2009 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

620 videos submissions in less than one month (6x the industry average for user generated video campaigns - World #1 video site YouTube benchmarks success of upload campaigns at 100 submissions) The initial seed audition video was streamed over 6.4 million times with sites’ audiences spending upwards of 80 seconds within the ad unit. Once users clicked thru, the LA Premiere website was extremely sticky with an average of 4.5 page views and 2 :45 per visit.

Creative Execution

“LA Premiere” was an online casting call to star in a first of its kind movie – one which was filmed with characters never physically interacting with one another. Aspiring actors and actresses submitted auditions via webcam on Emirates’ website, were screened by a top Hollywood casting director, and those selected were added to a pre-filmed movie using the latest blue-screen technology. Representing a departure from the typically business-heavy Emirates media plan, LA Premiere sought out a broader and more casual online audience. Film listing pages and cinema booking sites captured users in the video viewing mindset and aligned Emirates’ movie with the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Local news positioned the audition call as the latest news. And social networks facilitated word of mouth and pass-along of videos. The final product premiered at a Los Angeles theatre and was subsequently rolled out online.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Emirates wanted to create awareness of its new Dubai to Los Angeles service – the first non-stop route of any airline linking the Middle East to the U.S. West Coast. The following factors drove the decision to create an online video based promotional piece. Emirates target audience are aware of and increasingly book for leisure and are avid movie goers - attendance has grown by double digits every year since 2000. Added to this that online video is on the increase and that streaming has become mainstream. The connection worked and was strong. For Emirates, movies are synonymous with Los Angeles and its in-flight entertainment system, consistently ranked among the best in the world. For travelers, “LA Premiere” brought a bit of Hollywood glamour to UAE residents and a chance at their 15 seconds of fame.