RAK Tourism sought local community participation after launching its “World’s Most Relaxed Cats” brand campaign earlier this year.
Specifically, it will nurture young creative talent in the UAE through its Higher College of Technology (HCT).
Working with Jana Dambekalne, lecturer at the School of Applied Media, it was suggested that the students be given the task of taking a brand and a brand character and really making the campaign their own. The task was then extended to add sustainable design.
Student submissions ranged from specially designed, branded 3D paper cut-out models of cats to actual cat dictionaries.
The five finalist students presented their ideas to a panel of judges from the tourism authority, consisting of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) Director of Destination Marketing Serdar Senay, CEO Raki Phillips and Vice President of Destination Marketing & Communications Alka Winter, as well as Justin Harper, Editor of Campaign Middle East.
The winner was Aamal Altenaiji, who won the top prize for her work “Prowling Cat Activity Book (formerly known as Whiskers Fun Book).”
The judges quickly realised how easy the book was to produce and distribute to hotel guests, international marketing activities (roadshows, media events) and the local community at large.
The winner was Amar Altenaizi
Alka Winter said: “Whenever there is an opportunity to actively engage with the local community, we take it. This is the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah; we are a community first.”
“Not only did we see Amal’s incredible creativity translated into a highly polished and produced creative piece, but all of the students demonstrated a deep understanding of design and an ability to interpret a brief and bring it to life. This is a valuable experience that will serve them well in their careers.”
Relaxed cat
Ad campaigns using mascots are 37 percent better positioned to gain market share.
‘The World’s Most Relaxed Cat’ was born out of a two-day brand workshop in June 2023 which brought together members of Interesting Times’ strategy, creative and social teams, PR agency Asdaa BCW and key figures from RAKTDA, including our own CEO, Raki Phillips, as well as members of the marketing, commercial, HR and finance teams.
The creative idea focused on showcasing relaxation in a non-traditional way through a mascot who would act as a whimsical brand ambassador.
When the concept of using cats as the main characters of the campaign was proposed, it aligned perfectly with the tourism board’s vision: cats embody the very essence of a relaxing, luxurious holiday.
The campaign garnered significant attention from major media outlets, and the digital media campaign achieved impressive results with over 725 million impressions and a 99% view rate on TikTok, beating the platform’s benchmark of 90%.
The cat character proved to be an influential force on social channels, garnering 2.5 times more impressions than non-cat posts and 75 percent more interactions compared to non-cat content.
Tags:Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority
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