Dubai: First, there were the Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities. They were the original ‘influencers’. Then came the social media influencers, and now, we have emoji influencers.
You read that right. The star of the latest promotional campaign from Dubai Tourism is none other than Tuzki, a popular Chinese emoticon, and is part of efforts to attract more tourists to the emirate from China.
Dubai Tourism announced a partnership with Turner Asia Pacific, a WarnerMedia company, to launch a new digital campaign starring ‘Tuzki’ and featuring a series of short digital clips showing Tuzki’s vacation in Dubai. Netizens will be able to follow Tuzki’s journey on Dubai Tourism’s website, as well as on Chinese social media apps such as WeChat. They can also interact with the popular black-and-white rabbit character by playing with it online for a chance to win a holiday to Dubai.
“This digital rabbit is the perfect ambassador for Chinese tourists to Dubai, and will show them that this remarkable place has a unique personality and welcomes them with a sense of fun,” said Clement Schwebig, Turner’s managing director of China and Asia Pacific.
“Tuzki has found himself in many interesting places over the years – from the screens of millions of young Chinese mobile users to the Paris Fashion Week catwalk.”
Dubai Tourism said it aims to capture the attention of Chinese netizens and highlight Dubai as a destination. It pointed that China continues to be one of the top guest markets for Dubai’s tourism sector, and that it plans to engage Chinese tourists all year round.
