Dubai Culture & Arts Authority recognised twice at GovMedia Conference & Awards 2024

Its initiatives have made significant impacts within Dubai’s cultural and creative landscape.

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority was recognised with two prestigious wins at the GovMedia Conference & Awards 2024, underscoring its significant impact on Dubai’s cultural and creative landscape. Its initiatives have made substantial contributions to the arts and community welfare.

The Dubai Calligraphy Biennale campaign, celebrated for reshaping public engagement with the ancient art of calligraphy, was honoured as the United Arab Emirates Campaign of the Year - Culture and the Arts. This digital and physical campaign captivated audiences through interactive displays and educational content that celebrated calligraphic art.

Additionally, the Ramadan Heroes initiative was awarded the United Arab Emirates Digital Initiative of the Year - Culture and the Arts. Both awards reflect Dubai Culture's dynamic approach to integrating cultural heritage with modern innovation, further cementing its role as a leader in the cultural and artistic advancement of the UAE.

The Dubai Calligraphy Biennale campaign utilised digital engagement, with interactive screens, animated web banners, and infographic carousels crafted to captivate and educate online audiences. In physical spaces, the campaign made a remarkable impact through sustainable branding, featuring exhibition posters, airport animations, and elevator ads that transformed public and transitional spaces into immersive calligraphic experiences.

It also employed targetted invitations, encompassing a suite of custom invites for VIPs, media, consulates, major partners, and specific events, ensuring personalised engagement with key stakeholders.

The campaign included introductory text panels and workshop screens, enriching the visitor experience with knowledge about calligraphy. Promotional videos played a pivotal role, featuring animated category screens and lower-thirds for videos, maintaining a cohesive visual identity across all content.

Dubai Calligraphy Biennale’s execution was exemplary. It recorded an impressive tally of 1,392 media clippings and an Advertising Value Equivalency reaching $7.168m, alongside a PR value that soared to $21.505m. Its digital footprint was significant, with 781,183 reach, 4,288,489 impressions and 103,595 numbers of engagement, with a total of 284 posts and 429 stories that bridged cultures and generations.

Meanwhile, the paid media and advertising strategy achieved 64,238,639 impressions, 58,113,337 reach and 32,986,758 engagements.

“The campaign's diverse and targetted creative elements contributed to a compelling narrative that resonated with diverse audiences and made a significant impact on Dubai's cultural and creative landscape,” Dubai Culture said.

Meanwhile, the 2023 edition of its Ramadan Heroes initiative aimed to add smart machines to provide free fresh bread and address food security, representing a groundbreaking shift in its approach to corporate social responsibility.

Its primary objective was to create a continuous and sustainable aid mechanism accessible 24/7 throughout the year. By utilising smart machines to offer free fresh bread, Dubai Culture aimed to provide not just temporary relief during Ramadan, but also contribute to a long-term and sustainable solution to food insecurity.
Collaborations with talabat UAE and Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Centre for Endowment Consultancy were pivotal in executing this transformative initiative, as the former enabled customer donations through the app and the latter ensured a seamless technological integration and round-the-clock availability of fresh bread to the underprivileged across Dubai and the UAE.

The execution of this initiative was meticulously planned, involving press releases, in-app notifications to millions of talabat users, targetted emails to partner databases, a social media campaign and digital advertisements. The total PR value generated amounted to almost AED 5.84m, further highlighting the campaign's success in garnering public attention and media coverage. It also achieved 3,178,019 reach, 5,343,512 impressions, and 1,438,763 engagement.

Ramadan Heroes raised over AED 560,000 in donations, a testament to the community's support for this innovative humanitarian effort. This financial contribution allowed for the installation of 15 new smart machines across designated outlets in Dubai. Over 150,000 individuals were provided with free fresh bread during the holy month.

The campaign solidified Dubai Culture's reputation as a leader in sustainable humanitarian initiatives, showcasing its ability to blend cultural promotion with meaningful social change. “The initiative stands as a beacon of innovation in CSR, demonstrating how a cultural organisation can play a pivotal role in addressing pressing societal issues through forward-thinking and impactful initiatives," Dubai Culture said.

The GovMedia Conference & Awards is a prestigious event that spotlights outstanding government projects and initiatives in Asia that contribute to the well-being of the people in the region.

The Gov Media Awards is presented by Gov Media Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2024 awards programme and be recognised for your organisation's government projects and initiatives, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].