Are Men Ready For Women Drivers – Shell | Clapboard Ad Archive

79

Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia? - Shell | Clapboard Ad Archive

Shell’s 2018 campaign Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia?, created by M&C Saatchi in the United Arab Emirates, stands as an incisive response to the extraordinary legislative and social change that came with Saudi Arabia’s ground-breaking move to legalize women driving, an event with massive implications for the automotive sector and for the region’s evolving social contract. The film, executed entirely in Arabic and distributed to a regional audience, abandons traditional dramatization in favor of what Clapboard’s taxonomy classifies as FORMAT#7—Presenter Testimonial, placing five men from diverse occupational backgrounds in front of the camera to share their genuine, unscripted perspectives on female drivers in the wake of the new law. Rather than rehearsed monologues or brand-centric endorsements, the campaign engineers an environment for candid dialogue, zeroing in on real reactions and sometimes uncomfortable truths as these men confront and question their own biases about women’s evolving role on the road and, by extension, in society. The campaign deliberately foregrounds the antagonism and resistance women encountered on social media platforms post-legalization, contextualizing its testimonial premise as a space for tension, revelation, and potential attitudinal shift rather than simple affirmation. This approach not only captured extraordinary attention, with over 6.1 million views and thousands of comments fueling robust across-the-board engagement, but it also succeeded in positioning Shell as a brand in the Middle East with both commercial stature and authentic social involvement—demonstrating a willingness to engage directly with polarizing issues rather than watering them down for broad acceptability. The absence of scripted messaging, product demos, or celebrity advocacy ensures that the persuasive weight is carried by ordinary voices that regional viewers recognize as their own, granting the film a hard-to-fake authenticity during a sensitive societal inflection point. By occupying this intersection of community relevance and brand leadership within the industrial industry, Shell and M&C Saatchi signal not just market awareness but an ambition to shape conversations that extend well beyond fuel or mobility, aligning themselves with a broader narrative about progress, gender, and regional identity. Clapboard rates this 79/100. This campaign matters because it demonstrates that a global brand embedded in the automotive market can catalyze meaningful cultural conversation simply by setting the stage for honest, local voices when social fault lines are most visible.

Credits

Client

Shell

Agency

M&C Saatchi

Creatives

Ryan Reed, Jed Dawson, Ben Lees, Michael Tadrous, Karim Zein

Account Management

Liesl Reed, Deven Uchil, Sara Kader

Production House

Boomtown Productions

Director

Karim Shaaban

Cinematographer

Crispin Kennedy Dominic

Music

Khaled Al Kammar

Category Mind Map

48%

The campaign “Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia?” by Shell, launched in the UAE in 2018, leverages a culturally sensitive and socially relevant moment to engage its audience. By addressing the recent policy shift allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia—an issue that sparked widespread debate and backlash—the campaign taps into a real societal tension to create meaningful dialogue. Shell’s brand proposition is subtly woven into this narrative; it positions Shell not just as an automotive fuel supplier but as a socially conscious entity that understands and supports evolving mobility landscapes and the changing dynamics of drivers on the road. The campaign’s market strategy revolves around a thoughtful and provocative exploration of public attitudes toward women drivers, especially focusing on male perspectives, which represent a significant segment of the automotive market in the Gulf region. The creative approach centers on candid interviews with five men from diverse fields, challenging preconceptions and revealing varying levels of acceptance and prejudice. This narrative strategy creates authenticity and invites viewers to reflect on their biases, aligning Shell with progressive social change rather than mere product promotion. Targeting primarily Arabic-speaking audiences in the Gulf, the campaign uses emotion and local language to foster engagement, as evidenced by over six million views and active viewer interaction. By connecting the brand to a broader conversation about gender roles and mobility, Shell effectively situates itself within the larger discourse on modernization and inclusion in automotive culture. This approach differentiates Shell from competitors by associating the brand with societal progress, positioning it as relevant and empathetic in a traditionally conservative market.

