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Folklore
Client: Ministry of Culture
Sector:
Duration: 4 Months
Industry: Culture, Entertainment
Overview
Challenge
Keeping Saudi history and heritage from being forgotten and abandoned by spreading the knowledge of the folklore society.
Outcome
An entertaining, culture-filled competition that would go on to become a digitized documentation and database of Saudi history.
Impact
Unknown heritage customs, traditions, and stories have been passed down to the newer Saudi generations. This induces a sense of pride in the accomplishments and talent that has moved down the line throughout history. Hundreds of thousands of people now also have new stories to tell the generations to come.
Context
Heritage does not lay solely in the sites that can be visited and seen, but also in the people, their words, music, and dance — also known as folklore. For Saudi Arabia, the revival of its heritage and its documentation for future generations is of utmost importance, making it one of the most prevalent aspects of Vision 2030.
It is assumed that the country's first inhabitants arrived around 15,000 to 20,000 years ago — and from that moment on Saudi heritage kept expanding beyond what we may even be able to comprehend today. Folklore comes in so many forms that it can sometimes be easy to lose track of what is real and what is made up.
To keep that confusion at bay, the Kingdom's Ministry of Culture (MOC) devised a plan to digitize as much of its folklore as possible and share it all with the local and international public.
TAM's Approach
When the MOC launched its Folklore Competition in 2019, TAM's engagement experts were brought in to put together a pragmatic competition that would please audiences and the Saudi folklore community alike — while creating a digital database of all documented folklore for future generations.
Platform & Digital Campaign
TAM built the competition website and submission platform, then spread the word via infographics, promotional videos, polls, and static posts across MOC's Twitter accounts and YouTube channel — even utilizing SoundCloud for audio-based folklore content. Digital marketing efforts alone reached 15.7 million people.
Direct Marketing & Ambassadors
To supplement digital reach, TAM deployed direct marketing tools including telephone calls, emails, text messages, influencer marketing, and dedicated Folklore ambassadors — pushing total website visits to 315,000.
Filtration & Evaluation
Over 1,300 participants across three categories — folktales and legends, folk dancing, and folk music — went through a dedicated filtration system to determine eligibility. A question-based rating system then narrowed the field to 400 accepted participants.
Judging & Winners
A panel of 8 field specialists used a designated digital sorting system to judge the finalists — selecting 26 winners: 10 for folktales, 8 for folk dance, and 8 for folk music. Winners were announced across personal, ambassador, and influencer social media accounts.
"Through the years, I have learned a lot about folklore and its importance. And today I am very happy as we see the Ministry of Culture making great strides to support and document folklore — and that is due to its great importance, and because our region is full of the most exceptional arts. Thank you MOC Saudi and Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud."
— Naid Hadi, Content creator and influencer
What We Delivered
- A competition website and digital submission platform for three folklore categories.
- A multi-channel digital campaign across Twitter, YouTube, and SoundCloud reaching 15.7 million people.
- A direct marketing campaign using calls, emails, SMS, influencers, and Folklore ambassadors.
- A dedicated filtration system and question-based rating process managing 1,300+ entries.
- A digital judging system for 8 field specialists to evaluate and select 26 winners.
- A digitized database of Saudi folklore documenting folktales, folk dance, and folk music for future generations.
Impact at a Glance
15.7M
digital reach across social media platforms
315K
total website visits during the competition
1,300+
participants across three folklore categories
400
participants accepted after filtration and evaluation
26
winners across folktales, folk dance, and folk music
8
field specialists on the judging panel
3
folklore categories: folktales, folk dance, folk music
15–20K
years of Saudi heritage preserved through digital documentation
Lasting Value Created
The Folklore Competition did something priceless — it transformed living cultural knowledge into a permanent digital archive. By engaging over 1,300 participants and creating a database of folktales, dances, and music, TAM and the MOC ensured that thousands of years of Saudi heritage will not simply wither away. The competition proved that community participation is one of the most powerful preservation tools available, turning ordinary Saudis into custodians of their own history and giving future generations something to be deeply proud of.