An Algerian telecommunications company has won an award for its advertisement for the World Cup last year in South Africa. Wataniya Telecom Algeria won first prize at the MENA Cristal Festival for its Khedra Algeria Dima advertisement created by PF7 McCann Algeria for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The company, which trades under the Nedjma mobile services brand, told reporters that the award “is a great honor and it will only embolden our efforts to improve.” Analysts said that an award such as this will help push the company toward larger business. The ad was part of a drive to encourage the national team and featured stars and musicians such a Zinedine Zidane, Lakhdar Belloumi, Baaziz and Youssou N'Dour. It starts with fans boarding a bus bound for South Africa driven by former footballer Lakhdar Belloumi, then picks up Senegalese singer and composer Youssou N'Dour along the way, and is met at its destination by French and Algerian international player Zinedine Zidane, who wishes the national side good luck in the competition. The ad aired in all of Algeria's regions. Every year the Mena Cristal Festival judges the advertising work of the Middle East and North Africa's biggest telecommunication operators and businesses in other sectors. BM
