Media Grand Prix
‘A DAD’S JOB’, HOME CENTRE, HOME CENTRE, DUBAI / FP7 MCCANN, DUBAI, UAE
THE IDEA
During COVID-19, while brick and mortar retail came to an abrupt standstill, e-commerce was growing and burgeoning in the Middle East, including in the home retail category. With 80% of its buyers being moms, and its primary target audience being Arab and expat Arab moms, Home Centre, home furniture and furnishings retailer, needed to earn attention, trigger conversation and drive consideration during COVID-19.
Home Centre believes in ‘every home has its own unique story to tell.’ But there was one story not being told across the Middle East. According to Gallup, 15% of homes in the Middle
East don’t have a father. Yet, single moms, remain a cultural taboo in Arab society, often, seen as having failed at being good wives to their husbands, or worse. As a result, they are never shown in advertising in the Middle East. Home Centre challenged that taboo, by becoming the first brand in the Middle East to ever speak about single moms. A campaign titled ‘A Dad’s Job’ kicked off Home Centre’s commitment to single moms to celebrate and help those moms who double up as dads, every day, in homes across the Middle East. On Father’s Day, a moving film with a rug-pull featured real people, NOT actors, and showed children sharing tributes about their moms - real single moms. Taking on a cultural taboo immediately triggered 50% negative reactions from conservative sections of Arab society. But Home Centre expected it - and had a plan. Influencers signed on organically, voicing support. With leading Arab image banks, algorithms were changed, so search terms related to fathers or families, instead led to images of single moms with kids. Door name plates for single moms, customisable online, challenged a cultural norm of homes having door name plates with the father’s name or family name. “How to Mom & Dad” videos featured single moms doing things Arab dads do. Career Workshops with certified coaches helped with career mapping and growth. Genuine tributes from children were put onto gifts for single moms in store, as well as online.