Carlton D'Cruz, group account director, PerceptGulf, Dubai
Al Arabiya
To my mind, the entire campaign is inappropriately sensational. Sensationalism is good only if it's in line with the personality of the brand (the FCUK brand is case in point and it's more irreverent than sensational).
If Al Arabiya wants to compete with Al Jazeera, then maybe yes. But again, Al Jazeera is perceived as sensational only because a 'sensational individual' decided to make an appearance on the channel and not because the channel portrayed itself as one.
Al Arabiya is attempting to re-position the channel to include their broader offering of business, sports and politics. The misplaced sensationalism in their communication might go against the objectives they are trying to achieve.
It's fascinating how misery, suffering and atrocities committed widen the reach and consumption of channels and newspapers alike. The nature of the business demands they be covered. But making these situations the focal point of your communication is concerning especially since it's a repositioning exercise.
Moreover, the new base line 'Know more' has the ability to lend itself to more positive situations. I would have much preferred if it were used to highlight the triumph of the human spirit in the wake of adversity (like the memorable Time magazine campaign of yore) as opposed to dwell on issues that breed rage.
Xm Car Monitor
It's a nice thought but does it really convey the product advantage (or benefit)? Replicating the same thought in three ads is plain lazy but to have a grammatically incorrect headline ('Take entertainment for long trip') is sacrilege.
On the whole, I feel the ad talks more to children than to adults. To strike a chord with adults (read parents, the buyers of the product), I'd go with a campaign thought of 'Entertainment on full blast, kids on mute'.
I think this would better demonstrate the peace of mind the product brings to parents who have noisy kids in the backseat.
Lastly, I'm assuming children would be key influencers on the purchase decision. That being the case then the print medium is hardly the way ahead as options to reach children in the age bracket of three to 15 via print is limited.
Awal DSL & Jarir Bookstore
It's not uncommon for brands to do joint promotions. But in this case, it's hard to figure which is the principle brand and which is the 'friend of the brand'.
The layout is dodgy and the information lumpy. The mechanics of the promotion are not explained (isn't that a mandate?) and are we to assume that there are five cars to be won? Because if not, I see no reason why the ad needs to have five images of the same car in the layout.
I'm quite certain that this ad was jointly approved by the brand managers of both brands (Awal DSL and Jarir Bookstore) as it's plain to see both brands fighting for equal representation. A prime example of too many cooks spoiling the broth. Sigh.
Client: Al Arabiya
Agency: Grey Worldwide
Client: Xm Car Monitor
Agency: Watermelon Communications
Client: Awal DSL & Jarir Bookstore
Agency: Brainstorm, Saudi Arabia
Overall rating:
Al Arabiya: 2
Xm Car Monitor: 1
Awal DSL & Jarir Bookstore: 1
© Gulf Marketing Review 2007
