook mobile uploads, Snapchat selfies and Instagram #OOTDs. These were just a few of the ways women around the world were able to express themselves online. But not in Saudi Arabia, where strict religious laws enforced women's behaviours. Even showing a picture of her face online was taboo.
Idea
For many young women, not being able to live on equal terms was frustrating. Always wanted to let them know that they understood and supported their dreams. The idea was to suggest that the women of Saudi Arabia could move forwards to a better future by taking change step by step.
The first virtual march in the Middle East was created.
If women in Saudi Arabia were not allowed to show their faces, they could at least show their feet. They were invited to go to the Always Facebook page and add a video of their feet stepping forwards purposefully.
That immediately put them in a draw to win 40,000 SAR (€9,500) to help the winner make her dream come true.
Results
The Online March exceeded the targets for user-generated content and community growth:
It generated more than 45 million impressions on Facebook and Instagram, and 4.6 million print impressions.
The participation mechanism allowed over 5,000 women to express themselves with content they submitted. There were +1 million interactions around that content and +2.6 million organic views on the videos.
Brand affinity has also improved as a result: the Facebook brand page got a +12.51% fan growth (+10,000 new fans in two months), while the Instagram page received +5,500 new Instagram followers (starting from zero).
Our Thoughts
Leo Burnett have a 10-point scoring system for all their work. A 7-point rating is considered to be the benchmark of excellence. The Leo Burnett creative gods have given this 7.3. So they think it is good without being game-changing, which is about right. I have no doubt it is moving brand preference scores upwards and sales are moving the same way. Creativity really does work.