HAVAS MIDDLE EAST, Dubai / ADIDAS / 2022
Overview
Credits
Why is this work relevant for Titanium?
The Liquid Billboard redefined how the outdoor medium has always been used in the Middle East and around the world.
While its core purpose was to turn every woman in Dubai into an ambassador for adidas's new inclusive swimwear collection and encourage them to break down the barriers defined of shape, ethnicity, ability and faith, the billboard became a point of global conversation across 60 countries.
This single placement outdoor was seen and spoken about on social and other digital mediums by 350 million people across the globe.
Background
32% of women in the world don’t feel comfortable swimming in public.
In the Middle East, that number rises to 88%.
Being raised in a society where swimming isn’t widely accepted as appropriate for women, they lack the motivation to step into water. In addition, being surrounded by ads with models and professional athletes has further deteriorated their body confidence.
Describe the creative idea
The world’s first swimmable billboard. Made to encourage every woman in Dubai to become ambassadors of adidas’s new inclusive swimwear collection, irrespective of their shapes, ethnicities, abilities or religion.
By physically diving in, each woman became part of the global conversation.
Describe the strategy
Universally, water represents inclusivity and freedom. But, for women in MENA, water represents judgment and restrictions created by conventional media
Our core challenge was to inspire women across the region to find their freedom in water and start a worldwide conversation about making water sports more inclusive for women.
So we wanted to transform a traditionally passive channel, the outdoor into an interactive media that spoke to women everywhere and invited them to come be part of the experience irrespective of shape, ethnicity, ability or faith.
Describe the execution
The 5-meter high and 3-meter deep that doubles as a fully usable swimming pool capable of holding 11500 gallons of water, was built in less than three weeks.
The structure was fitted with special underwater cameras that transformed every woman’s experience into personalized adidas posters, and live-streamed every dive on the city’s largest digital display at Dubai Mall.
Women who’ve only seen athletes and models on billboards, saw themselves celebrated the same way. Breaking down personal and societal barriers to finding their confidence in water.
List the results
350 million total reach
$6 million earned media
60+ countries across 6 continents
17.7% engagement rate on social media
70% sell-through rates in just the first 4 weeks across flagship stores
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