As part of Campaign Middle East’s The Annual 2024 issue, we’ve rounded up the Top 20 integrated and digital campaigns that defined 2024. From eye-catching stunts to AI-generated variations, these campaigns highlight some of the region’s creative and impactful marketing efforts across various platforms.
The top 20 integrated and digital campaigns list is part of a broader wrap-up of the year, which also includes other lists, such as the top news stories, cinema ads, film campaigns and milestones. Read the Annual 2024 issue to explore these highlights.
1. UAE Government Media Office
Bring Your Impossible
Agency: Impact BBDO
UAE took over the Charing Cross station in Central London by placing a flying taxi, right next to a line
of black cabs. The installation is accompanied by the line, ‘In the Emirates, even the taxis reach the skies’, highlighted the country’s plans to launch commercial flying taxi services by 2026.
2. Spotify
Tarab
Agency: Science & Sunshine
Inspired by the Arabic word ‘Tarab’, the Saudi Arabia-focused campaign celebrated the hyper-personal moments that occur when Saudi fans listen to Khaleeji music on Spotify, while highlighting the platform’s local catalogue. Loosely translated, ‘Tarab’ is most closely related to the word ‘enchantment’. The word is often linked with classical Arabic music, but ‘Tarab’ transcends genres.
3. Billboard Arabia
Sounds of the land
Agency: SRMG
Billboard Arabia collaborated with scientists and sound engineers to analyse maps and use topographic techniques to extract data from five locations in the region: Al Ula, Tafilah Tinghir, Kadisha Valley and Luxor. The data was then transformed into sounds by mirroring the patterns of the landscapes onto vinyl recordings, allowing each location to be heard in an audio format.
4. Pizza Hut
Frozen Pizzas
Agency: Publicis Middle East
In an industry often associated with frozen ingredients, Pizza Hut took a humorous approach to highlight
its commitment to freshness. The brand introduced ‘frozen pizzas’ in supermarkets – but with a twist. Upon opening the box, customers discovered it was empty, accompanied by a note explaining that Pizza Hut doesn’t do frozen pizzas. Instead, they were given a voucher for a freshly made pizza at a Pizza Hut restaurant.
5. VisitComoros.org
Real Summer
Agency: VICE Arabia
Aimed at UK audiences to boost tourism, the low-cost campaign cleverly used screenshots of Comoros’ warm, sunny weather paired with witty copy. The messaging tapped into the familiar frustration of UK residents over often missing out on a ‘real summer’, positioning Comoros as the perfect escape.
6. Careem
Careem Pay
Agency: The Creative Studio, Careem
Capitalising on the Dubai’s peak summer travel season, the brand launched the marketing stunt to
boost its brand visibility and promote its remittance services. Forgoing traditional in-flight advertising, Careem Pay asked its employees to wear branded t-shirts on flights, acting as walking billboards, bound for key remittance markets such as India, Pakistan, the UK, and the Philippines.
7. Testicular Cancer Society
Highlight Your Balls
Agency: FP7 McCann
The Testicular Cancer Society found a clever way to make self-checks for testicular cancer more engaging. Recognising the popularity of football highlights on YouTube, the campaign used mid-roll technology to deliver its message right before a free kick. As defenders in the wall instinctively shield themselves, the campaign demonstrated how to perform a self-examination, blending the message into the game footage.
8. Al-Futtaim Toyota
Journey into HerStory
Agency: Memac Ogilvy
Using geo-targeting technology on Yango Maps, the campaign transformed streets in Dubai named after influential Emirati women into living narratives, sharing the stories behind these names. The initiative offered commuters audio stories specific to each street. Narrated by female Emirati voiceover artists, these stories highlighted the legacies of the women honoured, bringing their contributions to life for those travelling through the city.
9. Du
Business Starter
Agency: TBWA\RAAD
A departure from traditional B2B advertising norms, the campaign played on curiosity, intrigue and the mysterious. For a whole week, Du ran a campaign with a creative of a blue man without any mention of the brand, product, pricing, promotion, or offer. The only callout to the Du brand was the font and colours of the creative. The campaign also included gamified media elements and CGI.
10. Kinokuniya
Offset Box
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
The Offset Boxset, a collection of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified books, was designed to offset carbon emissions from social media use. Each set contained books that reduced 1 to 4 kg of carbon emissions, encouraged better reading habits, and educated people about climate change.
