Three Gold, five Silver and three Bronze accolades have been awarded for the Middle East and Africa. Campaigns for both global and local brands, and for a range of product categories covering Consumer Packaging Good (CPG), technology and telecommunications are represented, showcasing how marketers are driving growth across different sectors.
The United Arab Emirates won the most awards (six), followed by Saudi Arabia (two), Tunisia (one), and South Africa (one). Additionally, one campaign ran across MENA.
The three APAC jury panels followed a rigorous judging process using the Creative Effectiveness and the B2B Effectiveness Ladders, unique tools providing a consistent approach and global language to benchmark effectiveness.
The Gold, Silver and Bronze winners are:
Partnerships and Sponsorships category:
Gold: Stand tall, Telkom, Levergy, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Commenting on the Gold winner, jury chair Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication, UAE Government Media Office, United Arab Emirates, said: ‘Telkom’s #StandTall campaign in South Africa reimagined a traditional sponsorship-led ambassador approach. Informed by insight, this winning campaign told a compelling, authentic story, and genuinely engaged with audiences.’
Brand Purpose category:
Bronze: Frequencies of peace, Babyshop, FP7 McCann, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Channel integration category:
Silver: We shake the world, Rani (juices), MullenLowe MENA, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Channel Pioneer category:
Silver: Coke’s aba-stalk and pop (cheat meals campaign), Coca-Cola, EssenceMediacom, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Cultural Impact category:
Gold: ADLaM – An alphabet to preserve a culture, Microsoft, McCann, New York, MENA
Bronze: The tuna language, Sidi Ali, VML, Tunis, Tunisia.
Bronze: Sound of Saudi, Saudi Music Commission, Xelement Agency, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Jury chair Gugu Mthembu, Chief Marketing Officer, Telkom, South Africa, commented: ‘The jury wanted to see campaigns that promoted progress and involved culture drivers that are shaping new narratives; our Gold winner for Cultural Impact is a perfect example of this. Microsoft worked with the Fulani people in West Africa to digitise an alphabet for their dying language and this has brought their community to the digital age, preserving their culture for generations to come.’
Customer Experience category:
Silver: I see Coke, Coca-Cola, EssenceMediacom, Dubai/VML, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Instant Impact category:
Silver: From dermatology to divinity, Dettol’s unexpected audience, Dettol, FP7 McCann, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Strategic Thinking category (new):
Silver: Fixing the bias, Aurora50, MullenLowe MENA, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Commenting on this winning campaign, jury chair Carolyne Kendi, Chief Marketing Officer, Absa Kenya PLC, Kenya, said: ‘People want brands to demonstrate that they understand the current reality and to help them navigate difficulties. I’m happy that, in Aurora50, the Strategic Thinking jury found a campaign that had endeavoured to get a deeper understanding of gender inequality in the Middle East and respond to what women are thinking and feeling with relevant solutions that deliver real value.’
Use of Data category:
Gold, The non-sponsored sponsorship of Ramadan, Almarai, VML, Riyadh/Wunderman Thompson, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
No medal was awarded in the Business-to-Business, Long-term Growth and Path-to-Purchase categories.
The Gold winners will automatically progress to compete at a Global level where a super-jury made up of all the regional jury chairs – Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, North America – will award the coveted WARC Grands Prix, the ultimate recognition for marketing success. The Grands Prix will be revealed on 13 June via the Effectiveness Show part one. The Effectiveness Show part two will include interviews and insights from the Grand Prix winners.
WARC
https://www.warc.com
