When Wunderman Thompson Riyadh won Saudi Arabia’s first ever Cannes Lions Grand Prix award recently it sent ripples around the industry. Saudi Arabia had arrived.
Rayyan Aoun is the Executive Creative Director at Wunderman Thompson Riyadh, the agency behind this monumental win. His team picked up the accolade for the ‘Subconscious Order’ campaign for food delivery app HungerStation.
“We’ve always been really hopeful about the creative industry in Saudi. We believed in it, invested in its talent, and have helped put Saudi Arabia on the creative map, both regionally and internationally,” he said.
“But I believe we only just started tapping into the incredible potential this country holds with its vibrant culture, ambitious vision, diverse talents and fearless marketers. I truly think there is no limits to what we can all achieve together.”
Talking about the inspiration behind the campaign, he said: “So the Subconscious Order is an innovative feature that was incorporated into the HungerStation food delivery app. This feature taps into your subconscious mind to help you decide what kind of food you’re actually craving.
“It was designed to address a very common consumer anxiety, which is to overcome the frustration of decision fatigue that we all go through when faced with endless and endless food options.”
Wunderman Thompson Riyadh used the power of technology and AI to revolutionise the entire online purchase journey, making the whole experience more enjoyable and engaging.
“As a result, consumers loved it, and engagement on the app went up exponentially. And even jury members were impressed by it.”
Aoun will be speaking at the inaugural Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity in November. “Creative festivals encourage people to push the boundaries when it comes to creativity, and it creates an ecosystem where diverse talents can connect and share knowledge. These festivals also inspire the young creative minds.
“Now, imagine having a creative festival in Saudi Arabia that purely focuses on the Saudi, the market, its unique challenges, its potential and the talents within it.
Without a doubt, this festival will give the market a great boost and help drive creativity to new heights.”
The Athar – Saudi Festival of Creativity festival will take place over 13-16 November at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC, and is organised by Motivate Media Group, publisher of Campaign Middle East, and TRACCS.
For more details: https://www.atharfestival.com/