Tourism & Hospitality | Wednesday 6 May, 2015 12:11 am |

Rarely is a campaign so relatable, that it spurns an entire region to make positive changes in their lives, and share their inspirational messages motivating others to do the same. That is exactly what happened when NESCAFÉ addressed that while a morning cup of coffee really wakes a person up, do they ever think about what they wake up for? ‘What Do You Wake Up For?’, a documentary campaign featuring six Okinawans, was brought to the Middle East region with the inspiring message that people around the world are fundamentally equal when it comes to working towards their dreams and ambitions.

People’s reaction to the ‘Ikigai’ documentary, was overwhelmingly positive. It transcended culture, age and language to bring a simple message to the Middle East; if you know your reasons for waking up in the morning, getting out of bed will be a more positive experience. People around the region responded by starting conversations on social media, using the hashtag #IWAKEUPFOR as a platform for discussion around the subject. They were not only sharing their purpose, but they were motivating others to find their reasons for waking up while spreading the message of ‘Ikigai’ throughout the region.

“NESCAFÉ has always stood for brighter mornings by waking people up with the smell and taste of the quality coffee that they love. We wanted to change the region’s approach to waking up and turn it into a wholly positive experience by adding an inspiring message that would stimulate them to wake up and seize the day ahead, “said Carl Khoury, Senior Brand Manager for Nescafé at Nestlé Middle East. “We strive to go beyond what is expected, to continue surprising our consumers with innovative communication which really adds value to their lives.”

The campaign was so popular that it quickly went viral; the ‘What Do You Wake Up For?’ video was in the top 20 viewed videos in the region on You Tube and has received 6,544,828 total views to date. That coupled with the total social media impressions; 29,185,452 indicates that people, inspired by finding their reasons for waking up, were enabled to start exploring their purpose, a completely new concept to some.

During the second phase of the campaign, NESCAFÉ Red Mug brought the Ikigai message home by developing documentaries which featured inspiring stories from people in the Middle East sharing their reasons for waking up in the morning. Three of the stories were turned into television campaigns driving the message that purpose has no culture, age, social status or gender; it is a state-of-mind that benefits everyone.