Campaign Middle East features a monthly Private View section with a range of insights and viewpoints from industry experts, revealing the intricate world of marketing and advertising campaigns.
This month’s review is by Lara Sous, Marketing & PR Lead – MENA, RØDE.
This campaign had serious paid media support behind it because I was personally targeted with this ad several times, which meant that the distribution frequency was working. In a world filled with increasingly polished, AI-generated content, it was strangely fresh to embrace the playfulness and chaotic moments from the ad as they felt very real and quite funny.
I think there was room to make the storytelling even richer by imagining two families in different parts of the world. This would reinforce Yas Island as a destination for all the staycation and overseas holiday fun. In general, the ad presents a strong, playful creative complemented by a rich paid media campaign.
Big4Travel: There Is A Way Out
The insight from this campaign was very intriguing because it actually highlights that not everyone wants the intensity, the crowds, and the chaos associated with mega sporting events. I feel like the delivery didn’t quite bring this idea to life.
One angle I always look for in campaigns is the human angle so the voice over felt relatively flat and missed delivering on such a strong insight. In my opinion, the campaign could have leaned a bit harder on the ‘escapism’ and the sensory storytelling. The execution lacked emotional depth and sensory storytelling.
Dubai Police and RTA: Drive Like Your Mother’s Watching
This campaign presented a very strong insight because it tapped into something very culturally universal: there’s no one more likely to call out bad habits than a parent … or worse, a spouse.
The behaviours and actions adopted behind the steering wheel when rushed or stressed are behaviours a lot of people can relate to.
One angle I thought could’ve been more polished is the storytelling – to try and make it as memorable as possible so more people can relate to it. We could have seen three different couples (one in each frame). Overall, it was a strong campaign with a strong behavioural insight and a highly relatable human truth.
By Lara Sous, Marketing & PR Lead – MENA, RØDE.
