A Emirates knows about bold advertising well, but his most recent commercial elevates it. The new ad features an Emirates crew member in full uniform standing on the tip of the Burj Khalifa near Emaar at 828 meters above the ground.
She s just a handful of individuals privileged to stand on top of the world's tallest building – including Tom Cruise and Dubai's Crown Prince, His Holiness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The 30-second clip opens with a close-up of the cabin crew holding up message boards in an homage to the famous scene from the 2003 cult hit. “Love Actually”.
As the camera pans out, the audience soon discovers that the crew, in their iconic red Emirates hat and uniform, are actually on top of the Burj Khalifa by Emaar, giving the audience a panoramic view of the Dubai skyline. The behind the scenes edit can be seen here, on the Emirates YouTube channel and on the airline's other social media channels.
“We are always looking to challenge the norm and push the boundaries at Emirates. We do this every day through our innovative services, our best products and, of course, our advertising.”
“The calm and confidence of the cabin crew that you see in the ment is the embodiment of our first-rate team, serving travelers and ensuring their safety. We are proud to be among the privileged few who were able to film atop the Burj Khalifa by Emaar; and even more proud that we can showcase our beautiful city, Dubai”, said Sir Tim Clark, chairman of Emirates Airline.
safety first
The ad was filmed without any green screen or special effects and was the result of rigorous planning, training, testing and a strict safety protocol. At the height of the building, the main protagonist had a reduced circumference space of just 1,2 meters at 828 meters in height to perform the maneuver.
A casting call was put out for Emirates' own cabin crew team and whilst there were a few willing and able applicants, a professional skydiving instructor was tapped to ensure the highest levels of safety.
During filming and in preparation for filming, safety remained a top priority. A custom platform with an attached pole was built on top for the protagonist to stand on. It was attached to the mast, as were two other points directly to the spire, via a harness hidden under the Emirates livery.
Filming began at dawn to capture the golden hour light and the crew, including the main star of the ad, began their pre-dawn ascent to the pinnacle. The ascent took 1 hour and 15 minutes from level 160 of the Burj Khalifa by Emaar and the team had to climb several levels and ladders inside a tube to reach the top.
The crew were at their peak for around 5 hours with the stuntwoman, wearing a seat belt under her Emirates uniform attached to a custom-made platform which was secured directly to the pinnacle. A single drone was used to capture the footage in one continuous shot to film the complete sequence.
At 828 meters above the ground, this is one of the tallest commercials ever filmed and was conceptualized and directed by Emirates' in-house brand team with help from Dubai-based Prime Productions AMG.
The ad will be tailored for different markets across the Emirates network, incorporating messages relevant to different audiences. The first TV campaign will run in the UK.
Street: Emirates
