Etisalat and I have a terrible relationship. After years of billing controversies, expensive plans, and poor customer service, I have very little love left for the company that has received my business for nearly a decade.
Beyond the poor product, the UAE telecommunications provider is a dinosaur when compared to its rival Du on the advertising front. Its communication has been old-fashioned, muddled and unmemorable.
That’s why the company’s latest “Network Campaign” actually motivated me to write a post. Unlike any material I’ve seen from the telecoms provider before, this campaign is surprisingly interesting, clever, and clear. There is no mistaking what messages Etisalat is trying to get across and the marketing team didn’t resort to in your face advertising to deliver them. Progress!
The campaign aims to highlight Etisalat’s superior network coverage by imagining what movie scenarios would be like if the characters were plagued by poor signal. While I first saw this ad as a pre-roll for a YouTube video, I suspect cinema is the primary medium.
This campaign comes off the back of the embarrassment of the #EtisalatChallenge and appears to have taken many of the lessons learned into account. This time, instead of hoping celebrity and glamour would overshadow a weak message, the company actually capitalized on a well known strength it has over its competitor: a stronger network.
As I have not hesitated to call Etisalat out on its shortcomings before, I feel its only fair that I also laud the company when it puts out quality work. My only hope is that this campaign marks a permanent shift in communication strategy towards superb execution with a solid foundation in true product strengths.
Below are a few of the MANY ads in this campaign for you to enjoy. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!
What did you think of this campaign? Is it a success for Etisalat or too little, too late?
The Marketing Spark 