By: Mai Huang, Chief Marketing Officer at OPPO Middle East & Africa

Mai Huang, Chief Marketing Officer at OPPO Middle East & Africa

OPPO encourages everyone to push their creative boundaries 

Global technology company OPPO has risen to the top five smartphone companies in the Middle East, in a short span of five years since our launch in the region. Laser-focused on our primary target audience – digitally creative, style conscious, entrepreneurial young creators – we dedicate our efforts in offering them what they want: trendy smartphones that they can use and flaunt. For the past ten years, the OPPO brand has been positioned on superior imaging technology combined with processing power.

Through careful designing of our software and hardware, we ensure that every OPPO phone is in sync with our target audience and helps them stay in vogue. This is exactly what the latest OPPO Reno4 series of smartphones is all about. Launched in September 2020 across the Middle East, this latest design-led series not only brings 5G connectivity to the mid-range smartphone segment, but it also rides on young people’s desire to constantly create better content that will get them noticed on social media. Headlined by the OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G smartphone variant, the new generation of phones elevates portrait photography and night videography to all-new heights, with innovative imaging capabilities to impress the world with. Recognising the young, adventurous creators’ desire to share content and experiences that will make them famous online, we decided to reach out to them through the channels that they are active on the most. 

 

Short-form video has emerged as the format of choice and video apps are all the rage today. According to analytics and technology consultancy AnaVizio, video sharing app TikTok ranks among the top 10 downloaded apps in GCC countries. With each of the platform’s top influencers gathering of a few million fans each, TikTok has taken the region by storm. Catering to a young and creative audience, TikTok was the ideal platform for OPPO. Timed for the launch of the Reno4 series that encourages everyone to explore the boundaries of their creativity, we worked closely with TikTok to create the TikTok #FameOPPOrtunity challenge that invited consumers to get creative with their own 15 second TikTok video. 

The video had to be filmed to the Reno4 Series song using OPPO’s branded effect. Participants needed to follow specially created choreography with a touch of their own creativity, costumes, makeup and props. A nod and a wave of the hand at the end of the video would make the new Reno4 phone appear on their palm. [Watch videos]

The interactive challenge ran for six days across the region in English and Arabic, celebrating the new Reno4 series that encourages users to explore the boundaries of their creativity. #FameOPPOrtunity hit a sweet spot with the young and trendy who want their creativity to get noticed. We received an impressive 168,818 participants in the hashtag challenge. More than 499,000 of awe-inspiring video clips were submitted that brought to the fore an enthusiasm, passion, and diversity of talent among users. The contest generated more than 648 million views in total.  

OPPO has always been inspired by young, creative, entrepreneurial talents and their passions, and we are committed to addressing their needs. The TikTok #FameOPPOrtunity is just one of this year’s initiatives to connect with our consumers and enable them to achieve their goals. The OPPO Find More Campaign that followed the launch of our flagship OPPO Find X2 Pro smartphone in June, was a salute to explorers who have pushed themselves to achieve new heights in their respective fields. We partnered with EMKWAN, an award-winning YouTuber in the UAE; Nayla Al Khaja, the first Emirati female film director-producer; and Jumana Jolie, UAE-based renowned photographer, to create a video series that would inspire people of the UAE to continue pushing their boundaries of creativity. The campaign saw more than 10,000 people interacting with the content, and 920 million impressions across various online channels. 

OPPO has a history of supporting activities that drive the passions of the brand’s primary target of youth-mindset content creators. Following a localised strategy to engage with our audience in each market in a way that is most relevant to them, OPPO has appointed football legend, Egyptian Mohamed Salah as the brand ambassador in the Middle East and Africa. Superstar Mohamed Salah is a perfect representation of OPPO, as both he and the brand are known for breaking new boundaries in their respective fields, for striving to achieve perfection in everything they do. Globally, we have been affiliated with FC Barcelona, ICC, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the Boston Marathon. These sports sponsorships help to build communication between the brand and its energetic users worldwide, while also effectively conveying our innovative technologies and offering a deeper understanding of the brand’s passion and capabilities. 

Keeping with the popularity of gaming and eSports in Middle East and North Africa (MENA), we organised the OPPO Gaming Challenge in August, inviting consumers to go head-to-head with some of the world’s most acclaimed FIFA gamers, playing alongside regional celebrity gamers including Ahmed Al Nasheet (@dvlzgame) and Hussain Yousuf Anwar (@h.messi.10). The 10-day challenge culminated in a finals match with Manny (@manny), a UK-based YouTuber and streamer. More than 1,600 people participated in the gaming extravaganza with close to 70,000 tuning in to watch the finals livestream.

OPPO lives by the guiding principle of the Chinese term and philosophy, ‘benfen’, which means one’s part or duty; it is focused on accountability. OPPO believes its duty is to share technology to make customers’ lives easier. We are constantly listening to our customers, to ensure that our products are in with the latest trends. We will continue to find opportunities to deliver unforgettable experiences that inspire people to fully express themselves.