Media City Qatar has run a campaign in The Wall Street Journal’s The Future of Everything section to raise awareness about the collaborative media hub among global media leaders, business executives, innovators, and investors.
The ad’s design was a creative imitation of an AI chat interface, inspired by platforms like Google’s Gemini. It featured a prompt-style message from someone searching for a dynamic, forward-thinking media hub — one that ‘fuels creativity, fosters collaboration, and shapes the future of media.’
To answer the prompt, Media City Qatar included a scannable QR code directing readers to its website, where readers could learn more about what the hub offers.
“This approach transformed a traditional print moment into an interactive experience, blending the familiarity of digital interaction with the tactile impact of print,” said Nadim El Khoury, Director of Marketing and Communications at Media City Qatar. “Readers didn’t just see the ad. They interacted with it.”
According to a Wall Street Journal’s Intelligence RAM study, more than four out of five readers recalled the print ad on the day it was published. Just as many read it closely, showing strong engagement, while three out of four found it both interesting and visually distinctive.
“Perhaps most compelling, three out of five readers said they would recommend Media City Qatar to others, demonstrating meaningful interest and positive perception that extended beyond the Wall Street Journal’s readership,” El Khoury noted.
He added: “In a saturated media landscape, the concept stood out by being simple, direct, and purposeful. It invited readers to take the next step, connecting print with digital in a way that felt natural and relevant.”
While the millenia’s preferred medium of choice leans toward omnichannel, digital experiences, Media City Qatar chose The Wall Street Journal “because it offers direct access to a high-value, global audience of decision-makers, innovators, and industry leaders,” El Khoury said.
“As Media City Qatar continues to grow as a regional and international hub for media and creative industries, we wanted to position our story on a platform that’s trusted by business leaders not just in Qatar, but across the region and around the world.”
M+C Saatchi Qatar’s creative brief to conceptualise this campaign began with a simple question: ‘How can a traditional print ad capture the innovation and future-focused mindset that defines Media City Qatar?’
“Our brief to the creative team was to use traditional channels to take readers into a virtual world that presents our brand. To take them beyond a page. The campaign needed to embody the same creativity and innovation we champion every day,” El Khoury said.
“We’re building a space where innovation drives the future of media forward — across gaming, broadcasting, media technology, news, animation, social and digital media, production, post-production, and content localisation. Our goal was to reflect that spirit within the campaign itself.”
He added: “Strategically, we knew we were speaking to business leaders and creatives who appreciate bold ideas grounded in purpose. We wanted the campaign to feel fresh, relevant, and true to how we see the future of media: human, tech-driven, and full of creative potential.”
Look ahead, Media City Qatar aims to keep building platforms, partnerships and experiences that stand for innovation, collaboration and a future-facing approach to media. With this campaign, the media hub aims to suggest that more is coming, “and each step will continue to shape how we connect with audiences and champion the next generation of media and technology,” El Khoury concluded.
Credits:
Client: Media City Qatar
- Nadim El Khoury, Director of Marketing & Communications
- Nelly Al Hariri, Creative Project Lead
Agency: M+C Saatchi
- Managing Director: Mark Blackmore
- Creative Director: Sarah Mestarihi
- Account Director: Anna Barcham
- Associate Creative Director: Christian Lomuntad
- Head of English: Ridwaan Goolam Hoosen
