Saudia / Saudi Arabia / 2025Film
Rihla (Journey).
Saudia's film for its ProtecTasbih self-sanitising prayer beads follows three first-time pilgrims to Makkah in 99 shots, each a moment of touch, for the 99 beads of the tasbih.
- Brand
- Saudia
- Agency
- Publicis KSA
- Market
- Saudi Arabia
- Region
- Saudi Arabia
- Year
- 2025
The challenge
Pilgrims touch countless surfaces on the journey to Umrah, and many fall ill. Saudia wanted to promote protection without challenging the rituals themselves.
The idea
Publicis KSA and Saatchi & Saatchi ME followed Haider, Alice and Abba from home to the Kaaba, their journeys converging in Makkah. An original score of piano, guitar, oud and daf builds, then cuts to the ambient sound of Makkah and a hummed melody. Liwa Content Driven produced, and it premiered on Saudia's inflight screens.
Results
- 120 million+ views across 35 countries and $2.9 million in earned media from $200,000 of paid media, according to the Dubai Lynx entry
- 96% of viewers agreed Saudia 'cares for me', and pilgrimage bookings doubled against targets, by the entry's figures
Case study source: Dubai Lynx (Love The Work) Source ↗
Awards
- Dubai Lynx 2026Healthcare – Film Craft: Cinematography - Brand-led Education & AwarenessSilver
Credits
- Creative agency and PR
- Saatchi & Saatchi ME
- Creative agency and PR
- Publicis KSA
- Production and post-production
- Liwa Content Driven
- Post-production
- Company 3
- Post-production
- Cold Cutz
- Media placement
- Zenith
- Additional company
- Dejavu
- Additional company
- Butter Films
- Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Groupe
- Bassel Kakish
- Chief Strategy Officer, Publicis Groupe; Film Director, Publicis Groupe; Product Consultancy, Publicis Groupe
- Tahaab Rais
- Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi UAE
- Sebastien Boutebel
- Head of Production, Publicis Communications
- Shereen Mostafa
- Business Lead, Publicis Saudi Arabia
- Samir Antoun
- Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi UAE
- Rita Harbie
- Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi UAE
- Hagall Muniz
- Business Director, Publicis Saudi Arabia
- Makram Khatib
- Senior Manager, Publicis Saudi Arabia
- Julia Masri
- Senior Producer, Publicis Communications
- Joumana Haddad
- Producer, Publicis Communications
- Ali El Esseily
- Associate Production Director, Publicis Communications
- Ahmed El Ruby
- Senior Producer, Publicis Communications
- Upasana Kumar
- Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi UAE
- Kelly Tomes
- DOP
- Aeyaz Hasn
- Founder and Executive Producer, Liwa Advertising
- Sagar Rege
- Production, Liwa Advertising
- Khaled Khaled
- Senior Producer, Liwa Advertising
- Shweta Sandeep
- Production, Liwa Advertising
- Jessica Pereira
- Production, Liwa Advertising
- Sarwath Wahid
- Editor, Cold Cutz
- Neda Ahmed
- Music & Soundtrack
- Raghav and Arjun
- Vocalist
- Yashika Sikka
- Vocalist
- Raghav Kumar
- Senior Colorist, Company 3
- Steffan Perry
- Senior Producer, Company 3
- Edwin Elkington
- Founder and Executive Producer, Butter Films
- Omar Hamdy
- Founder and Executive Producer, Butter Films
- Mahmoud Derbala
- First AD, Butter Films
- Mostafa Bantam
- First AD, Liwa Advertising
- Vanessa Mghames
- AD team, Butter Films
- Yasmin Abu Zeid
- AD team, Butter Films
- Adham Ibrahim
- Production Manager, Butter Films
- Raneem Franco
- Production Manager, Butter Films
- Karim Khodeiro
- Production Manager, Butter Films
- Kareem Agwa
- Art Direction and Production Design, Butter Films
- Charbel Naimeh
- Art Direction and Production Design, Butter Films
- Mucky Bermawy
- Wardrobe & Stylist, Liwa Advertising
- Shahira Mostafa
- Focus Puller
- Amr Nazeer
- Focus Puller
- Roger Schram
- Gaffer
- Bilal Malik
- Key Grip
- Bob Touma
- Gaffer
- Ahmed Nabil
- Lighting
- Eshta
- Make Up
- Michia Monk
- Casting
- Rakesh Sharma
- Casting
- TAM Management
- Casting
- Omar Seven
- Casting
- Target Casting
- Post
- postbox.studio
- Executive Producer, Dejavu
- Manasvi Gosalia
- Founder, D&F Labs
- Shamsher Walia
- Founder and Creative Director, Aetha Product Design
- Tom Parsons
- Manager - Strategy & Insights, Publicis Groupe
- Celine Abboud
