Billboard Arabia: The Second Release
Billboard Arabia wanted to establish its presence in the Saudi market by proving its commitment to local music culture. SRMG Labs Riyadh was tasked with connecting the brand to Saudi identity during National Day. The challenge was to find a way to honor the past while appealing to a young, progressive audience that was largely unaware of the country's musical pioneers.
Creative Idea
Remastered a forgotten 1980s tribute song by a suppressed female icon into a modern anthem.
Billboard Arabia remastered and rereleased a forgotten tribute song by Etab, Saudi Arabia's first female singer, transforming a suppressed historical recording into a modern National Day anthem to restore her legacy and celebrate the nation's progressive cultural evolution.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Billboard Arabia's access to music archives and its authority as a global champion of musical excellence and legacy.
Category
Music media often focuses on current viral hits and global stars, neglecting the foundational pioneers of local music history.
Customer
A young, progressive generation of Saudis seeking authentic cultural roots and symbols of national pride to celebrate their identity.
Culture
The upcoming Saudi National Day provided a high-stakes cultural moment to launch a remastered anthem of national pride.
Company
Billboard Arabia's access to music archives and its authority as a global champion of musical excellence and legacy.
Category
Music media often focuses on current viral hits and global stars, neglecting the foundational pioneers of local music history.
Strategy:
Resurrect suppressed cultural heritage to validate modern progress and establish brand authority as a historical guardian.
Customer
A young, progressive generation of Saudis seeking authentic cultural roots and symbols of national pride to celebrate their identity.
Culture
The upcoming Saudi National Day provided a high-stakes cultural moment to launch a remastered anthem of national pride.
Strategy:
Resurrect suppressed cultural heritage to validate modern progress and establish brand authority as a historical guardian.
Results
The campaign achieved significant impact, with the remastered track 'Ya Saudi' garnering 243 million plays across platforms. The initiative reached 26.2 million people, resulting in an 885% increase in overall engagement. Searches for Etab's name spiked by 1000%, reflecting a massive surge in public interest. The campaign's success was further solidified when the Saudi Ministry of Culture posthumously awarded Etab the Cultural Impact Award, officially recognizing her contribution to the nation's musical heritage.
243M
total plays
1000%
increase in searches for Etab
26.2M
total reach
Strategy Technique
Make the Invisible Visible
By unearthing a forgotten cultural icon and her lost tribute song, the brand positioned itself as the definitive guardian of Saudi music history while connecting with a modern, nationalistic audience.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Spotlight the Overlooked
The campaign identifies Etab, a pioneering artist whose career was stifled by past social restrictions, and uses her rediscovered music to grant her the mainstream recognition she was denied during her lifetime.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's excellence lies in its seamless integration of music production and cultural storytelling, reviving a forgotten icon through modern technology and strategic timing.
The remastering of a vintage track into a modern anthem was the catalyst for the entire campaign's success.
Releasing the track specifically for Saudi National Day maximized cultural relevance and viral potential.
The narrative framing of 'The Second Release' effectively positioned the campaign as a necessary act of cultural justice.
The visual identity successfully bridged the gap between 80s nostalgia and contemporary Saudi youth culture.
The synergy between the remastered music and the strategic National Day launch created a powerful cultural moment that transcended traditional advertising.
