INSITE OOH Media Platform

In Egyptian Arabic, calling someone el-sanad isn’t casual praise. It means "people lean on you." It's the phrase Tasaheel chose to feature in the ad copy of their OOH ad campaign in Cairo, and it impacts the entire message in the financial services advertisement. This isn’t an address-from-above conversation between the company and the consumers of their product. It's the company speaking the language of the customers, featuring Chef Mirette Aly.

Rather than featuring itself as the hero, the spotlight shines where it should: on the people who build, repair, bake, manage, sell, and survive Egyptian small businesses. Across billboards from Cairo to the rest of the country, the message is clear in the words that echo in Arabic across the billboard ads: “You’re the backbone.” Not the brand. Not the system. You.

This in itself changes the tone for the entire conversation. The key statement, “You’re the backbone,” is multi-layered. In Egyptian Arabic, “el-sanad” means something far greater than just support. It’s the one everyone relies on. The strong one. The one who holds everything together. To reduce it down to the simplistic translation of “You’re the backbone” leaves the meaning the same, but the implications run far deeper. 

Then comes the functional layer of the message: “If you want to grow your business, Tasaheel finances you from EGP 5,000 up to EGP 15 million.” It’s a clean bridge between emotion and action. First, you’re seen. Then, you’re supported.

The call-to-action number 16134 is prominently displayed on every notification, making the transition from inspiration to access feel immediate. As opposed to using perfect models and the kind of business-related images found in stock photo collections, the mobile app’s campaign showcases people who actually resemble people running the show: a baker standing behind a counter (played by Chef Mirette Aly), a workshop owner standing with his arms crossed, a shopkeeper holding a product, and two businessmen shaking hands.

They are aspirational because they are attainable. The visuals communicate that this is what you can also do. And further, that you already do it anyway. From a branding perspective, these ads are important in that they establish that Tasaheel operates within the real economy, as opposed to being some far-off financial organization. The brand comes across as someone standing across from you at the counter, as opposed to a teacher lecturing you on how to do things.

The color scheme remains earthy brown and blue hues that appear to have a closer affinity with actual work environments rather than office environments. Bakeries, garage spaces, home offices, and even the lighting plays a part. These aren't hyper-lit studio shots; they feel like late afternoons, early mornings, long days-the kind of light that matches the rhythm of people who open up shops early and shut late.

In Egypt, small and medium businesses transcend mere economic segmentation to a cultural backbone: family-run shops, solo entrepreneurs, side hustles turned into livelihoods. Every person knows someone trying to grow something with limited resources and loads of pressure.

The Tasaheel campaign taps into that shared reality without the romanticization of struggle or dramatization of hardship. The message isn't that "you can become anything," but rather it's "you already are something - and we'll help you keep going."

This campaign works because it understands three things: positioning, language choice, and OOH suitability, much like their last OOH appearance in Cairo.  Tasaheel doesn't make itself the savior; it makes the customer the hero. The use of everyday Egyptian Arabic instead of a corporate formal tone creates instant proximity. This message feels spoken, not written. Also, the billboards are about fast emotional hits. "You're the backbone" is hit in seconds.

To capture more information about this campaign, visit MOOH, the monitoring out-of-home intelligence data provider in Cairo & Dubai, with details regarding campaign types, kinds, locations, budgets, media plans, and more.