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Ooredoo Group says if the Internet was treated like a child, slew of issues could be avoided

Ooredoo Group says if the Internet was treated like a child, slew of issues could be avoided

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Ooredoo Group has launched its Ramadan campaign, with this year’s efforts aimed at raising awareness on digital responsibility and ensuring the Internet is a more positive environment for all. The campaign is said to be different from the usual promotional Ramadan campaign, typical Ramadan music video, or a standard goodness campaign. 

The campaign is kickstarted with an animated film, which has been launched across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, which aims to reinforce the message that online safety and positivity are the responsibility of everyone. The story is based on the premise that the Internet is, literally, what consumers make it. It delves into how the internet is a reflection of society and how in many ways it is akin to having a child. The film also shows how internet users have moulded and shaped in the internet in their own image, for better or for worse.

The film highlights, through subtexts, that the problem is that society doesn’t treat the Internet with the same care that it would treat a child with. It is far more callous and far more negligent, and results in an Internet with various issues than could have been avoided if it was given a loving upbringing. Some issues mentioned in the film include the spreading of fake news, as well as the separation of groups of people due to differing opinions. The film ends on a hopeful note, that the Internet is still young, and there is still time to save it.

The campaign is running in Indonesia, Singapore, Laos, Maldives, and Myanmar in APAC. It is also rolled out in six markets in Middle East and North Africa, namely Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Palestine, Algeria and Tunisia. The campaign will run on TV, out-of-home as well as digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram video feeds. For the Gulf markets, the campaign will also be released on Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok and supported by some marketing events in selected markets. The film is done in partnership with FP7 McCann Doha, as well as French 3D animation studio, Digital District Paris. Its digital media was planned and bought by Artefact.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Fabio Bellicanta, senior director brand and media, Ooredoo Group, said: "As people spend more time online, it is becoming increasingly important to make the Internet the best place it can be. Ramadan is a month that encourages us to make things better, create more positivity around us, be generous and kinder to others, be more appreciative and look at our world positively."

Bellicanta added that the brand is trying to discourage bad online behaviours, from cyberbullying to online shaming; from fake news to trolling. "When the Internet is used for these types of activities it can be a challenging and unhappy place, but it also has immense power to enrich people’s digital lives, when its used responsibly," he said. The campaign is targeted at the younger generation, and Ooredoo chose to use the format of an animated film as it finds that the use of animated campaigns is quite new to the region, and would help the brand cut through the heavy Ramadan clutter.

Ooredoo has made a seven-figure investment into this campaign, according to Bellicanta, because it feels it can make a real difference to people’s online lives and improve their experience of the Internet. The brand made sure to allocate sufficient budget to create a stunning animation and to spread the positive message about how we treat each other online through a good mix of digital and traditional media. This a very important message and we want it to reach as many people as possible.

Beyond the film, which is made available across Ooredoo's channels during Ramadan, the brand said it is continuously inspiring the younger generation to give the Internet a better future, by making them realise that the Internet is their collective responsibility. In doing so, it reminds them that the power to make it better, is up to how they use the internet.

Sheikh Mohammed, Ooredoo Group deputy CEO, said: “As we move ever closer to an age of complete digitalisation, the Internet develops with us, and so its power and potential grow; much like a child grows and develops towards adulthood. We hope our campaign will inspire enough people to think and reflect. The Internet is what we make it, a reflection of our society so let's make it a positive one starting this Ramadan.”

Related Articles:
9 themes brands can inject into their Ramadan messaging
The Body Shop Indonesia challenges Indonesia consumers to go green this Ramadan
Humans and aliens collide in Grab Indonesia's space-themed Ramadan ad

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