Nothing is impossible: Emirates stands on top of the world again
Branding and adverting climb to new heights
Emirates is pushing the boundaries of creativity with its latest stunt on the world’s tallest building to create another edition of its viral ad campaign. In keeping with Dubai’s ‘nothing is impossible’ spirit, Emirates soared up and around the Burj Khalifa alongside the iconic Expo 2020 Dubai A380.
Emirates hit the global headlines and social media feeds of millions in August 2021 when it took its brand message atop the Burj Khalifa.
This time, the brave stuntwoman is standing at the pinnacle of the Burj Khalifa by Emaar once again, holding up message boards with an invitation to visit the world’s greatest show, Dubai 2020 Expo , on the iconic Emirates A380.
She then gestures to her ‘friend’, the eye- catching Emirates A380 wearing the Dubai 2020 Expo livery, which gracefully soars in the background as she stands firmly on the spire of the world’s tallest building. The ad also features dynamic aerial views of Dubai and its iconic skyline, and culminates in a flypast over the impressive Al Wasl dome at the Dubai 2020 Expo site.
Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Now at the halfway mark of its six-month run, the excitement and momentum around Dubai 2020 Expo remain strong. Our latest campaign boldly carries the Expo message and invites people to come and experience what is truly the world’s greatest show.
“There is nowhere else right now that offers the raft of attractions, top-class entertainment and music, riveting sports, vibrant country and themed pavilions, a thriving culinary scene and much more.”
While the ad looked like it was shot effortlessly, the whole project involved in-depth planning and meticulous execution involving stakeholders across Dubai’s aviation eco-system, with a strong focus on safety at every juncture when conducting the low flying manoeuvres.
Impossible is nothing
The carefully choreographed flypast involved the A380 flying at a low altitude of only 2,700 feet, the exact height of Burj Khalifa.
The low speed ensured the aircraft could efficiently and continuously circle around the Burj Khalifa and achieve a tight radius without drifting away. In total, the Emirates’ a380 circled the Burj Khalifa 11 times to get a right selection of shots for the ad.
The aircraft also appeared as if it was flying very close to the stuntwoman as she was standing on the Burj, when in fact it was over a half a mile away.
During the planning stages, Emirates pilots, Flight Operation teams, Air Traffic Controllers, helicopter pilots, drone operators and the filming teams, the Emirates marketing team, the Emaar team, regulatory teams as well as the UAE GCAA and DCAA worked closely to discuss and deliberate every detail and aspect of the mission.
Choreographing the flight plan, running risk assessments, accounting for air traffic, areas over flown, as well as gauging potential wind and weather conditions, were all part of synchronization.
Pilots also trained multiple times in the a380 flight simulator to ensure every visual reference point was covered and tested and every manoeuvre checked prior to the mission. The simulator visits also helped establish the way all stakeholders would communicate during the flypasts and filming to ensure everyone was operating in a safe environment.
The new global multi-channel campaign will run in 12 languages, debuting across 19 countries covering TV, cinema, digital and social media platforms. The ad is part of a wider USD $20 million commitment Emirates has made to help create awareness, generate excitement and ultimately drive more visits to Dubai and Expo 2020 Dubai.
Since Dubai reopened for business and tourism in July 2020, the airline has run close to 15 major global and regional brand and tactical campaigns across 25 countries, starting with its ‘Dubai is Open’ campaign.
