To mark the launch of the “Hope Probe”, the Emirates Mars Mission revealed history’s first Arabic countdown as the Emirates prepares to embark on the first ever Arab space mission to Mars.
Emirates Mars Mission and The Emirates Nation Brand Office collaborated with TBWA\RAAD on the countdown, which kicked-off with an emotional manifesto film that addresses the pride in every citizen of the MENA region. The campaign celebrates “a new era for Arabs in space”, inviting people to share their #FirstArabicCountdown to the space mission.
A ‘Lens of Hope’ that performs the countdown was produced on Snapchat to further engage the community. The lens incorporates audio, video and keywords, allowing people to give the countdown the go-ahead.
The campaign extends across different media, including social and digital channels, as well as radio. The Countdown aired in prime locations and landmarks, on the Burj Khalifa skyscraper, as well as outdoor displays, buildings and cinemas across the Emirates.
A number of local, regional and global influencers, TV and radio anchors and celebrities joined the mission including David Luiz, Jacqueline Fernandez, Gary Vee, Jay Shetty, Muniba Mazari, Ragheb Alama and Ahmad Helmi, encouraging non-Arabic speakers to learn Arabic countdown and inviting people to tune in to the big event.
The Emirates Mars Mission is a historic event not only for the Emirates, but also for the entire Arab world. The #FirstArabicCountdown sparked a movement that galvanized people of the Arab world, creating a feeling of shared pride, excitement and inspiration for the future.
“The countdown is always the most exciting and gripping moment of any space mission”, said Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director Marketing & Communications for The Emirates Nation Brand Office. “We have been used to hearing the countdown in multiple languages, a move that symbolizes collaboration among different nations to accomplish and add value to humanity. The Hope Probe united 450 scientists and engineers from different backgrounds by science, and that is one of the messages the Emirates aims to deliver to the world. We will bring people together across the world to start a countdown in Arabic for the first Arab space mission that no one ever thought would someday be possible. Today, we prove that the impossible is possible.”
Reda Raad, Group CEO at TBWA\RAAD said: “We are extremely proud and humbled by this collaboration on the launch of the #FirstArabicCountdown for Mission Mars’ Hope Probe, witnessing history in the making for the entire Arab nation that will inspire generations to come.”
The Emirates' launch to the Red Planet will lift off between July 17 – August 12, 2020, depending on the weather conditions at the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan. The first Arab interplanetary mission will take seven months to arrive to Mars’ orbit and last one Martian year of 687 days.
