Submitted by OgilvyAgency IPI Score 95/100

100 Simple Joys

Content Creation

As Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on women driving, Ogilvy Dubai welcomed Volkswagen drivers with short films celebrating the everyday joys of the road, including Saudi women without singling them out.

Case in 60 seconds

As Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on women driving, many brands spotlighted Saudi women while new drivers felt nervous and scrutinised; Volkswagen wanted to welcome them without making them feel different.

New drivers wanted to be included and reassured, not turned into a spectacle at a moment when the world was watching for mistakes.

Celebrate the small, universal joys of driving so Saudi women are welcomed as drivers among drivers, not as a special case.

Ogilvy Dubai produced a series of short films about the everyday joys of the road, welcoming new drivers and reminding experienced ones of what they love about driving.

No performance metrics are published on the source page; the case rests on strategy and tone. All results are undisclosed.

Strategy Breakdown

The primary strategy-learning section — interpretation, not a press-release summary.

New Saudi women drivers taking to the road for the first time, and experienced drivers across the Middle East.
As the ban lifted, Saudi women were being spotlighted and scrutinised, while many first-time drivers just wanted to feel normal and welcome.
Auto brands rushed to make Saudi women the story; Volkswagen risked either exploiting the moment or ignoring it.
Volkswagen positioned itself as a welcoming, reassuring companion for all drivers, folding Saudi women in without singling them out.
Inclusion feels safer than spotlight; celebrating a shared behaviour for everyone welcomes a newly included group without adding pressure.

Creative & Execution System

Assets & channels

  • Series of short films
  • Distribution across social platforms (referenced generally, not specified on source)

Partners

  • Ogilvy (Dubai)

Participation mechanic

  • Audiences invited to share their own driving experiences via social (per third-party coverage)

Creator role

  • Not disclosed

Why Ogilvy's strategy worked

  1. 1

    Refusing to make Saudi women the story avoided the spotlight that rival brands leaned into.

  2. 2

    Celebrating driving for everyone welcomed new drivers without adding pressure or scrutiny.

  3. 3

    A tone of reassurance fit a moment when nervous first-time drivers wanted to feel normal.

  4. 4

    Framing inclusion as belonging, not novelty, kept the brand on the right side of a sensitive cultural shift.

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