In the UAE, the branded content arena for banking and finance services is virtually non-existent. The only forms of branded content that banks and financial brands create are their film ads masquerading as branded content. They lack engagement, participation and hence, don’t become a part of people’s social conversations. Or they just create social media apps and activations that attempt to trigger conversations or get user generated content.

Emirates NBD is a leading bank in the UAE that creates effective branded content in the realm of financial literacy. Its YouTube channel is the leading YouTube channel among banks and financial institutions in the Middle East region.

And in an era of video being the most consumed and most preferred form of content, while we have always created effective functional content, we now faced the challenge and the opportunity to create more emotional content that would travel, that would be shared and that would trigger positive conversations about the Emirates NBD brand.

As a leading Emirati bank, propagating Emirati culture was relevant to Emirates NBD.

So, we converted its owned channels - a relevant and ownable touchpoint - making its conventional cash dispensing machines starting points for expats to get closer to and embrace the culture of a foreign land.

We added to the basic function of a CDM, which is dispensing and depositing cash, by dispensing a new currency to UAE expats: Culture

And created THE CULTURE DISPENSING MACHINES.

We placed the machines in leading malls frequented by expats.

When unsuspecting expats stepped up to regular-looking Cash Machines, they were surprised when our CDMs asked them to pick a topic on Emirati culture as an alternative to withdrawing or depositing cash.

The machines then dispensed an item related to that topic, giving on-screen instructions to follow and experience the culture in a fun, interactive manner, courtesy Emirates NBD.

(1) The CDMs spread across the 7 Emirates of the UAE as did conversations about Emirati culture.

(2) The idea gained earned media worth $280,000.

(3) Sharing Emirati culture also became the theme for UAE’s National Day in December 2014.

(4) This social success enabled Emirates NBD to create an exclusive Arabic dining rewards program to further endorse culture and increase spends.

(5) Registrations to partner Emirati language and cultural centers increased 23%.

(6) And as a result of the bank's sustained endorsement of Emirati culture, we’ve witnessed a growth in Emirati accounts by 5% too.