This work stands out in the Creative Strategy category due to its innovative and unconventional approach. The deliberate removal of letters from billboards, simulating a criminal act, showcases a strategic and creative mindset. This unique strategy captures attention and prompts a significant response, leading to increased site traffic and social media interactions. The campaign's ability to strategically leverage this creative concept demonstrates a keen understanding of breaking through the noise and engaging the audience effectively. It serves as a compelling example of how inventive thinking can drive engagement, amplify reach, and leave a lasting impact

Unlike the rest of the world, the true crime genre of TV shows is still considered taboo. Crimes, murders and drug-related topics are generally not spoken about and can create backlash amongst society. To launch Dark Minds, the region's first true crime series, we wanted to get acceptance for this show, so we crafted the campaign in a fun manner.

Situation: The Middle East, with its rich storytelling tradition, had yet to see a true crime show that resonated with its unique cultural and social landscape. Asharq Discovery identified this gap and aimed to launch "Dark Minds," a pioneering true crime series focused on stories from the region.

Brief: Create a captivating launch campaign for "Dark Minds" that breaks through the clutter of traditional media, engages the audience in an unprecedented manner, and generates buzz about the show across the Middle East.

Objectives:

Generate widespread anticipation and curiosity for "Dark Minds" ahead of its premiere.

Engage audiences directly in a novel and interactive way, leveraging outdoor media to create a buzzworthy talking point.

Establish "Dark Minds" as a must-watch series on Asharq Discovery, setting the stage for a successful debut season by targeting a significant viewership spike and social media engagement around the campaign reveal.

We identified a gap in the Middle Eastern market for locally relevant true crime content, aiming to captivate an audience unfamiliar with this genre at a regional level. The challenge was to introduce "Dark Minds" in a way that resonated with regional cultural nuances and viewing habits, ensuring it stood out in a crowded media landscape.

Understanding the client's need for a breakthrough campaign, we aligned with Asharq Discovery's brand values of innovative storytelling and engaging content delivery. The target market consisted of a diverse Middle Eastern audience, hungry for content that reflects their culture and interests.

The desired outcome was to create a buzz that would translate into high viewership for the show's premiere, establishing "Dark Minds" as a flagship program on Asharq Discovery. Our interpretation focused on creating an immersive brand experience that would intrigue, engage, and retain the target audience, leveraging regional engagement patterns for maximum impact.

The campaign stems from a meticulous blend of research, data analysis, and resourceful insights. Extensive research into the local target audience revealed a unique opportunity to resonate with true crime fans within the community. The campaign strategically tapped into the fascination with criminal narratives by understanding the demographic's preferences. This insight informed the decision to simulate a criminal act by manually removing letters from billboards, a move designed to captivate the audience and align with their interests.

The data-driven analysis ensured the selection of diverse billboard locations across Beirut for maximum visibility. The fusion of local insights and a deep understanding of true crime enthusiasts not only fueled the originality of the strategy but also ensured that the campaign would resonate authentically with the target audience.

Our creative idea was to immerse the Middle East in a real-life mystery that mirrored the essence of "Dark Minds." We orchestrated a region-wide outdoor campaign where billboards from various brands appeared vandalized overnight, with letters mysteriously cut out. This act of 'vandalism' sparked widespread curiosity and media attention, as the public and influencers speculated on the perpetrator. The climax of this narrative was the unveiling of a giant ransom note composed of the missing letters, revealing the message "Dark Minds, coming to Asharq Discovery." This innovative approach not only blurred the lines between fiction and reality but also engaged the audience in a tangible mystery, embodying the intrigue and suspense of true crime. A bold, interactive campaign that transformed public spaces into a canvas for storytelling, directly connecting with the audience's love for puzzles and narratives, and setting a new benchmark for launching television content in the region.

Through our timely strategy, the campaign became the most talked about launch of a regionally produced show in recent history. Our results spanned over a couple of weeks, first we generated a lot of media buzz by cutting up billboards. Mainstream TV channels, influencers and the general public made it the topic of the moment, so by the time we released our reveal, our campaign became global news, making it to CNN amongst many other news outlets. The campaign generated impact on around 495 million people worldwide, with an estimated earned media value of around $673,000. The campaign not only created buzz around the Dark Minds show, but also brought attention to other upcoming programs on the channel, putting Asharq Discovery on the minds of our target audience.