The up and coming Saadiyat Cultural District has launched its global campaign building its identity ahead of the project completion in 2025.
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi’s (DCT Abu Dhabi) campaign was created to spread Saadiyat Cultural District’s message that “culture elevates us all”.
The campaign, “Be moved in a thousand ways”, aims to highlight the significance of culture for people from all walks of life.
“It encapsulates the very heart of Saadiyat Cultural District—an ode to diversity and fostering dialogue, designed to resonate deeply with each visitor,” said H.E. Nouf Mohamed Al-Bushlaibi, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications, DCT Abu Dhabi.
He adds that the campaign hopes to create a narrative that “captivates individuals from all walks of life while igniting the curiosity of our next generation poised to shape our collective future.”
The film
The film features some of the well-known names from the fields art, architecture, museums and popular culture. Each was specifically selected to target a diverse global audience across 29 markets.
The film was narrated by Oprah Winfrey and broadcaster Mona El Shazly. Other known names include actors Idris Elba and Ayushmann Khurrana, and musicians will.i.am and Lang Lang.
The film takes a deeper look into the brains of these creative minds. To achieve this feat, the tourism department collaborated with generative artist Ferdi Alıcı at Ouchhh Studios to use neural data technology.
Each participant was equipped with a wireless EEG headset, with sensors attached to their forehead. They were filmed while responding to questions about the impact of culture.
A pre-trained Auto Encoder then recorded five brainwave signals, capturing their brain activity and state of mind.
This data was transformed into real-time abstract artworks, projected as murals on the screens in the studio.
This experience invites global audiences to engage with the insights of visionaries, while being mesmerised by the artistic representation of their captured emotions.
Saadiyat Cultural District advocates
Coined as Saadiyat Cultural District advocates, a total of 35 people took part in the campaign film.
Other contributors to the campaign include UAE’s local artists Mohammed Ibrahim, Najat Makki, Afra Al Dhaheri and Lord Norman Foster, Pritzker Architecture Prize winner and architect of the Zayed National Museum, as well as Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation.
To support the campaign, Saadiyat Cultural District has also launched its brand manifesto, narrated by over 65 creators and thinkers including Steve Harvey, Maria Sharapova, Gael Hedding, Hussain Al Jassmi, Harvey Mason Jr., Sandhini Poddar, Liu Yifei, and Magdelena Moreno.
They shared their thoughts on Saadiyat Cultural District’s role as a “global centre of culture”.
DCT Abu Dhabi collaborated with multiple partners to bring the campaign to life including agency Serviceplan Middle East and art and tech company Ouchhh Studios as well as Déjà vu for production and Memac Ogilvy for PR.
