Read our top picks for the Best Middle East Travel & Tourism Campaigns 2022.
If you’ve noticed anything this year, you will have seen the substantial increase in regional investment in the post-pandemic tourism industry. You could argue that the UAE and Dubai dealt with the pandemic better than most countries in the world, and while other countries are gently nudging their doors open to tourists, the UAE has been hanging its ‘Business As Usual’ sign for some time now.
It’s not surprising that the travel and tourism industry has seen a boost as the region emerges from the pandemic. What is great to see is the number of insight-driven, sharp, award-winning creative campaigns.
Here is our round-up of the best campaigns we’ve seen in the last 12 months.
Yas Island Abu Dhabi: Chief Island Office
This may be one of the best examples of a Middle East travel & tourism campaign and how a brand can work with a celebrity to create a truly engaging campaign that delivers results. Yas announced its brand new hire, comedian Kevin Hart, as their ‘Chief Island Officer’ at the most prominent travel event of the season, Arabian Travel Market, gunning for maximum attention. But this wasn’t a simple attention-grabbing stunt. Indeed, Yas certainly saw that their new recruit was put to work with an array of videos, adverts, website content, and plenty of on-brand Hart humour. Yas Island is undoubtedly known for injecting a healthy dose of humour into its campaigns. Still, on this one, they should be commended for handing over the reins and their brand to be ‘Hartified’ – we’re sure that wasn’t an easy boardroom decision.
The Royal Commission for Al Ula: #SummerUntold 2022
Since Saudi Arabia has opened its doors to tourism, Al Ula has become a top ‘must-visit’ destination in the Kingdom. Their first destination brand video, ‘The World’s Masterpiece’, directed by renowned cinematographer Bruno Aveillan, got the world’s attention, and since then, The Royal Commission for Al Ula and their agency have continued to showcase the destination in all its hypnotising beauty making our list of one of the best Middle East travel & tourism campaigns 2022. The story continued during the summer with #SummerUntold.
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority: RAK Calling
Ras Al Khaimah is certainly worthy of its place as a top tourism destination. In their Spring 2022 digital-first travel & tourism campaign, the northern emirate brought content creators from Europe and the Middle East to showcase its wares in this global campaign. Leveraging a popular social media trend and well-known influencers, matched with the adventure Ras Al Khaimah has to offer, RATKDA hit this campaign out of the park, and no doubt has lots more where this came from.
Dubai Tourism: Dubai Presents
Dubai is on a mission to become the world’s most visited city by 2025, and with that kind of goal, you need to come up with big ideas. And if there is one thing Dubai is exceptionally good at, it’s thinking big. ‘Dubai Presents’ is winning awards around the world, and not just in the travel & tourism sector, its Hollywood-style trailers showcase the city as a premiere destination through the genres of romance, spy, comedy, and animation. Oh, and Jessica Alba and Zac Effron star as our hero and heroine.
Bright Company delivers campaigns for clients across Dubai, the UAE, the Middle East, and the world. If you have a brief you are looking for creative execution on, then contact us now.