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A new global campaign for Saadiyat Cultural District by The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) invites audiences to “Be moved in a thousand ways”. 

The campaign coincides with the announcement of that Saadiyat Cultural District’s construction will be complete by the end of 2025. 

DCT Abu Dhabi has created a unique, thought-provoking campaign that resonates globally, amplifying Saadiyat Cultural District’s message that culture elevates us all, across all demographics, fostering dialogue, igniting critical thought, and inspiring creativity, not only for those entrenched in arts and culture but for people from all walks of life. 

The campaign features some of the world’s most creative minds in the fields of art, architecture, museums and popular culture, each selected for their ability to reach and engage a diverse global audience and is informed by insights drawn from data spanning 29 markets.

In collaboration with generative artist Ferdi Alıcı at Ouchhh Studios, the film harnesses cutting-edge neural data technology to explore the minds of each advocate, capturing their thoughts and emotions about Saadiyat Cultural District's vision for a new era of cultural diversity. Each participant was equipped with a wireless EEG headset, with sensors attached to their forehead. 

They were filmed while responding to thought-provoking 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, dynamic abstract artworks, projected as data murals on giant immersive LED 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.

DCT Abu Dhabi recorded data murals from 35 Saadiyat Cultural District advocates. 

The compelling campaign film is anchored by talk show host, producer and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey and broadcaster Mona El Shazly. 

Contributors to the campaign include Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi; Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to the President of the UAE and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University; Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Lord Norman Foster, Pritzker Architecture Prize winner and architect of the Zayed National Museum; Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation; celebrated artists Mohammed Ibrahim, Najat Makki, Afra Al Dhaheri from the UAE; multi award-winning actor, musician and entrepreneur Idris Elba OBE; legendary pianist Lang Lang; and many more.

To bring the campaign to life, DCT Abu Dhabi collaborated with a roster of partners: Creative Partners, Serviceplan Middle East; Art & Technology Partners, Ouchhh Studios; Production Partners, Déjà vu and PR & Communication Partners, Memac Ogilvy UAE.

“It’s not very often that you get to be a part of something that is way greater than your place and time on the planet. To watch history being made up-close, sitting alongside some of the brightest minds of our generation. To see hundreds of people get behind your idea -- it is certainly gratifying, but a whole lot more humbling. And the irony isn’t missed on any of us that while the campaign uses artificial intelligence, the purpose of Saadiyat Cultural District holds a very real heart beating at the centre of it all. From the creative conception of the idea to the clinical execution of it – it has been a ‘moving’ journey in more ways than one. As the creative agency on the project, we bear witness to show how art and science can come together to create a shared cultural experience,” said the creative partner Serviceplan Middle East.

The production partner Déjà Vu added, “As the production team behind this innovative campaign, we at Déjà Vu are honoured to have contributed to a project that seamlessly blends art and technology. We are proud to have helped amplify the voices of inspiring global thinkers and to bring Saadiyat Cultural District’s vision to the world.”

Patou Nuytemans, CEO EMEA Ogilvy added, "Saadiyat Cultural District is unique, offering world leading art and culture musea in walking distance of each other. It doesn’t only connect the Global South with the Global North, but also allows us to see links and to make new connections between art and science, history and future, nature and technology, and cultures everywhere. We feel privileged to be part of the amazing team that is bringing this beautiful hub at the heart of Abu Dhabi to the world. It will be a beacon of cultural exchange and inspiration for generations to come." 

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. These prolific voices share their thoughts on Saadiyat Cultural District’s role as a global centre of culture.

"Reflecting on our campaign, it encapsulates the very heart of Saadiyat Cultural District—an ode to diversity and fostering dialogue, designed to resonate deeply with each visitor,” said Nouf Mohamed Al-Bushlaibi, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications, DCT Abu Dhabi. “Through our advocates, we've effectively conveyed this message to a vast audience, weaving a narrative that creatively captivates individuals from all walks of life while igniting the curiosity of our next generation poised to shape our collective future.”

"This journey has been profoundly transformative on a personal level," continued Al-Bushlaibi. "Listening to the myriad voices and their distinct cultural perspectives has underscored the nuanced impact of art and culture on our society, thereby infusing greater purpose into the Saadiyat Cultural District's mission."

Already home to Louvre Abu Dhabi, Berklee Abu Dhabi and Manarat Al Saadiyat, when construction is complete by the end of 2025, Saadiyat Cultural District will be joined by teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

Credits 

Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism

H.E. Nouf Mohamed Al-Bushlaibi - Strategic Marketing & Communication Sector Executive Director

Emma Campbell - Sector Marketing Department Director

George Kalliamvakos – Planning, Strategy & Operations Department Director

Ghadeer Khub - Creative & Production Department Director

Imane Zebrini – Special Projects Lead

Jacqueline Jain – Strategic Communications Section Head

Jonathan Muller – Creative Content Section Head

Nada Assaf – Campaign Section Head

Kenneth Monis – Acting Domestic Destination Marketing Unit Head

Grainne Murphy – Celebrities & VIPs Management Unit Head

Ahmed Regaie – Digital Design Unit Head

Ismail Ben Jelloun Touimi - Digital Marketing Lead

Kseniya Mahileuskaya – Social Media Senior Specialist

Tariq Naseer – Campaign Management Specialist

Prageeth Malaka – Graphic Designer

Serviceplan Middle East

Managing Partner - Natalie Shardan

Chief Creative Officer - Akhilesh Bagri

Executive Creative Director - Nishant Shah

Client Servicing Director - Rawida Saade

Account Directors - Yehia El Joueidi; Iuliia Borisova

Creative Director - Andre Couto

Associate Creative Directors - Daniel Zacatenco; Kenneth Barnes

Senior Art Director - Kunal Gagwani

Art Director - Sabina Mustafa

Copywriters - Zein Sadedin; Nehal Salah; Amany Hamed; Mariam Maroof

Senior Producer - Geetika Sood

Production Manager - Saquib Wakankar

Production House - Dejavu

Executive Producer - Manasvi Gosalia

Head of Production - Kavya Iyer

Producer –Sampada Harkara, Wadih Safieddine

Director: Neelay Shah

DOP: Rokas Sydeikis, Jaime valdueza, Dave Meadows, Daniel Tudano.

Photographer – Rohan Shrestha, Naim Chidiac 

Head of Post Production – Rafic Sa

PR & Communication - Memac Ogilvy UAE

Chief Executive Europe, Middle East & Africa – Patou Nuytemans

Chief Client Officer PR / Chief Communications Officer, EMEA – Joanna Oosthuizen

Business Director – Sarah Edwards

Business Director – Yasser Hamdy

Senior Client Lead – Abdallah Elchami

Communications Manager – Nicole Santon

Account Manager – Talia Bishara

English Editor – Stella Parkes

Media Relations Director – Mina Kiwan

Head of Social - Karl ElHitti

Social Media Manager - Nadine Quqa