The new Emirates advertisement features one of their cabin crew members in full uniform standing tall on the tip of the Burj Khalifa by Emaar at 828 metres above ground. She joins only a handful of individuals who have had the privilege to stand at the pinnacle of the world’s tallest building – including Tom Cruise and the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, according to a press release.
The 30 second clip opens with a close-up of the cabin crew holding up message boards in a nod to the famous scene in the 2003 cult hit “Love Actually”. As the camera pans out, audiences soon find that the crew, with her iconic red Emirates hat and uniform, is actually standing at the very top of the Burj Khalifa by Emaar, giving audiences a panoramic view of Dubai’s skyline. The behind the scenes edit can be viewed on Emirates YouTube channel and across the airline’s other social media channels.
“The calm and confidence of the cabin crew you see in the ad is an embodiment of our frontline team, serving travellers and ensuring their safety,” said Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline.
Throughout filming and in preparation of the shoot, safety remained the main priority. A custom platform with an attached pole was built at the top for the protagonist to stand on. She was attached to the pole as well as two other different points directly to the pinnacle, through a hidden harness under the Emirates uniform.
The shooting team was at the pinnacle for around 5 hours with the stunt woman, wearing a safety harness under the Emirates uniform secured to a custom-made platform that was attached directly to the pinnacle. A single drone was used to capture the footage in a continuous take to film the complete sequence.
At 828 metres above ground, this marks one of the highest ads ever filmed and was conceptualised and directed by Emirates’ in-house brand team with the help of Prime Productions AMG, based in Dubai.
