2022 Winners & Shortlists

A WINTER THROUGH MY EYES

Short List
BrandUAE GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE
Product/ServiceWORLD'S COOLEST WINTER: UAE'S WINTER TOURISM CAMPAIGN
EntrantGOVERNMENT OF UAE MEDIA OFFICE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryUse of Branded Content created for Digital or Social
Idea Creation GOVERNMENT OF UAE MEDIA OFFICE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Placement GOVERNMENT OF UAE MEDIA OFFICE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR GOVERNMENT OF UAE MEDIA OFFICE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production DEJAVU Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Post Production DEJAVU Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Post Production 2 MANGOJAM STUDIO FZ LLC Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Additional Company FP7 McCANN Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Additional Company 2 ACTION FILMZ RENTALS AND STUDIOS Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for Media?

In the winter of 2021-2022, the UAE’s nation brand shared an unexpected and meaningful perspective that broke the mold of typical tourism content from countries from the MENA region, that was present on social media and on media platforms. An entertaining branded film, helped the world see the beauty of the UAE in winter through the story of a 11-year-old child who cannot see, as she enjoyed winter in the UAE.

Background

There is no better way to experience the UAE than in winter. Amidst the pandemic, the UAE’s tourism has recovered the quickest globally. The seven emirates that form the UAE have rich history, geography, nature, urban architecture, and community. The UAE’s archaeological sites, culture centres, historical landmarks, and nature reserves, offer visitors a holistic experience. And carried out by the UAE Government Media Office, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and relevant tourism and culture entities, “The World’s Coolest Winter” platform was launched to celebrate and promote the UAE’s most beautiful tourism experiences and hidden gems. We were briefed to create a moving and uplifting story that showed the rare and holistic beauty of the UAE. But the client ambition was to not create another typical campaign about the UAE with celebrities and touristic content, but to intently, do something different and create a travel story that would travel.

Describe the creative idea / insights (30% of vote)

When we really want to feel something, we don’t need to look with our eyes. We need to look with our hearts. To show the beauty of winter in the UAE, a winter unlike any other, we found a unique and meaningful perspective, creating a tourism campaign unlike any other. Called ‘A Winter Through My Eyes’, the idea encompassed in a short film, tells the story of a 11-year-old girl, Clara, who has been visually impaired since birth, who got the opportunity to enjoy “The World’s Coolest Winter” in the UAE. Clara was flown to the UAE and in an all-expenses paid trip across the 7 diverse Emirates, her first trip abroad, over a period one week, she experienced the country’s distinctive destinations and hospitality. A production crew followed her every day, documenting her real emotions and journey into a compelling story that shows her unique, unfiltered, and authentic perspective.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Usually, in the region, we see travel influencers promoting the beauty and wonders of a place, or celebrities in ads, or generic cliché-ridden manifesto films. But we chose to put a different spin to travel marketing by influencing and inviting tourists to enjoy winter differently by seeing the UAE through a different set of eyes. Our strategic ambition behind the work was to create a human story and not a typically produced tourism commercial. We wanted people to feel connected to our story (and to our protagonist), on a personal level. We wanted them to feel the unbridled joy and happiness of enjoying the experiences in the UAE. And we wanted it to be an authentic story that wasn’t scripted. This would help us be more distinctive and earn endorsements from influential figures and media, giving the message the amplification and the expansion needed to make an effective impact.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

Sharing her experience, Clara says, “This winter the UAE was the first country I’ve ever travelled to. And in one just week I’ve enjoyed an entire lifetime.” And she adds, “You know what I learnt, So, even if I cannot see, it’s everything I have felt here that has helped me see so much more.” The experiences were captured in a film that was promoted on social media platforms. We connected with and gained endorsement from the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister, Saif Bin Zayed, who shared the film and stated, “Shows how real joy is felt through one’s heart. Not through one’s eyes”. With this endorsement, the film travelled virally. We engaged popular news platforms worldwide who shared the film and the story to help amplify it further in media. And popular media publishing platforms locally, regionally, and globally featured the story too, giving it reach and visibility.

List the results (30% of vote)

In giving Clara a holiday that she loved, the UAE’s message was loved by all. By marketing media: “Unique, unfiltered, and authentic perspective.” (Shoot) “Inclusive tourism gets a boost from UAE.” (TrendHunter) “Beautiful visuals. Incredible sound. A human story.” (Little Black Book) “Cuts through the formula of travel advertising.” (The Stable, Australia) “An unexpected, emotional and uplifting film.” (CMOs Magazine) By people worldwide: “A statement about inclusive tourism.” (Veronica Smulders) “I’d like to donate my eyes, for people, when my life ends.” (Amit Kumar) “Perfectly shows the country’s focus on people with determination.” (Carlos Casta) “The perfect way to show UAE’s beauty.” (Aman Dhami) And was effective: 31.2 million cross-platform views. 1.1 billion global impressions. 6,870 free media mentions. 41,139 hashtag mentions for the campaign. $1.4 million earned media value. +18% winter tourists. Top 3 films for direction globally (AdForum). Most Shared Film in Winter 2021/2022 (Source: WhatsApp, Social bakers).

Credits

Name Company Role
Khaled AlShehhi UAE Government Media Office Executive Director of New Media and Visual Production
Ammar Al Khrisat UAE Government Media Office Executive Producer
Latifa Almarzooqi UAE Government Media Office Senior Social Media Manager
Ghaya Albannay UAE Government Media Office Social Media Specialist
Tahaab Rais Dejavu Dubai Film Director
Manasvi Gosalia Dejavu Dubai Founder and Executive Producer
Tahaab Rais Dejavu Dubai Writer
Kavya Iyer Dejavu Dubai Head of Production
Sampada Harkara Dejavu Dubai Producer
Aeyaz Hassan Dejavu Dubai Director Of Photography
Rizwan Maple Dejavu Dubai Editor
Rafic Sawaya Dejavu Dubai Post Producer
Georges Cassab Dejavu Dubai 1st AD
Danielle Barakat Dejavu Dubai Production Manager
Artem Streltsov Dejavu Dubai Production Coordinator
Joseph Kfoury Dejavu Dubai Focus Puller
Ali Ayach Dejavu Dubai 2nd AC
Cai Willis Go Aerials Drone Pilot
Will Ferguson Go Aerials Drone Camera Operator
Aladdin El Sherbiny Go Aerials Drone Technician
Walid Hamieh Dejavu Dubai Gaffer
Elie Eid Dejavu Dubai Sound
Khaled Abdelnaser Dejavu Dubai Sparks
Shahid Iqbal Dejavu Dubai Sparks
Christina Chole Dejavu Dubai Wardrobe & stylist
Samantha Ayoub Dejavu Dubai Hair & Make-Up
Adarsh Arjunan Dejavu Dubai Location Manager
Danish Raza Dejavu Dubai Assistant Location Manager
Karim Mira LZRD Colouring & Grading
Wilbur D’Costa MangoJam Studio Executive Producer
Vaughan Gardiner MangoJam Studio Music / Sound engineering
Ameen Alobaidi MangoJam Studio Music / Sound engineering
Shivani Sehgal MangoJam Studio Producer and Vocalist
Tahaab Rais FP7 McCann MENAT Regional Head of Strategy
Manar Munjed FP7 McCann Dubai Arabic Writer
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