Dubai unveils mega marketing campaign ‘Dubai Heart’

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has launched a mega marketing campaign titled Dubai Heart. The campaign, targeting international tourists and residents of Dubai, was unveiled at a press conference held today.

The campaign will run through the upcoming Arabian Travel Market 2005 (ATM) where DTCM will participate with a 623 square metre stand. The ATM, being held from May 3 to 6 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, is the leading travel industry event for the Middle East and and Pan Arab region and is expected to attract thousands of international travel and hospitality trade professionals. The Department has planned several on-site promotions at the ATM to coincide with the new campaign, to promote Dubai in international markets.

The campaign was introduced through a series of ‘teaser adverts’ at strategic outdoor venues throughout the emirate. The hoardings used Arabic calligraphy motifs to create a heart shape that spells Dubai.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, DTCM Director Operations and Marketing, Mr. Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb said, “This campaign is the result of a well-researched and carefully thought-out strategy wherein our media team has worked from concept through objectives and mechanics to practical issues such as timing.”

“The heart means different things to different people and is symbolic of the courage and dynamism shown by our leaders in creating a trade and tourism destination unlike any other,” Mr. bin Hareb said.

“Dubai attracts visitors from around the world and is home to people from over 150 different nationalities who live and work in the emirate in perfect harmony. This campaign embodies the vibrancy of Dubai in all vividness and makes use of real people from all walks of life to present their compelling opinions,” Mr. bin Hareb added.

Justifying the rationale for using real people, Mr. bin Hareb said, “Our experience in promoting Dubai over the years has helped us devise this campaign and incorporate pragmatic elements into the brand communications to connect with the target audience.”

“Increasing media fragmentation, ease of changing channels, shortened attention span of consumers and the sheer volume of marketing messages means a lot of noise but very little opportunity for a message to reach its target audience,” he said.

“Consumers too have become more sophisticated so we have moved beyond traditional branding to enable the consumer to be immersed in the brand and have made use of real people living in Dubai as models to develop a stronger association,” Mr. bin Hareb stressed.

“This campaign provides essential attributes of consumer engagement that will enable us to stand out in a crowded market-place that is the tourism industry, where differentiation is the key to success,” said Mr. bin Hareb.

He added that the heart reflects Dubai’s character - strong, healthy and vibrant and always full of life “Even when the whole body is fast asleep, the heart is at work diligently pumping and that is an expressive comment about Dubai,” Mr. bin Hareb noted. “It is also represents the positive sentiment that visitors feel – of being welcome in a warm, hospitable city that is simply bustling with life,” he said.

The campaign features a Dubai logo, with an open D signifying an open-minded culture; the font itself denotes motion reflecting Dubai’s fast-paced growth and development, a city that is constantly moving forward; and a bold typeface, reflects the clear and bold impact that Dubai is making across the world. 

The campaign will make an impact from May 1st in newspapers, on the radio, television, on the DTCM website and on taxicabs, at the airport, at Visitor Information Bureaus throughout the city as well as leading hotels in the emirate simultaneously.

The Department has also organized radio promotions to give-away ‘Dubai Heart’ merchandise including caps, T-shirts, pins and mugs. “The promotional items have been designed to give people a sense of pride while sporting them anywhere in the world.

“The print advertisements will feature local residents and expatriates talking about why they love Dubai. The campaign has a strong emotional appeal to allow people to easily identify what makes Dubai tick,” said Mr. Ahmed Al Tunaiji, DTCM Manager Media and Advertising.

“The campaign has been timed to coincide with the staging of ATM to target the large groups of delegates and visitors from key international markets. The DTCM stand will display ‘Dubai Heart’ branding prominently. The stand will also feature a wind tower dispensing Dubai Heart embossed stress balls to ATM visitors. DTCM information kiosks in Dubai and across the city as well as the dedicated arrivals counter for ATM delegates at Dubai International Airport will have Dubai Heart branding,” added Al Tunaiji.

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