Amid years of civil unrest in the wake of the Arab Spring, KIT KAT wanted to break through the tension to reach the region’s sizeable youth population. KIT KAT’s goal was to build an online audience and increase online conversations to increase brand awareness, likeability and sales.

The team used the Middle East’s growing stand-up comedy scene to connect with the region’s youth. The unpretentious and relatable nature of stand-up comedy was in line with KIT KAT’s branding. With that in mind, the team developed the KIT KAT Comedy Break Show, the Arab world’s first online comedy reality show, to find the funniest Arab.

Over the course of 19 weeks, budding young comedians submitted stand-up routines to a dedicated KIT KAT Comedy Break YouTube channel. The nine finalists moved into the KIT KAT Comedy Break Villa in Dubai to compete in a series of challenges judged by four of the Arab world’s most famous comedians. A new video was released weekly across several online platforms.

The KIT KAT Comedy Break Show was successful in associating KIT KAT with quality, humorous content. It ultimately contributed to a sales increase of 8% compared to the same time period the previous year. After the campaign, KIT KAT dominated 53 percent of the online conversation around confectionery brands compared to 35 percent before the campaign, and likeability increased 7%. The team’s efforts in promoting the contest and the show resulted in significant media coverage throughout the region, garnering more than 8.14 million impressions.

The team developed the KIT KAT Comedy Break Show, the Arab world’s first online comedy reality show, to find the funniest Arab. The show launched at a special press briefing on 27 February 2013. The briefing was designed to encourage comedians to submit their entries as well as introduce the judges via a series of media interviews.

Over the course of 19 weeks, comedians were invited to submit their stand up routines to a dedicated YouTube channel. The nine finalists then moved into the KIT KAT Comedy Break Villa to battle it out in a series of challenges judged by four of the Arab world’s most famous comedians. Every week, a new video was released across several online platforms, including YouTube, Twitter and www.kitkatcomedybreak.com.

A second press briefing was held to announce the finalists and provide the media with one-on-one interviews, and the final episode was released on 7 July 2013.

The contest generated more than 115 submissions from aspiring stand-up comedians, and sales increased 8% compared to the same time period the previous year.

Prior to the campaign, KIT KAT received 35 percent of the online conversation around confectionery brands compared to 53 percent of the conversation after the campaign. Additional online results included:

• Microsite: Almost 300,000 unique views and more than 600,000 page views

• YouTube: 2.9 million views and 3,000 subscribers

• Twitter: More than 21,000 followers

• Facebook: Page likes reached 200,000, making the KIT KAT page the second largest regional FMCG page

The campaign garnered significant news coverage. We generated 91 stories in newspapers, magazines and on online portals. Earned media value was $667,443,000, with a total reach of more than 8.14 million people.

KIT KAT also gained relevancy, increasing 7% in likeability and 4% in consumers who recommend KIT KAT.