11. Deliveroo
Euro Food Wars
Agency: and us
The campaign tapped into the playful ‘Euro food wars’ seen during this year’s European Championships, where fans held signs taunting opponents with cuisine-based jabs such as ‘Pasta > Paella’ or ‘Fondue > Fish and Chips’. They turned these moments into promo codes for users in Dubai, allowing fans to enter a draw for an AED 500 voucher and contribute to their team’s score in Deliveroo’s pseudo ‘Euro Munch Match’.
12. BMW Middle East
BMW IJack
Agency: Serviceplan Middle East
Inspired by the finding that potential buyers of electric cars look for nearby stations first, the German brand photobombed 300 charging stations listed in Dubai on Google Maps with pictures of its electric range. The act increased visibility for the brand, creating a virtual showroom for the car’s range on Google.
13. Kudu
Kudu Rewards
Agency: VML Riyadh
Recognising Gen Z’s aversion to lengthy redemption processes, Kudu launched its new rewards app by offering instant rewards directly through its advertising. The Kudu campaign centred around the idea of ‘earn before you spend’ and used a Saudi composer to create a catchy song for its visually engaging film. Every second of the song featured hidden codes. Gen Z audiences were challenged to find these codes and redeem them for instant rewards on the Kudu app.
14. McDonald’s
After Dinner Dinner
Agency: FP7 McCann
As part of an initiative to promote late-night dining, McDonald’s UAE offered customers a free select meal in exchange for presenting a fine dining receipt from earlier that evening. By situating participating branches near upscale restaurants, the campaign targeted diners seeking a more affordable follow-up to their luxury dining experience.
15. Experience Abu Dhabi
20 Summers
Agency: Memac Ogilvy
Building on its ‘One Summer Isn’t Enough’ campaign, Experience Abu Dhabi took a different spin on influencer marketing by inviting 20 individuals named ‘Summer’ from 11 countries to visit the UAE capital. The trip was designed to showcase Abu Dhabi’s attractions through the eyes of the ‘Summers,’ reinforcing the message that one summer isn’t enough to experience the city.
16. Saudia Airlines
ProtecTasbih
Agency: Leo Burnett KSA
Every year, millions of pilgrims travel to Mecca for Hajj and Umrah. To support health and safety during these sacred journeys, Saudia, known also for religious travel, introduced ProtecTasbih. The prayer beads also doubled as hand sanitisers. These were distributed to Saudia passengers and pilgrims across Mecca.
17. Etihad
Black Friday Campaign
Agency: Impact BBDO
Etihad Airways partnered with Impact BBDO and Google’s Creative Works for a Black Friday campaign targeting early shoppers, as 70 per cent of Black Friday-related searches occur in October. Using YouTube Bumper Ads styled as in-flight safety announcements, the agency created 2,400 ad variations encouraging travellers to fly for their desired deals, from electronics to fashion. Each version swapped product and destination imagery, delivering hyper-personalised travel suggestions.
18. Panadol
Pain is Everywhere
Agency: Grey Argentina, Grey Dubai
Panadol reimagined pain relief advertising by ditching the usual exaggerated image of individuals grimacing and red dots representing pain. Instead, the campaign uses relatable print and social ads to highlight everyday pains in familiar domestic settings – like bumping into sharp corners of kitchen cupboards, stubbing toes on table legs or stepping on a building block.
19. DHL
Unexpected Delivery Methods
Agency: Horizon FCB
Recognising that nearly half of the global population resides in remote areas, DHL put a spotlight on the lengths it goes to deliver, no matter the location. The campaign showcased real ID trackers of actual deliveries reaching the world’s most secluded spots through its diverse delivery fleet, including mountain bikes, tricycles, boats, camels, canoes and even a runner. The campaign takes a different approach to the delivery industry communications, which are dominated by the pursuit of ‘faster, better and first’.
20. Grandiose
Only a Doggie Nose
Agency: Tuesday Communications
To promote its dog food and app, Grandiose directly targeted dogs in the UAE. Scented OOH posters infused with aromas of dog-favourite treats were placed in dog parks across the city, inviting dogs and their owners to investigate. Upon closer inspection, owners discovered QR codes offering International Dog
Day discounts on dog food, directing them to the Grandiose app to redeem the offers.
