2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for PR?

Emirates Airline aimed to strengthen its connection with people in the UAE and reignite excitement for flying with us. We created a PR stunt, bolstered by grassroots engagement with our customer database and social media followers. Media took notice and spread the story organically, before, during and after the stunt. The entire nation was engaged in the conversation, eager to participate and invested in the ultimate outcome of a new Guinness World Record, which gave Emirates recognition not just locally, but globally. We could only welcome 540 passengers to our one-off activation, but engaged the whole UAE for 5 weeks.

Background

Emirates Airline is a leading brand in the UAE. We wanted to continue engaging our audience here in our home market by launching a special project uniquely relevant to them. However, the UAE is a challenging market, because it’s home to many different audiences including locals, Arab expats, a vast Asian community, Western expats and beyond. Brands sometimes resort to creating different executions for different audiences. We needed an idea that would resonate with everyone.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

The Emirates product always needs to be central to the execution, and so the idea of placing an aircraft and the Emirates onboard service at the centre of our thinking came very naturally. With the core objective of connecting with the more than 200 nationalities that call the UAE home, the idea was simple: We created EK2019, a once-in-a-lifetime flight, aiming to gather all 200+ nationalities living in the UAE on the most multicultural flight in aviation history to mark The Year of Tolerance. The flight coincided with UAE National Day and followed a special path across all 7 Emirates of the country in a symbolic flight that also celebrated the union of the individual Emirates into one country in 1971.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

2019 became the perfect time to connect with the more than 200 nationalities that lived in the UAE, when the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, proclaimed it to be the Year of Tolerance – a tribute to the country’s openness to different cultures. As the airline that proudly carries the flag of the UAE and connects the world every day, Emirates Airline was perfectly placed to share this message of tolerance with the world. On average, each Emirates flight carries 50 different nationalities. Now we would go further and create the most multicultural flight in history. We united our diverse audience behind a single cause with a simple message: Be part of history. Across a period of 5 weeks we distributed 3 press releases and ample social content. We also engaged with shortlisted passengers through digital means and developed assets for the actual event.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Over 5 weeks of engagement, an e-mailer invited our database to sign up at Emirates.com, while a press release prompted media to drive people to Emirates.com. We sustained hype on our social channels and revealed our A380 aircraft, specially branded for the event. Shortlisted passengers received welcome packs with golden tickets. On flight-day people met our mascots, added their names and nationalities to our cloud wall, engaged with tailored GIPHY stickers on Instagram and could stamp their passport with an EK2019 stamp. On board, passengers watched Year of Tolerance content and enjoyed lunch from branded lunchboxes. The Guinness World Record adjudicator announced the record on the flight and passengers received certificates as keepsakes. Upon return, the UAE Police Band played the UAE national anthem. Afterwards, media reported on our event, the world record and the positive message of diversity and tolerance. We and participating influencers released video highlights on social.

List the results (30% of vote)

• More than 30,000 people applied for seats. • 540 passengers from 145 nationalities were on board EK2019, setting a Guinness World Record for the most multicultural flight in history. • More than 280 pieces of coverage in local, regional and international media outlets. • 8.8 Million users reached on Emirates social channels. • 5.2 Million Instagram story views. • 4.4 Million video views. • 420,000 interactions on Emirates social channels. • 250,000 views across 3 GIPHY stickers. • #EK2019 received 27 million impressions. • 25% rise in sales compared to the same period last year.