FORMAT#7 PRESENTER TESTIMONIAL — A person explains the product’s benefits directly to the audience. This campaign centers on hosting five men from varied fields and directly soliciting their open and honest opinions about women driving in Saudi Arabia, following its legalization. The narrative highlights their raw testimonials and reactions, positioning the campaign as a constructed conversation rather than a dramatized story or problem-solution arc. The film employs unscripted, testimonial-style interviews, where real people function as presenters to express perspectives. No clear product demo, overt symbolism, comparative angle, or celebrity-driven personality is apparent. The creative device thus aligns with Presenter Testimonial: leveraging authentic participant voices to engage and persuade around Shell’s supportive stance during a social shift in the automotive category. ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats

1. ExxonMobil – Market Positioning ExxonMobil positions itself as a global leader in energy innovation and sustainability, emphasizing advanced technologies and reliable fuel quality to meet evolving consumer and industrial needs. Their focus on operational efficiency and environmental responsibility differentiates them in the automotive and industrial fuel markets. 2. BP (British Petroleum) – Market Positioning BP promotes itself as a forward-thinking energy company dedicated to transition and low carbon solutions. With strong branding around cleaner fuels, sustainability, and customer convenience, BP targets environmentally conscious consumers while maintaining a broad presence in automotive fuels and lubricants. 3. TotalEnergies – Market Positioning TotalEnergies leverages a multi-energy approach encompassing fuels, renewables, and electric mobility solutions. It emphasizes innovation in cleaner fuels and customer-centric services, positioning itself as an integrated energy provider adapting to future mobility needs in the automotive sector. 4. ENOC (Emirates National Oil Company) – Market Positioning ENOC is positioned as a regional champion providing high-quality fuels and lubricants with a focus on local market expertise, customer service excellence, and strategic investments in infrastructure. Its empowerment of the Gulf region’s industrial and automotive sectors reinforces its competitive edge. 5. ADNOC Distribution – Market Positioning ADNOC Distribution emphasizes national pride and reliability as the UAE’s leading fuel supplier. Their differentiation lies in extensive network reach, superior product quality, and continuous investment in service innovation, catering specifically to the automotive market’s demand for efficiency and convenience.

Q: What is Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia? about? A: Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia? is a 2018 campaign created by M&C Saatchi for Shell and launched in the United Arab Emirates. The campaign responds to the historic policy change allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia, a move that ignited widespread debate and social media backlash. Through a film format, Shell brings together five men from diverse professional backgrounds to openly discuss their views on women driving, capturing candid testimonials that reveal both resistance and acceptance. Delivered in Arabic, the campaign leverages authentic storytelling to engage regional audiences and position Shell as a socially conscious brand in the automotive sector. Q: What creative device does Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia? use? A: Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia? employs the Presenter Testimonial format, classified as FORMAT#7 in Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. This approach features real participants—in this case, five men from various fields—who speak directly to the audience, sharing their unfiltered perspectives on women driving in Saudi Arabia. The campaign avoids dramatization, celebrity endorsement, or overt product demonstration, instead relying on unscripted, testimonial-style interviews to foster authenticity and provoke dialogue. By foregrounding genuine voices, the campaign aligns with Clapboard’s Presenter Testimonial classification, engaging viewers through relatable, real-world narratives. Q: What is the campaign proposition for Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia? A: The campaign proposition for Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia? centers on Shell’s commitment to supporting progressive social change within the automotive landscape. By addressing the contentious issue of women’s driving rights in Saudi Arabia, Shell positions itself as more than a fuel provider—emerging as a brand attuned to evolving societal dynamics and mobility trends. Targeting Arabic-speaking audiences in the Gulf, the campaign leverages candid male perspectives to challenge stereotypes and spark reflection, thereby aligning Shell with modernization, inclusion, and community relevance in a traditionally conservative market. Q: How does Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia? rank in Clapboard's archive? A: Are Men Ready For Women Drivers In Saudi Arabia? holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 79/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance within the automotive and industrial advertising landscape. Q: Who are the competitors in Shell's category? A: In Shell’s category, key competitors include ExxonMobil, which emphasizes energy innovation and sustainability through advanced technologies; BP, which positions itself as a leader in cleaner fuels and low carbon solutions for environmentally conscious consumers; TotalEnergies, which adopts a multi-energy strategy focused on renewables and future mobility; ENOC, which leverages regional expertise and customer service excellence in the Gulf market; and ADNOC Distribution, which underscores national pride, reliability, and a broad service network to meet automotive market demands.