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It’s been hard to miss Yas Island’s new Chief Island Officer online campaign starring Jason Momoa, with fans around the world excited to see what the Aquaman and Game of Thrones star will get up to next.
And if you’ve really been paying attention, you’ll also know this isn’t a one-off success for Yas Island – a regional destination whose name is quickly growing on the global stage.
Over the past years, Yas Island and their creative agency Momentum MENA have created the viral phenomenon of Stayin’ On Yas, an unexpected homage to the Bee Gees’ disco classic Stayin’ Alive – and its follow-up, the funky Yas Yas Baby, based on the Vanilla Ice track.
They got Ranveer Singh dancing his way into millions of hearts across South Asia with Yas Hai Khaas, and last year they made the genius decision to hire Kevin Hart as the world’s first Chief Island Officer with the task of ‘Hartifying’ Yas Island.
Most recently, Jason Momoa has arrived to help people #LiveItUpLikeMomoa – a campaign that sees the action star cut loose, embrace his sillier side, and make people embrace his infectious enthusiasm and energy while they follow him across Yas Island's world-beating attractions.
Such a sustained run of great advertising is proof that something’s up on the region’s top leisure, entertainment, and tourism destination.
Miral Destinations, the company that manages Yas Island, hired Badr Bourji as VP of Marketing directly from Momentum MENA.
Bourji says: “Being a core part of the Momentum team gave me a unique insight into their creative process. As a result, I genuinely trust the agency to deliver, and I know we share a vision to propel Yas Island onto the global stage.”
By standing behind the innovation of its output, Yas Island has actually managed to rise above a crowded advertising landscape. Proof can be found in Rove Hotels’ hilarious spoof of Chief Island Officer. And seeing Netflix’s recent Chief Action Officer spot starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Yas Island did it first.
Celebrities who come to the region often overpower the brand they’re supposed to be promoting. But the Chief Island Officer creative vehicle has remained the star of the show, with Hart and Momoa only amplifying the role.
Bourji confirms: “Yas Island handpicks based on a checklist of criteria to ensure celebrities reflect the dynamism and bold attitude of the island, complementing our vision.”
Raphael Nassoura, General Manager and Executive Creative Director of Momentum MENA notes: “When it comes to evaluating our campaigns, we always start by putting ourselves in the audience's shoes. At the end of the day, the court of public opinion will be our biggest judge.”
So by focusing on bringing audiences what they want to see and experience, Yas Island has created campaigns that reward rewatching and demand sharing with friends.
Perhaps it all comes down to the fact that Yas Island stays true to its product. By putting entertainment front and center of its advertising, visitors know exactly what to expect when they visit: pure, absolute fun.
