Dubai: As Expo 2020 Dubai marks 1,000 days to go until its grand opening, it has launched its first global marketing campaign for the mega-event.
The campaign — which uses dozens of hands and distinctive colours to create the shape of objects such as Burj Khalifa, a light bulb, wind turbines and the Earth — is intended to demonstrate the power of human collaboration.
Tareq Ghosheh, vice-president for Marketing and Communication at Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “A World Expo is not only about showcasing the latest innovations; it is also a unique platform to bring together people from all over the world, and all walks of life, to encourage creativity, innovation and collaboration.
“This campaign sets the stage for where we’ll be going in future campaigns. We don’t want people just to turn up to the event; we want people to join the journey up to 2020.”
A total of 127 people — from dancers and magicians to creatives — are working on the project. Advertising agency Havas London collaborated with duos Dom & Nic and Metz+Racine to produce the video and print campaign.
Mark Whelan, group chief creative officer at Havas UK, said: “I’ve visited the site and seen the plans, and Expo 2020 Dubai is going to be out of this world, with people from around the world joining forces to make it amazing. We wanted to create a film with a story of people coming together filled with positive energy to reflect what it is all about.”
Expo 2020 Dubai will run for six months from 20 October, 2020 to 10 April, 2021, and is expected to receive 25 million visits, with 70 per cent due to come from outside the UAE.
