Egypt, a country of 105 million people, a third of whom are youths that have faced severe challenges in recent times. The Arab Spring uprisings, ongoing financial austerity, instability and lack of employment have left even the most positive youth, in an uphill battle to achieve their dreams. Pepsi, a key sponsor of the country’s most beloved sport; football, wanted to inspire the next generation of Egyptians to rise up, break out of their bubble and achieve their dreams. They needed a big platform and an inspiring partner who epitomised Pepsi’s challenger spirit, and who could truly motivate Egypt’s youth.

Mo Salah is arguably the most inspirational success story in contemporary Egyptian culture, so the beloved homegrown global football star was the only choice for Pepsi to partner with. Pepsi had supported Mo since his Pepsi School League days, so we brought them together to create the Pepsi x Mo Salah Stay Thirsty platform, a rallying cry targeting those Gen Z, that like Mo Salah, to always stay thirsty enough to chase their dreams.

As Egypt’s favourite cola and a key sponsor of the country’s most beloved sport; football, Pepsi had a vehicle and some credibility to speak to the youth. But what they needed was an unquestionably inspiring partner who epitomised Pepsi’s challenger spirit, and who could truly motivate Egypt’s youth. That partner could only be Mo Salah, the most loved Egyptian of modern times. We then needed a powerful platform, together with a campaign anthem that would inspire, motivate and become a rallying cry for the youth to chase their dreams.

The launch film of Mo’s journey to stardom was followed by unique, tailored content for a wide range of social and digital platforms and orchestrated media takeovers. We then hijacked Egyptian Café Culture where both football and Pepsi are passionately consumed, by taking over 500 cafes countrywide. We erected hundreds of motivating billboards, portrayed Mo’s biggest achievements on a series of collectable cans and with a special 3D Mapping experience in the famous Tahrir Square, for the first time ever.

The partnership with Mo Salah and the Stay Thirsty platform was the most successful campaign in the brand’s history. The soundtrack quickly became part of popular culture and can now be heard at football matches and in cafes and homes throughout the country:

102 million views

403 million impressions

$2 Million in free PR

22% view through rate (Benchmark 10-15%)

0.3% Click through rate (Benchmark 0.10-0.15)

Collectable Cans 10% redemption rate (Highest in brand history)

91% Positive sentiment