When the UK finally took UAE off the COVID-19 Red List, in true Emirates style, we had an idea to shout the news from the world’s highest rooftop – the Burj Khalifa. Standing 828 metres above Dubai, our cabin crew used boards to share the news. Drone pilots captured the incredible footage and the film went viral on social media, and made global headlines. It had the world asking whether the stunt was real or fake so we released the Behind the Scenes edit which is the most engaged, viewed and shared video on our Instagram channel. It was a bold idea that got the world’s attention.

When the UK finally took UAE off the COVID-19 Red List, in true Emirates style, we had an idea to shout the news from the world’s highest rooftop – the Burj Khalifa.

Standing 828 metres above Dubai on a 2m by 2m platform, our cabin crew used boards to shared the message that this news made us feel on top of the world.

It was an achievement that brought together safety teams, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, stunt specialists, and a skydiver dressed as our cabin crew. Drone pilots captured the incredible footage.

It was a crucial time to connect with our passengers. And in true Emirates style, we wanted to mark this moment with something no one had ever done before. With no creative agencies on our roster, we came up with the idea of putting our Cabin Crew on top of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. We brought in specialists who built a 2m by 2m platform at the pinnacle of the building and adhered to the strictest safety protocols. The “behind the scenes” edit was strategically released a couple of days later as people wondered whether the stunt was real or fake. The results were phenomenal.

The Burj Khalifa is a globally recognised symbol of the spirit of Dubai. While our cabin crew are known the world over for their warm hospitality and caring service. What if we brought these two icons together to welcome tourists back to Dubai in a way that’s as unforgettable as the experience on Emirates flights.

Reconnecting with the UK had us on top of the world, and we had to shout it from the world’s highest rooftop, 828 metres above the ground. We worked with safety teams, a stunt crew, professional skydiver and drone pilots to pull off the perfect shot. It took weeks of planning, training and rehearsals. The result was an ad that had our tickets skyrocketing. The videos went live on all our social channels; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube as an organic post. After going viral, they were shared by many influencers and publications.

The film went viral on social media and as the views racked up, so did our ticket sales. Sales continued to rise as the campaign made global headlines and was shared by some of the top influencers and publications. The main ad went live on 5 August 2022, with a reach of 8.1M users on Facebook and Instagram, generating 6.6 million views and 526,000 interactions with a reach of almost 9 million. We also saw a large spike in our ticket sales from the UK, from fewer than 1,000 bookings the day before, to over 17,000 on the day the ad was released. The follow up Behind the Scenes video releases on 9 August performed even better with a total of 6.9M video views, becoming our most engaged, viewed and shared social media campaign to date.