Branded content is still new to the Middle East, but it is gaining popularity. It may have initially been used as a cost-effective solution for brands with small budgets, but now some of the more established brands have understood the potential of developing the right content to connect with people through real and honest storytelling.

In the region, many brands’ approach to branded content tends to be rather contrived. Because their content cannot be easily tested, brands tread cautiously, going with safe content that doesn’t tend to get talked about.

For many, branded content is considered supporting material to traditional media and is not developed to stand on its own.

Across the region certain topics are considered inappropriate and risk being quickly censored according to the regulations of individual countries, restricting what can be aired on TV.

There are many restrictions in terms of rights over sponsorship. For example in the case of Arabs Got Talent, it is forbidden for the judges and co-hosts to endorse a sponsoring brand.

Our challenge was to create branded content that seamlessly fits with the AGT 2015 program and within the many restrictions that exist.

Our online banner campaign ran on YouTube masthead and across the Google Network where users played the car's sounds using their smartphone through the innovative Google ChannelConnect technology.

• Our banner appeared on desktop screens

• Users connected their smartphones with the banner via a QR Code

• On connection, the phone turned into a piano keyboard and users could play their own music using sounds from the car

• The car and LED panels on the banner responded to the keys in real time

In other formats, users could play music using their PC/Desktop keyboard.

The campaign got more than 5.6million video views across YouTube and Facebook, equivalent to 8 1/2 years of streaming time. These results were driven by our remarketing strategy, where video view completion bettered industry benchmarks by 150%. In turn the awareness achieved through increased exposure saw test drive requests for the Chrysler 300C increase by 286% year on year.

The campaign also achieved some regional and global ‘firsts’ –

• World’s first re-targetable print ad and promo kit

• Region’s first playable mini-posters

• First car model to be turned into a professional software multi-patch musical instrument