Bugles wanted to start building the same loyalty and brand-love they get from older generations, with Gen Z in KSA. Socialize figured the best way to tap into this new audience was with a new approach to content, one that only they could understand.
Engaging the interest of Zoomers is a challenge; they’re too savvy to care about traditional marketing messages and they see right through ads and plugs from influencers. So how do Bugles – a one-of-a-kind snack actually reach these guys? By staying true to the brand identity – by being playful and surprising. The campaign simply started with that.
Socialize created a TikTok-first hero video packed with deep-fried memes, random visuals that changed every second, and a new dance move set to infectious music. TikTok is a new platform for the brand but made complete sense for this campaign as it is massively popular with the Gen Z audience in the region. It’s the #1 downloaded app in KSA with 12.5 million users on the platform – who open the app roughly 10 times throughout each day.
With 81 per cent of TikTok users browsing the platform with sound on, it was essential to have a unique soundtrack for the campaign. The brand utilized one of Socialize’s new in-house offerings, Socialize Sounds, to create the original song: Crunch Time.
On the strength of this campaign, Socialize will be working with Bugles at General Mills going forward, creating Gen Z-centric content for their social channels.
Azfar Ul-Islam – Marketing Director and Head of Food Service at General Mills was excited about the campaign: “The idea wasn’t something I immediately resonated with, but that’s kind of the point. It’s not meant to be for me; it’s designed to speak to this next generation of Bugles fans, who we’re only just beginning to understand. Everything about this campaign was new to us in some way: new audience, new platform, new kind of content. What Socialize created is fresh, exciting and completely aligned with our ‘Not for the boring’ messaging.”
Brand team:
- Azfar Ul-Islam – Marketing Director and Head of Food Service
- Sajjad Hussain – Marketing Manager
- Adil Bashith – Brand Manager
Creative agency: Socialize:
- Amr Younis – Creative Director & Music Production
- Rhia Samuel – Senior Account Manager
- Anyce Nedir – Client Partner
- Ailidh Smylie – Head of Strategy
- Yasmin Dabat – Account Manager
- Rawan Ghannam – Account Executive
- Reem Fahd – Copywriter
- Lubna Alsalous – Arabic Copywriter
- Nour Mohamed – Senior Interactive Designer
- Omar Mohamed – Junior Content Creator
- Lanz Linchagco – Designer
- Issam Rayess – Designer
- Mohab Essam – Editor
- Brittany Wickerson – Media Director