2014 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

55,000 tickets sold out in record time. International tourism touched 44% compared to our target of 42%. Media presence hit a record breaking 46% with 3430 articles. Facebook witnessed 49 posts, 3212 shares, 20300 likes and reached 665.7k. Twitter was abuzz with 187 tweets, 3898 Retweets and 129,000 conversations. #JayZAtF1 was UAE’s top 5 hashtag for 6 weeks. We raced to 100,000 fans on Facebook and 24000 Twitter followers. 73% attendees promised to return. Partnerships with Etihad Airways, TCS and Flash Entertainment grew. In a budget that was ‘less’ we successfully proved there was more to F1 in Abu Dhabi.

Creative Execution

To prove our point, we set out to the Silverstone Grand Prix. Here, we gifted Abu Dhabi Grand Prix merchandise to spectators bringing UAE sunshine to grey UK stands. We showcased Arabic culture and hospitality with henna, falconry and calligraphy stations. 100 spectators in the Abu Dhabi Fan Zone got to attend a flagship F1 show, ‘Racers edge.’ One lucky winner even won an all-expense paid trip to attend the race – an idea that buzzed at high speeds on social sites. Our partnerships with Haymarket spread our message on motorsport websites while Sky News and CNN got our story global eyeballs. Back home, we launched a ticket-driven campaign using TV, print, radio, outdoor, activations, digital and social media. Concerts like Bruno Mars and Justin Beiber became the spotlights of our campaign. Working closely with retailers, we gave fans the flexibility to buy tickets only for days they wished to attend.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

With 3 races to go, Vettel had enough points to be a championship winner. This put the brakes on the excitement for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Our challenge became brutally clear: Make the event a sell out quickly and efficiently, increase international tourism by 20% to touch 42% and accelerate the enthusiasm of the Abu Dhabi Stakeholders. But how do you fuel the dwindled enthusiasm of global F1 fans and attract them to Abu Dhabi? Can there be more to a race? The answer was in the question itself. We decided to turn the race into a destination with a bold idea ‘There’s more to F1 in Abu Dhabi.’