Arabian Centres is the largest owner and operator of shopping malls in Saudi Arabia. Since opening the Sahara Plaza in 2002, ACCL have continually raised the bar with a further 17 malls established across the Kingdom’s most aspirational and beautiful locations. More than world-class retail choices, each mall combines dining and state-of-the-art entertainment facilities to create the ideal destination for visitors and tenants.
Footfall is the lifeblood of any mall. Effective promotions and activities can help an established mall re-fresh its appeal and give visitors compelling reasons to return. Our challenge was to devise a promotion to be simultaneously executed in all 18 malls across the Kingdom. We were asked for an idea big enough to unite promotional “Instant win activities” inside the malls, and an integrated media campaign to drive awareness. Ultimate success would be measured by visitor numbers. Given the need to replicate the programme across 18 venues, cost considerations and ease of implementation were also key creative challenges.
XELEMENT proposed 3 creative solutions, each focused on creating the maximum amount of buzz and interest over an intense 7day period. Each concept was tested and tweaked based on consumer feedback to deliver promotional mechanics with guaranteed appeal. Each idea came with a full set of collaterals to ensure visual consistency in-store and across national media. Key to all proposals was the sense of scale delivered by an unprecedented use of social media. By sharing activity in real-time, including updates and winning moments as and when they happened, we were able create the sense of a shared celebration happening simultaneously across the whole Kingdom.
The visual simplicity of the idea not only helped the brand make a bold and memorable statement, it allowed for the flexibility so important for a broad service offering.
The campaign has been adopted and will soon be implemented nationwide. Social media buzz about the promotion is already indicating exceptional levels of consumer interest for a promotion.
