The idea evolved over time. From the outset, we didn't want to get involved in superficial giveaways and overt sales tactics. We wanted to show real Saudi women that Nissan understood what the right to drive meant to them, and that we were there to support and empower them now and beyond June 2018. After all, this is simply the first step on the path to a brave, modern new society in Saudi Arabia.

At first, with a real-time post and follow-up films, the idea was to simply show unequivocal support of the decree and what it stood for. Then we wanted to give women the chance to drive, for real, while at the same time, encouraging men to respect the decree. Finally, to normalize this decision for all men, we wanted to men to participate in the campaign and actively show their support.

News of The Royal Decree broke at 11:30pm. An hour later, we developed the "2018-GRL" Tweet, knowing Twitter is the main social platform in Saudi Arabia for breaking news. To further cement the idea and Nissan's point of view, we posted two 6-second films on Facebook a week later: one showed the number-plate being pressed, the other a Saudi woman getting into the driver's seat. The next step was the biggest; we built a space in a private car park, where Saudi women could actually drive a car, legally, for the first time in Saudi Arabia. The twist being, unbeknown to our female learners, their first instructor would be the man from their household. The content we generated was enjoyed across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And finally, we asked all Saudi men to show their support by submitting driving tips under the #shedrives to a highlights album on Instagram.

We expected the campaign to be referenced and celebrated internationally, as was the decree. However, we wanted to effect attitude and behavior change in Saudi Arabia, especially amongst more conservative men in households. The initial tweet, featuring the "GRL 2018" car number plate visual, generated 562,000 impressions and 8.8% engagement rate (benchmark for excellence is 2.5%). In its first week, with a very small paid media budget, the content film generated 7.6m impressions and 2,064,300 views (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube), with 9.4% engagement rate (> 5% is seen as excellent). The viewer retention rate is 59% - YouTube benchmark excellence as 50%. Overall, people have spent 976,487 minutes watching the content, equivalent to 1.86 years of viewership, with 64% of the views coming from men in Saudi Arabia. Earned media coverage on TV and online, including Reuters, CNN, Al Arabiya and BBC Worldwide, has been valued at over $2.1m.

"#shedrives was also highlighted by Twitter in a recent analysis of 2017 as one of the most inspiring and effective campaigns on the platform across the MENA region"