JWT Cairo & Vodafone Egypt Win Gold at APG Awards

JWT Cairo has won the Gold award for best channel planning strategy at this year’s prestigious Account Planning Group’s Creative Strategy Awards for their Vodafone “Fakka” campaign. The APG is a non-profit organization that believes in the importance of excellent advertising and communications strategy.  The organization promotes the role of planning in delivering excellent strategy, which generates growth.   

 

Of the 136 entries received by the APG in 2013, only 25 were shortlisted for the competition’s final round, which involved presenting the case to the team of judges, led by Andy Nairn, at Google’s headquarters in London.

 

For “Fakka” JWT reinvented the way mobile phone recharge cards are positioned, by creating micro-recharge cards, which could be used as ‘small change’.  In Arabic, fakka means ‘small change’, and this is a particular problem in Egypt – there simply is not enough small change circulating in the economy.  Retailers and shopkeepers regularly hand back valueless items such as chewing gum, sweets, or a headache tablet instead of the correct amount of small change.  

 

The Fakka cards were therefore specifically released in 4 small denominations ranging from the equivalent of US$ 0.1 – 0.5.  Designed to fit inside the cash register, retailers and shopkeepers can now hand back change in the form of valuable airtime with the Vodafone Fakka card.

 

Commenting on the win, Vatche Keverian JWT MENA CEO said “This is a very proud moment, one which we share with our Vodafone Egypt client and the JWT network around the world.  Planning is in JWT’s DNA and we are happy to have contributed to tonight’s success.  Fakka winning this strategic planning award is a real testament to JWT’s Worldmade philosophy, and a bold client, forging ahead with a marketing strategy that promoted a global brand through a truly local insight.“

 

Amal el Masri, Chief Strategy Officer at JWT MEA explained the significance of Vodafone Fakka cards in Egypt’s economy further.  “The remarkably low tech innovation addressed a real market need, that of most Egyptian’s limited daily cash outlay.  By positioning the cards as a ‘currency replacement’ in Egypt, 46,000 new distribution outlets for Vodafone were opened up across the country.” 

 

Ramsey Naja, Chief Creative Officer of JWT MEA said “What started life as a normal project gathered momentum thanks to great strategic thinking and great client-agency interaction.  The combination grew Fakka to monumental proportions making it what it is: a little item that created a huge impact.”

 

Collectively the global JWT network brought home the Grand Prix for Banco Popular by JWT Puerto Rico, a Gold for Vodafone Fakka by JWT Cairo, a Gold for Benadryl by JWT London and a Bronze for Band Aid by JWT New York.  

 

Previous awards for JWT Cairo’s Fakka campaign include a Gold and Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, a Gold Medal at New York Festivals® and a Grand Prix at the Dubai Lynx.