Fadi Kamal

KUWAIT: In the first of its kind marketing project to be launched by a brand in the GCC, Kuwait International Bank (KIB) announced the launch of a brand new original animated series, KIB Family, which will be released by the bank during Ramadan across its social media platforms. The weekly series was conceptualized and fully developed by KIB, in collaboration with a leading global animation studio, as part of the bank's ongoing efforts to deliver innovative campaigns and products to market, beyond the scope of its financial services and solutions.

The animated series follows the antics and daily activities of the six-member 'KIB Family', a modern nuclear Kuwaiti family that is navigating the endless demands of contemporary Kuwaiti life - with the help of KIB's comprehensive suite of digitally-focused banking solutions. In each one-minute episode, the show follows members of the KIB Family in various comical situations that are common for many living in Kuwait today.

Speaking about the series, Othman Tawfeqe, General Manager of KIB's Retail Banking Department, said: "Innovation and creativity: these are the two biggest motivators and drivers for us at KIB. We are determined to be innovative and creative, yet strategic and business-focused - in everything that we do and everything that we offer our customers, including our marketing campaigns and initiatives. We are extremely proud of this series, which we believe is truly a turning point in the Kuwaiti market and sets a precedent for what brands can and should offer the public."

Fadi Kamal, Executive Manager - Marketing and Customer Proposition at KIB said: "This series redefines the traditional realms of marketing and creates a whole new way for us to engage with people, as we interweave comedy and storytelling with information about our own products and services. This is marketing for a new generation of digital-savvy and entertainment-loving consumers."

Adding: "We all know that series consumption goes up drastically during Ramadan, and the medium has shifted from TV to digital platforms and streaming services. So we decided to capitalize on that trend and create a whole new digital marketing platform just for us. In this day and age, we don't need to rely solely on existing media channels and formats - we can create our own."

The concept for the show was developed from scratch by the in-house marketing team at KIB. The animation studio was then brought on-board to bring the series to life, an arduous and complex process that took more than 18 months of hard work, from character development and storyline creation to the final rendered animation. Teams across locations and departments worked seamlessly together to bring the series to life, adapting quickly and in real time to the travel and social distancing restrictions imposed by the pandemic to ensure production never stopped.

Tawfeqe further added: "When we first started putting together the concept of the show, we wanted to represent the modern Kuwaiti family in a way that people can truly relate to. From the young entrepreneur looking for smart financial solutions, to the head of a family seeking out premier banking services catering to his and his family's needs, all the way to the young child who is just now starting to understand the concepts of money and saving - the KIB Family is a typical Kuwaiti family that genuinely represents our customers and their own families.

Our offering is tailored to suit the needs of today's consumer across all segments, it's that simple". The six-minute pilot episode premiered on KIB's social media channels on the first day of Ramadan, with subsequent episodes released on a weekly basis. A total of 15 episodes have been produced so far for the show's first season, with production already underway on season two of the show.