2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

This case about promoting UAE's nation brand shares how the UAE Government partnered with Kevin Hart, a leading celebrity and entertainment influencer, and through a cross-social platform campaign, invited people across countries, religions and races, worldwide, to submit their Mars Shot - the one impossible dream they’d want to make possible to make the world better, with the help of the UAE. As global celebrities, known for their cultural influence, joined Kevin Hart as judges, millions engaged globally, generating participation from over 60% countries worldwide, with positive reactions, globally, leading to a positive impact on the UAE’s nation brand too.

Background

The United Arab Emirates’ nation brand has been built around tourism. But, with COVID-19 spreading, tourism came to a halt. The pandemic created an environment of pessimism the world over. And the UAE’s economy was negatively impacted too. Given the global business environment, the UAE pivoted its strategy to focus on foreign direct investment, providing economic incentives to attract investors, developing its manufacturing sector, becoming an advanced digital economy, generating income for local communities, growing sustainable businesses, and joining the space race. The conversation around the UAE was evolving beyond tourism. To generate optimism about the UAE in a challenging economy, the UAE Government Media Office wanted to help uplift the UAE’s nation brand, as its strategic economic priority. Amidst the world negatively affected by the health and economic crisis, how could we promote the nation brand in a respectful, sensitive, and additive manner that didn’t chest beat or self-aggrandise?

Describe the creative idea

The UAE’s first probe to Mars called “Amal” (Hope) would launch for Mars, arriving on February 9, 2021; the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers, over one Martian year. This was a landmark achievement for the UAE as a nation, because it wasn’t just about the journey of a probe to Mars; it was about the journey of a young nation. Leveraging this opportunity, we launched a campaign to generate positive sentiments and conversations around the UAE. INTRODUCING “MARS SHOT”. Representing the spirit and openness of the UAE, we launched a global crowdsourcing initiative inviting individuals, businesses and non-profits across countries, religions and races, worldwide, to share their “Mars Shot” - an idea that has a positive impact on a community or the world but is an impossible dream that they’d want to make possible with the support of the UAE.

Describe the strategy

IDENTIFYING THE ORCHESTRATOR OF THE GLOBAL CALL FOR PARTICIPATION AND BUILDING A PARTNERSHIP TO DRIVE THE INITIATIVE: We needed someone who’d generate worldwide excitement about “Mars Shot”. Now, the UAE is home to over 200 nationalities, living together, in peace. It’s a melting pot of races and cultures, from the world over, and is a living testament of inclusivity and positivity. It does not tolerate racism or prejudice. But in 2020, with news carrying race-based brutality, in May and June, prior to the launch of the “Hope Probe”, we got the UAE to stand against racism in its own way. So, being consciously inclusive, we signed on someone, who like the UAE, had dreamt big since childhood and worked hard to make the impossible, possible: Kevin Hart.

Describe the execution

MAKING THE MARS SHOT A GLOBAL COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS: We produced a film with Kevin Heart shared with his fan base on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram platforms letting fans know about the UAE, its spirit of making the impossible, possible, and then, inviting his fan base to submit their Mars Shot. Social-first films in Arabic and English further explained the UAE’s spirit and the competition further. Micro-influencers help spread the campaign in local communities around the world, and shared their own Mars Shot videos too. Then, we reproduced content showing the submissions people were sharing, to drive more submissions. This helped submissions surge, as people saw the campaign being effective and wanted to be part of it. 15 most ambitious yet practical submissions were chosen. And in a live-streamed online event hosted on Kevin Hart’s social media channels, the 5 finalists had to present their ideas, live, to the jury.

Describe the outcome

These results are significant because they’re higher than any other Dubai tourism or Abu Dhabi tourism campaign done in the past: Earned a cumulative of 100+ million views. 18 million unique visitors visited the campaign microsite. 430,000+ engaged from 117 countries worldwide. 15 finalists were shortlisted. 200,000 people tuned in live to watch the finalists on social media. 3 winners were declared. And as the UAE’s “Hope Probe” made history by reaching Mars adding another “impossible is possible” achievement in the annals of its history, thanks to the “Mars Shot” the winners’ impossible dreams were made possible by the UAE, in their countries. 153 free PR articles worldwide in leading publications and online platforms. Earned $2.4 million in earned media value. +320% uplift in awareness globally. Positive word of mouth drove positive conversations up +210% Positive sentiment increased +160%. Nation brand followers grew by +98% across Facebook and Instagram.