Navigating the quest for love in the Middle East presents unique challenges, given the cultural norms and social dynamics in the region.
‿ and us Agency and BlackBox Studio capture the wild journey of dating in their campaign for Closeup titled #GetCloserToLove.
The social films feature illustrations by Lucas Sales and immersive sound production by Vox Haus, which dive deep into the challenges singles face in both the UAE and KSA. It offers local relatable narratives with a touch of humour and an inspiring message.
One challenge expats often face is the transient nature of the population. Many people come to the UAE for short-term assignments or contracts, leading to a constant influx and outflux of individuals. This can make it difficult to establish long-term relationships as people may leave unexpectedly.
Additionally, the gender ratio in the UAE can be skewed, with a higher proportion of men to women due to the large number of male expatriate workers in certain industries.
This can create challenges for both men and women in the dating scene, as it may affect the dynamics of social interactions and the availability of potential partners.
In fact, only 50 per cent of Tinder users manage to secure one face-to-face encounter, despite having hundreds of matches.
The campaign’s two films follow the journey of a single man and a single woman respectively, as they persevere through the never ending hurdles of dating apps, from rejections to ghosting. But after all the drama just to secure one date, the takeaway resonates: make it count with Closeup.
It suggests that amidst the difficulties of contemporary dating, products like Closeup can help individuals feel confident and make a memorable impression when they finally do meet someone in person.
Fadi Yaish, CEO and CCO at ‿ and us, said: “Finding love today is easier than ever, thanks to continuous tech advancements — but securing that actual meetup is harder than ever. Through just a few water cooler conversations, we witnessed first-hand the difficulties faced by singles here. That first romantic encounter has never been more important. And what tops the list of first-date turn-offs? Bad breath. So we wanted Closeup to reassure singles that after all the hurdles to secure the face-to-face meet up, they can rely on us to instill the confidence and freshness they need to make it count and get closer to love.”
The campaign aims to position Closeup as a brand that understands the challenges of modern dating and provides a solution to help users make the most of their opportunities for connection.
Credits
Agency: ‿ and us
Client: Closeup, Unilever
CEO and CCO: Fadi Yaish
Creative Director: Saymon Medeiros
Associate Creative Director: Rob Hall
Senior Art Director: Arthur Melo
Brand Director: Lama Halimeh
Production House: BlackBox
Producer: Serra Chehade
Motion Graphic and Editor: Kaue Akimoto
Illustration: Lucas Sales
Audio Production: Vox Haus
