For the Love of Kudu.
Kudu turned the copycat 'Kudu' sandwich shops across Saudi Arabia into a hunt: send in a photo of a fake Kudu sign and get a discount coupon for the real thing.
- Brand
- KUDU
- Agency
- VML
- Market
- Saudi Arabia
- Region
- Saudi Arabia
- Year
- 2024
The challenge
In Saudi Arabia, Kudu has become the everyday word for a chicken sub, and the entry says thousands of copycat restaurants put the name on their signs unchanged. Kudu wanted to reclaim its name without legal battles or corporate messaging.
The idea
VML Riyadh embraced the imitators instead of fighting them. 'Claim a Kudu for a Kudu' was a limited-time offer: spot a fake Kudu sign, snap it and DM it to @kuduksa for a discount coupon at a real Kudu. Kudu also answered viral 'Kudu at home' recipes and tutorials with coupons. A documentary-style brand film, كودو من ربعك (One of Us), directed by Ali Kalthami, celebrated how the name became part of everyday life; Kudu posted it on YouTube on 7 November 2024. The campaign ran on Instagram, X, TikTok and Snapchat, on Kudu's own channels, in store and through PR and influencers.
Results
- +7.2% consideration among young adults, according to the Dubai Lynx entry
- 7 million video views, $1.39 million in PR value and 1.3 million media impressions, by the entry's figures
Case study source: Dubai Lynx (Love The Work) Source ↗
Awards
- Cannes Lions 2025 Shortlist (Social & Creator – Travel, Leisure, Retail, Restaurants & Fast Food Chains)
Credits
- Creative agency
- VML Riyadh
- CEO, VML Riyadh
- Camille Haddad
- Creative, VML Riyadh
- Chafic Haddad
- Creative, VML
- Jean El Azar
- Creative, VML Riyadh
- Firas Ghannam
- Production, VML Riyadh
- Joe Aboudaher
- Production, VML Riyadh
- Jamil Ghrawi
- Account, VML Riyadh
- Ahmad Saadoun
- Account, VML Riyadh
- Hussah Ghaleb
- Senior Art Director, VML
- Abdulhadi Tulimat
- Art Director, VML
- Hana Ghemrawi
- Senior Copywriter, VML
- Muhannad Abdulrahim
- Marketing Manager, KUDU
- Lama Ghaddar
- Director of Marketing Communications, KUDU
- Karyn Jallad
- Head, Spark Foundry
- Paul Seif
- Media Manager, Spark Foundry KSA
- Aya Sabagh
- Senior Content Executive, Spark Foundry KSA
- Tala Adib
- Media Executive, Spark Foundry KSA
- Ziad Saeed
- Commercial Manager, KUDU
- Abdulmajeed Al Luhaimy
- Marketing Supervisor, KUDU
- Gerardo Santos
- Director, brand film
- Ali Kalthami
