Afraid of the Step Ad: How did the National Bank of Egypt raise awareness among the public?

When honest advice turns into a chant that audiences memorize and repeat in critical moments, we are faced with an advertisement that transcends the boundaries of traditional viewing and embraces everyday action. This is what the National Bank of Egypt's "Afraid of the Step" advertisement did.

By blending smart colloquial language with easy melody and scenes reminiscent of Egyptian life, the bank has succeeded in redefining awareness-raising from an official discourse to a popular practice embraced by the public of its own free will.

Below, we break down how the ad's core message was crafted to be relatable and actionable, why a popular voice and familiar face were chosen, and what brands are learning to create the same impact across content platforms like Sbsial .

Ad messages afraid of the basic step The ad focused on ten short, memorable messages, designed to be straightforward and actionable, so that audiences could turn them into daily habits that would protect them from banking fraud attempts:

Don't trust anyone. Two things, my dear, are not trustworthy: clicking on the link and spam. Three numbers on the back of the card, don't tell them to anyone. Don't share the OTP, it's a strange number, block it. Update data at the branch, not over the phone. Don't trust me, he's a scammer acting as an online representative. Hear me out, save the money, Boss. Treacherousness is hard to bear, and we have treated all people with the same kind of treachery. He gave you ninety emirates, I swear, and deserved it. And the ten countries, I swear, I will make the whole people know. Why did the National Bank of Egypt choose the colloquial language? The Khaf Min Al Dosa advertisement is distinguished by its reliance on simple colloquial language and a light touch of humor, which made it acceptable to all groups, especially young people and adults.

The ad didn't focus on direct instruction or lengthy lectures, but rather presented the messages in a familiar, everyday style, with a soothing tune and natural scenes from the governorates. This resulted in viewers easily interacting and quickly remembering the messages.

In this way, awareness has become part of Egyptians' daily routines and has spread naturally on social media , allowing messages to reach the largest possible audience without causing viewers to feel pressured or bored.

Famous Choice: Why Essam Omar? Choosing Essam Omar was a deliberate strategy to maximize audience impact, not only for his artistic appeal, but also for his ability to deliver the message in a reliable and natural, popular voice.

Its spontaneity and pop culture made the message seem like a personal advice service, and helped reduce psychological resistance to traditional banking messages.

Featuring a well-known and likeable face increased the ad's viewership and engagement, transformed the message from traditional media content into a personal experience that audiences could relate to, and led to widespread discussion and analysis, making the ad shareable across multiple platforms.

Advertising spread and its impact The ad was widely circulated and immediately effective, spreading quickly across family groups and social media pages, including Sbsial, Instagram, and TikTok.

It has indirectly raised awareness among adults, as anyone who encounters a strange number immediately remembers the messages and scenes.

By the time the article was published, the ad had been viewed nearly 60 million times on the National Bank of Egypt's official Facebook page, with widespread interaction, sharing, commenting, and analysis, reinforcing the message's power and impact.

Fear of the Tread Ad: How to Benefit from Sbsial Benefits? Just as the National Bank of Egypt has successfully made awareness a daily habit, brands can achieve a similar impact through Sbsial, using celebrity ads and exclusive content, which provides an innovative way to reach audiences directly and reliably. Below is an explanation of each feature:

celebrity ads

Leveraging well-known celebrities with a large fan base on the app means shifting from a cold, advertising-based message to a human dialogue that is received with greater confidence, because followers view the influencer as a source of recommendations rather than a traditional marketer.

When an influencer delivers a message in their natural style and tone, ideas turn into repeatable habits, just like a subtle shift from a tread to a mantra that people adopt in everyday situations. This increases attention span, increases the chance of reposts, and improves engagement metrics, all the way to purchase intent.

Choosing the right influencer for the category also gives the message precise targeting and reduces advertising waste, while building long-term credibility for the brand.

Podcast and audio recording with image Integrating sound with images doubles memorability because the audio and visual channels work together to create a "chord" that is automatically recalled in similar situations, as advertising with counting rhythms and short safety messages did. Through podcasts and audio recording, instructional texts or case stories can be crafted, told at a fast pace and featuring realistic images, transforming the message from information to an experience that is seen, heard, and summarized in a clear chant.

This helps you complete the viewing in short clips and creates mental stopping points before taking the wrong behavior, which reinforces the behavioral effect rather than just awareness.

Voiceover also allows the copy to be adapted to the dialect and location without a full visual reproduction, which facilitates A/B testing and performance optimization.

Exclusive content Providing exclusive celebrity-related content gives the brand a distinct advantage with its audience, as followers feel they're receiving value that isn't available outside the platform, which increases loyalty and repeat visits.

Exclusive content can be pre-release, behind-the-scenes, or personalized actionable tips, all of which deepen the relationship and turn the follower into an active participant.

By employing exclusivity in marketing narratives, offers and incentives can be delivered in an unobtrusive manner because the audience came voluntarily in search of exclusivity, and the message appears complementary to the experience rather than an afterthought.

With regular publishing cycles, exclusives become a channel for building a habit of content consumption, which increases audience readiness for engagement and conversion.

Easy sharing and analysis Facilitating content sharing across the platform and later on social networks expands organic reach and turns audiences into voluntary distributors of the message.

Each engagement adds social credibility and places content in new contexts at no additional cost, increasing discovery and expanding the reach of advertising.

Analytics tools also help track metrics: completions, clicks, and conversion rates , which allows you to reframe your messages based on data rather than intuition.

Make your campaign the talk of the day and tomorrow with impactful experiences created on Sbsial! With Sbsial, you can use celebrity ads, exclusive content, podcasts, and video recordings to reach a wider audience, build real trust, and turn engagement into tangible results.

Make your brand a part of your audience's lives in an innovative and impactful way. Download the app , get started today, and experience the Sbsial effect for yourself!