We transformed a typical urban landscape into an interactive brand experience, engaging the public and creating a palpable buzz around the launch of "Dark Minds" on Asharq Discovery. By meticulously coordinating with various brands to alter their billboards, we crafted an immersive narrative that captivated the audience's curiosity, leveraging real-world interaction to drive anticipation and discussion. This strategic activation went beyond conventional advertising, fostering a unique connection with the audience and demonstrating the power of creative storytelling in enhancing brand experience. The reveal not only surprised but also delighted the audience, setting a new standard for engaging viewers

In the Middle East, the intertwining of traditional values with modern media consumption presents a unique cultural landscape. The concept of public and shared experiences, deeply rooted in the communal aspects of Middle Eastern culture, plays a crucial role in how narratives and messages resonate across the region. "Dark Minds" marks a pioneering venture into the true crime genre, an area previously underexplored in Arabic media, tapping into a growing fascination with real-life mysteries among Middle Eastern audiences.

The campaign's use of billboards—a dominant and culturally significant advertising medium in the region—leveraged this communal spirit by transforming individual experiences of curiosity and confusion into a collective journey towards revelation. The act of vandalism, while orchestrated and consensual with participating brands, played on regional sensitivities around public order and respect for property, thereby amplifying the intrigue and engagement without crossing cultural boundaries.

Additionally, the strategic reveal aligned with a cultural penchant for storytelling, where the climax unfolds in a public, shared manner, reminiscent of traditional gatherings. This method of engagement, culminating in the unveiling of a giant ransom note, was not only innovative but deeply rooted in the social fabric of the Middle East, where stories and messages are often woven into the public sphere, reflecting a blend of modernity and tradition.

Understanding these nuances is crucial, as they underscore the campaign’s success in resonating with local audiences by harmonizing with their cultural practices and communal consumption of media, setting a new precedent for brand activation in the region.

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.

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.

Aiming at adults aged 18-54 across the Middle East, with a particular interest in those intrigued by true crime, mysteries, and innovative storytelling. Recognizing the region's high engagement with outdoor advertising and social media, we tailored our strategy to these platforms for maximum impact.

The approach was twofold: First, to spark curiosity and create a sense of mystery by 'vandalizing' billboards across key cities, making the public and media unwitting participants in a real-life puzzle. This unconventional tactic leveraged the audience's natural curiosity and propensity for social sharing, turning every observer into a storyteller. Second, to reveal the campaign's true nature through a grand, unexpected reveal, directly linking the intrigue back to "Dark Minds." This strategy aimed not just to announce the show but to embody its essence, ensuring the target audience's first interaction with "Dark Minds" was memorable, engaging, and immersive, setting the stage for

We aimed to raise awareness for the launch of Dark Minds, which is the first true crime show produced in the region. We divided the campaign into two phases. In the first phase, we partnered with other brands to vandalize their billboards by cutting letters mimicking the work of a real criminal, by doing this we managed to create a buzz around the missing letters. This was done to tease our audience with something they love to follow: mysteries. And also to get free media coverage for our campaign. Once the buzz peaked, we started our second phase, which involved revealing an outdoor advertisement made up of the missing pieces from the other brands’ billboards.

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.