The creation of the 'Mas Race'

It was the year 2009. Actually we have to go back to the year 2007 first. It was a time of intense competition between the two telecom giants in the country. Ooredoo Maldives (known as Wataniya Maldives back then) and Dhiraagu, were having a field day bombarding the market every Ramadan with countless offers and promotions. Ramadan was, and is like our super bowl. So the Marcomms and the product teams of each company were always trying to outdo one another with the 'best' or the 'lowest' offerings. This was a little bit before it became the competition for the 'fastest'. Data was just simmering beneath the surface.

Anyways, this was the tradition. In 2007, we bombarded the market with prayer time alerts, roadha menus, lowest rates, lowest IDD rates. In 2008, the same. With a bunch of different designs. And a different voiceover saying 'Dhiraagu Roadha Hadhiyaaaa' or 'Wataniya Feeeeaaaast'. So on to the year 2009.

I had been promoted to the post of Manager at Wataniya in 2008 for all the aimless bombardments, (pat on the shoulder) and we had just been blessed with a new CCO from New Zealand. A certain Mr. Stephen Smith. So as Ramadan loomed around, I got my template presentation of Ramadan promotions ready and went to meet him with a bunch of new designs from Think, our agency. He goes through it with me and says. Why do you want to do this? My answer, because Dhiraagu will do the same. And then he gave me one of the best lines of advice ever.

'Son, if you're going to do what your competitor is going to do, what's the difference between us and them?

Bring me something engaging, something meaningful. It doesn't have to be a campaign. It can be anything. He added. So I got a bit confused. I mean, it was the law that we offer the lowest rate, the prayer alerts and the roadha menus. It was sacrilegious to defy the law.

So I called up Mr. Abdulla Reyshan, (one of the hardest workers I have ever met in Maldives by the way) of Think and asked to meet immediately. I went over to the agency and me, Mr. Adheel Ismail and Reyshan met inside the small meeting room at the agency. And we started talking.

So in 2005, Adheel, along with a certain Mr. Andrew James Gwyne, Mr. Ibrahim Hussain Shihab and Ms. Claire Mattei had flirted with an idea about having a fishing competition for corporate offices in Maldives. The initial concept defined it as a one day event with 'bodu beru' and music. Adheel refloated the idea. I responded by saying that it has to be for the whole of Ramadan. Reyshan, suggested that we hold it every weekend. We all agreed. But still, I thought we needed a way to show it to a wider audience. Two days prior to this meeting I had attended the annual Ramadan bid for TV slots at Television Maldives. And their head of marketing Mr. Mohamed Saeed had offered all the clients the opportunity to collaborate with TVM and create our own show if desired. I floated this idea and suggested, why not make it a TV program? We can put cameras on each dhoni. They can do the show. Adheel responded, like he always does when his brain clicks, and said 'Yes, a reality TV show'. I can still feel the electricity that was buzzing in that small meeting room. The three of us knew that we had something. I immediately called up Mr. Mohamed Asif (Mondhu), the COO of TVM and setup a meeting.

Think did what it does best. They came with the name 'Wataniya Mas Race'. Mr. Hassan Shujau created the amazing artworks, Mr. Ibrahim Sinan did what he does best in setting up the event and Adheel ran to create the song. 'Koba Nanah Vaan Vehje Thaa'. And Reyshan with all his drive and determination, ran to the Ministry and the relevant experts and created the rules of the tournament. We presented the concept to the management and it got approved on the spot. And then we went to TVM. I still remember that meeting. Electricity buzzing inside the meeting room again. Mondhu, Khaleel and Saeed all with fire in their eyes, like they had found a new fountain of youth. You just love your job sometimes.

And in Ramadan of 2009, we didn't launch a single ATL product promotion. A colleague at Dhiraagu called me and asked, you guys are not doing anything other than this Mas Race? My reply was, yeah we don't need to. Well, not completely true, but there's a template way to answer your competitors questions. (We did run a few silent promos).

Today the Ooredoo Mas Race is in its 11th season. It still follows the same traditions and templates we created over a decade ago. The concept is followed by corporate offices, island councils and communities as a recreational activity. Numerous Mas Races are held every year. I saw the posts for this years Ooredoo Mas Race and I felt very proud. They would probably only acknowledge what was done by Think (and myself) only in memorial, once we pass away, maybe. They wouldn't want anyone's name on it, and rightly so. But I am extremely proud of the team at Think, and I am extremely proud to have played a role in creating an iconic event that has lasted, and will probably last for decades to come.