Saudia Airlines - ProtecTasbih
Saudia Airlines tasked Leo Burnett KSA with addressing the prevalent 'Hajj Cough' among pilgrims traveling to Jeddah. The airline sought an innovative, culturally sensitive solution to enhance pilgrim well-being and reinforce its commitment to passenger care during the sacred journey.
Creative Idea
Sanitizing prayer beads transferred antibacterial agents to pilgrims' hands during prayer.
Saudia Airlines created ProtecTasbih, the world's first sanitizing prayer beads infused with alcohol-free tea tree oil, to combat 'Hajj Cough' by transferring antibacterial agents to pilgrims' hands during prayer, offering a culturally sensitive and practical hygiene solution.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Saudia Airlines leveraged its onboard distribution network and commitment to pilgrim welfare to deliver a unique health solution.
Category
The airline category typically focuses on travel logistics, not integrating health solutions directly into religious practices.
Customer
Pilgrims deeply desired protection from respiratory infections like 'Hajj Cough' while maintaining religious purity during their sacred journey.
Culture
The cultural significance of Hajj and the daily ritual of prayer beads provided a powerful, respectful context for intervention.
Company
Saudia Airlines leveraged its onboard distribution network and commitment to pilgrim welfare to deliver a unique health solution.
Category
The airline category typically focuses on travel logistics, not integrating health solutions directly into religious practices.
Strategy:
Provide a culturally integrated, functional solution to a specific, unaddressed health concern.
Customer
Pilgrims deeply desired protection from respiratory infections like 'Hajj Cough' while maintaining religious purity during their sacred journey.
Culture
The cultural significance of Hajj and the daily ritual of prayer beads provided a powerful, respectful context for intervention.
Strategy:
Provide a culturally integrated, functional solution to a specific, unaddressed health concern.
Results
Over 2 Million pilgrims attend annually, with 60% falling sick due to contact and 40% risk of death for elderly pilgrims. The campaign distributed 100,000 Protectasbihs, impacting over 100,000 pilgrims and reaching 1.5 million pilgrims on-ground. It generated $6.7 million in earned media and became the #1 trending topic in the Middle East, leading to a +65% increase in brand love for Saudia. The formulation and design were made open source.
100,000
Protectasbihs distributed to pilgrims
$6.7M
earned media value
#1
trending topic in Middle East
Strategy Technique
Build an Utility, Not an Ad
Instead of traditional advertising, Saudia created a tangible utility that directly solved a critical pilgrim health issue. This demonstrated genuine care and provided a valuable service beyond mere promotion.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Invent a Complementary Product
The campaign invented a new product - sanitizing prayer beads - that seamlessly integrated into a sacred ritual. This provided a practical, culturally sensitive solution to a significant health concern for pilgrims.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign showcases exceptional product design and strategic media planning, effectively addressing a critical health issue for pilgrims while significantly enhancing brand perception for Saudia Airlines.
The creation of a functional, culturally sensitive, and innovative product that directly addresses a significant health problem during pilgrimage is outstanding.
Strategic distribution of the product and an awareness film across flights and on-ground, coupled with effective outreach, generated significant earned media and public attention.
The development of a semi-soluble, alcohol-free tea tree oil solution integrated into prayer beads demonstrates a clever and effective application of material science.
The visual presentation of the product and campaign materials is clean, respectful, and effectively communicates the message of hygiene and tradition.
The synergy between the innovative Product Design and the comprehensive Media Planning was crucial, ensuring the Protectasbih not only solved a problem but also achieved widespread awareness and positive reception.
