CREATIVE EFFECTIVENESS GRAND PRIX

‘AL UMOBUWAH: PUTTING "MUM" INTO "PARENTHOOD"’’, BABYSHOP, DUBAI / FP7 MCCANN, DUBAI

CREATIVE STRATEGY GRAND PRIX

‘PARENTHOOD REPHRASED’, BABYSHOP, DUBAI / FP7 MCCANN, DUBAI, UAE

THE IDEA

Babyshop, the children’s retailer based in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, wanted to stand for “celebrating parenthood”. But, the word “parenthood” in the Arabic language, meant “fatherhood”. There was NO word for “parenthood” that included or implied “mother”. So, working with linguists, the agency came up with a new Arabic word, giving equal importance to both parents: AL UMOBUWAH; a word that means “Motherhood and Fatherhood”.

Once the campaign to stand for equality was launched and the word started rolling online, inviting people to use it, it instantly sparked positive support from 50% of those reached. But, it also provoked 50% negative reactions and hate, mainly from conservative men, who felt a change was not needed. 43 Arabic Female and Male Influencers joined the campaign to endorse the word, engaging with negative commentators. Leading Arab media voices supported the word and its inclusio. Leading Arabic news channels and talk shows also endorsed the idea with newscasters and hosts supporting its purpose and inclusion in the vernacular. Children learnt the word across Arabic schools and through interactive events. Babyshop published and distributed an Arabic magazine, titled “Al Umobuwah”. The word featured on Arabic poetry platforms.

And through adoption across Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and abroad, driven by an online petition, the word found its rightful place in a published Arabic dictionary. Babyshop became the first brand in the Middle East and the world that dared to innovate with the Arabic language.