Dubai Properties is one of the largest real estate developers in Dubai. At the closing of 2017 they asked us to develop a campaign that cemented their position as a company that helped make Dubai a home to so many people from around the world. It’s a less straightforward topic than one might expect, because here’s an insight about expats: even though Dubai is a home to millions of them, when they talk about ‘home’ they always refer to the country they used to live - not the country they live in now. It becomes especially apparent during the festive season when the most heard question among expats is “Are you going home for the holidays?”
Ironically though, those same expats also know the feeling of ‘coming home’ when they hover above the city, arriving back into Dubai. We decided to connect with that sentiment when it’s at its most prominent. With billboards at the Arrivals terminal of Dubai International Airport, from the 1st of January 2018, Dubai Properties greeted expats with 3 simple words that instilled a true sense of belonging to the city they live in: Welcome Back Home.
The billboard got picked up by Dubai news channel Lovin Dubai and sparked an opinion piece by its chief editor. It shows that sometimes all it takes is a good insight coupled with a typewriter to create an impact. The ad was developed together with Braden Deatcher, Phil Ramage, Hari Krishna, Zeina Chidiac, Shayda Jaberolansar and Michel Pharand from Nomads.
Here's where you can find the entire article: https://lovindubai.com/opinion/this-airport-billboard-perfectly-summed-up-how-everyone-felt-arriving-back-in-dubai-this-year