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Azla Challenges
Client: TAM & Madeed Collab.
Sector:
Duration: 1 Month
Industry: Entertainment
Overview
Challenge
To end the unavoidable exhaustion and tension of a rut brought on by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
Outcome
The audience responded well to the challenges brought on by some of their favorite social media influencers. Not only did they alone take part in them but forwarded it along to friends and family, creating a digital social gathering of sorts.
Impact
This project was able to actively engage more than 9,000 people, while indirectly capturing the attention and adding positivity to a few hundred thousand people's lives in just 1 month. Azla Challenges created a spirit of cooperation and positive competition among participants, plus a bonus interaction between them and their favorite social media influencers.
Context
As much as we try to avoid admitting its existence, there is no denying that 2020 happened. It was a difficult year for much of the world. Our only saving grace was the ability to communicate with loved ones and find entertainment through the many social media platforms available.
Saudi Arabia declared the beginning of its 2020 lockdown in the first days of March. For most cities, this ended four months later in June — not an easy feat by any means. People took to social media to gain a sense of comfort in knowing they were not alone.
The number of internet users in the Kingdom increased by 15% (4.3 million people) from January 2019 to 2020, with a further 1.3 million added in 2020–21. Social media usage rose by 2 million users (8.7%) between January 2019 and 2020, with an added 8% the following year. Social media penetration rose from 72% in 2020 to 79.3% by the start of 2021.
TAM's Approach
TAM partnered with Saudi creative marketing agency Madeed in 2020 to eliminate lockdown-induced dullness through social media and its many influencers. Under the Saudi national campaign motto "كلنا مسؤول" (We are all responsible), the Azla (Isolation) Challenges was initiated to create a positive cooperative and competitive spirit.
Challenge Design
16 social media influencers each created one unique challenge for their followers to complete and forward to friends and family. Challenges ranged from educational (watching TED Talks, writing poems, taking online courses in cooking and home cultivation) to purely fun (creative ways to entertain kids, coffee art, funny posts).
Participation & Hashtag Campaign
The 9,000+ participants could complete one or all of the 16 challenges before the April 23rd deadline and post their entries on social media under the hashtag #تحديات_العزلة. Submitted videos were then posted to the Azla Challenges website.
Digital Platform & Reach
The Azla Challenges website served as the hub for all submitted content — garnering more than 600,000 video views and over 470,000 visits, while the hashtag campaign spread across social media platforms creating a digital social gathering during the lockdown period.
"On the 4th of April and the start of lockdown the #isolation_challenges were announced and I participated in the challenge of Dr. Mohammed Al-Hajji and I was not waiting for anything in return for participating, on the contrary he is the one who motivated me to complete the course I had registered for… And today I received an email that made my day. Thank you isolation challenges team and thank you Mohammed Al-Hajji."
— Maeen Banjar, Azla Challenges participant
What We Delivered
- A community engagement campaign concept and execution under the national "كلنا مسؤول" motto.
- Partnership and coordination with 16 social media influencers across different content categories.
- 16 unique challenges spanning educational, creative, and entertaining activities.
- A dedicated Azla Challenges website hosting all submitted participant videos.
- A hashtag campaign (#تحديات_العزلة) spreading organically across Saudi social media.
- 600,000+ video views and 470,000+ website visits within the campaign period.
Impact at a Glance
9,000+
people actively engaged in the challenges
600K+
video views on the Azla Challenges website
470K+
website visits during the campaign
16
influencers each creating a unique challenge
16
challenges spanning education, creativity, and fun
1
month to reach hundreds of thousands of lives positively
79.3%
social media penetration in Saudi Arabia by start of 2021
4.3M
new internet users added in Saudi Arabia in 2019–2020
Lasting Value Created
Azla Challenges proved that community engagement — even in the most difficult of times — can create genuine human connection, motivation, and joy. By channeling the power of social media and trusted influencers, the initiative turned isolation into togetherness and passive scrolling into active participation. The project stands as a model for how brands and governments can respond to crises with empathy, creativity, and community-first thinking — leaving participants not just entertained, but genuinely inspired to learn and grow.