When you launch a product, it is very important that it gets an iconic introduction. And if the brand is Adidas then you can rest assured that the launch is going to be grand. Would you not call the world’s first liquid billboard iconic, grand, or majestic for launching a product line?

Adidas and the billboard

The idea behind the billboard is to launch an inclusive swimwear collection. How can one show their brand (if it’s sports-related) to be inclusive? Simple; use women. Stereotypically, when sports are concerned, males are automatically assumed to be the target audience. But to make it gender inclusive, you feature women in it.

That said, women are beginning to take part in sports. But considering the dresses for sportswomen are comparatively shorter and more revealing than that of men, it excludes many women. But with this billboard promotion, Adidas has kept it inclusive of even those women who do not want to show much of their skin.

Havas developed this campaign. The basis of it was in the survey that showed only 12% women in UAE were comfortable wearing swimwear in public. The reasons are mostly body shaming and lack of privacy.

World’s First Liquid Billboard

The billboard was installed on a Dubai beach. It was a 5-meter high and 3-meter deep swimming pool, made of reinforced transparent acrylic. Moreover, at one point it can hold 11,500 gallons of water (equivalent of 163 bathtubs). The billboard also had a camera fitted inside. Women, then, in proximity were invited for a swim.

Senior Brand Director at Adidas, Amrith Gopinath, said, “Our belief is that nobody should be prevented from enjoying the benefits of being in and around the water, hence the recent launch of our diversified product offering for all women and our burkini collection.”

He further added,

“Each piece is also carefully crafted to ensure that additional fabric does not reduce a swimmer’s ability to move in the water. The range went through a detailed testing process with consumer groups across multiple regions to help find the perfect balance of fit, features, performance and coverage.”

The footage, attained from the billboard showing women in burkini, was streamed on the largest digital screens in the city. This act ensured that the promotional activity did not stay limited to only the people hanging around the billboard but to the masses, getting the most reach possible.

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates!

Ferozsons Laboratories Limited and Teamup are organizing the first-of-its-kind hackathon on Hepatitis C eradication, in partnership with Abbott, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Corporate Coalition for Viral Hepatitis Elimination, SensusDx, and other valuable partners. The hackathon aims to bring innovators, health hackers, entrepreneurs, and medical experts onto a common platform to find solutions that can curb the spread of the disease in Pakistan. As part of the hackathon, an insightful panel discussion is being held on the 15^th of July at 5 pm UTC+5 to discuss how innovative solutions for the prevention, detection and management of HCV can help eradicate this disease from Pakistan.

Esteemed panelists for the event include Dr. Huma Qureshi- Focal Person on Hepatitis and Zoonosis from the Government of Pakistan, Dr. Asad Ali Choudhry- Vice-Chairman of PARSA Trust and Director PARSA HealthNet ECHO, Pakistan, Dr. Saeed Sadiq Hamid- Professor at the Department of Medicine and Director of the Clinical Trials Unit at The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan, and Osman Khalid Waheed-CEO of Ferozsons Laboratories Limited.

Join in for a panel discussion on the solutions needed to eradicate Hepatitis-C from Pakistan. Registrations for the event are open here.

About the National Hepatitis C Hackathon:

The National Hepatitis C Hackathon, organized by Ferozsons- a leading pharmaceutical company and Teamup- an innovation hub running the National Incubation Center in partnership with Jazz and Ignite, along with Abbott, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Corporate Coalition for Viral Hepatitis Elimination, SensusDx and other valuable partners, aims to bring innovators, health hackers, entrepreneurs, and medical experts onto a common platform to find solutions that can curb the spread of the disease in Pakistan.

Programmers, healthcare professionals, data analysts, and entrepreneurs can apply for the Hackathon under the following thematic areas:

• Prevention
• Detection
• Management

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a two-day hackathon whereby they will pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts, seasoned entrepreneurs and investors. The winners of the challenge will get cash prizes and a chance to work with industry experts to scale their solution and make real impact in the health industry.

If you are:

• an entrepreneur
• a student pursuing undergraduate or a post-graduate degree in health, science, computer science, design, engineering, ICT and other related fields
• a Health Professional
• or a Data Analyst,

and have an idea that can help curb the spread of the deadly Hepatitis C, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Apply right away at https://nicpakistan.pk/national-hepatitis-c-hackathon/ because Hepatitis can’t wait. The last date to apply is the 18^th of July 2021.

Exploit employees but treat customers like kings; this belief is archaic. Now, most companies have unlearnt it. It is either because they don’t believe in it anymore or that the constant monitoring of social media has made them more careful. If not, the recent Burger King incident will serve as a lesson.

Burger King incident

A Burger King outlet in Lincoln, Nebraska had the most bizarre sign out front one day; a sign you would never expect from a business. It said:

“WE ALL QUIT,”

“SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.”

The damaging words were taken down the next day but the damage was done. Someone had taken a photo and submitted it to the forever monitoring entity, social media.

Rachael Flores, former General Manager, Burger King said that it wasn’t their intention to make it viral. It was put up for a laugh after she had put in her two weeks notice and eight other employees followed in her footsteps.

The initial sign was going to read:

“Sorry, there’s really not going to be anyone here.”

Media approached the involved

Covering this bizarre incident, a channel approached Flores to get the inside info. According to the GM, ever since she got the position (i.e. January), the company hadn’t sent anyone to help out. No district manager would stick either.

They were also waiting on promised staff but they never got it which is why they had to juggle jobs. Three to four people would be working even during lunchtime. Flores, the GM said that she worked 50 to 60 hours a week.

Shedding more light on the matter, Flores also said that the working conditions were inhumane. There was no air conditioning in the kitchen for weeks. At one point, the temperature in the kitchen reached 90 degrees, Flores got hospitalized for dehydration. Her boss said that she was being a “baby.”

Upper management and the outlet

The then-employees had been joking around about putting up the sign and they really did, the next day. Unaware of it beforehand, the upper management fired Flores and told her to immediately hand in the keys.

Could this issue have been handled in a better way? Who do you think is in the wrong? Can this problem tell you if the problem is at the center of the organization or with this particular outlet? Regardless of who was in the right or wrong, not rectifying the air conditioning when the work revolves around the kitchen is an extremely sad business on Burger King’s part.

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for the latest news and updates!