Tourism advertising has a predictable formula. Serviceplan Group Middle East hasn’t defied the formula – it has done something better. The agency has turned the formula into something wildly inventive and irresistibly fun to watch – by noticing a simple truth about Indian life – over 500 million Indians are active WhatsApp users, and for many families, group chats have evolved into virtual living rooms where everything from dinner plans to holiday destinations are debated with passion, emojis, and a flood of stickers.
In other words, “most Indian family holidays begin with a text message on the family group”. Serviceplan also brought in popular Indian actor, Ranveer Singh, who also has 47 million Instagram followers.
And so Tourism Abu Dhabi’s campaign is The Ranveer Singh Family Vacation, a madcap WhatsApp story. Set inside a fictional group chat, the film features Ranveer Singh and his extended on-screen family engaging in a hilarious, emoji-laden debate over where to vacation next. Each character represents a common group chat archetype – from the sceptical auntie to the enthusiastic kids – mirroring how decisions are really made in Indian families. Scenes cut between the chat and vivid real-life experiences in Abu Dhabi, (and here the formula comes in) – theme parks, luxurious shopping and Indian cuisine that feels like home.
The campaign also recognised the power of peer-to-peer recommendations in India. So Experience Abu Dhabi created custom WhatsApp stickers featuring Ranveer Singh in playful poses – designed to infiltrate group chats across India. The stickers, which reflect typical reactions in a group setting (‘Flight mode:on’, ‘No kaam, only araam.#InAbuDhabi’ etc.) were shared across social media and directly with audiences.
“A family holiday is not an easy agreement. Options are proposed, drafted like resolutions, debated in group chats, amended mid-call, and sometimes vetoed by the youngest delegate with the biggest opinions,” stated Sajju Ambat, director of creative strategy and insights.
Credits:
Client: Department Of Culture And Tourism – Abu Dhabi
Marketing Director: H.E. Nouf Mohamed Al-Boushelaibi
Project Manager: Imane Zebrini
Marketing Manager: Kenneth Daniel Monis
Creative Director: Ghadeer Khub
Marketing Director: Emma Campbell
Campaign Director: Nada Assaf
Campaign Manager: Mohamed Elshorafa
Planners: Zain Variawa & Ady Badawi
Communications Manager: Nishita Virkar
PR: Muhimma Alriyami
Creative Agency: Serviceplan Group Middle East
Executive Creative Director: Nishant Shah
Creative Director: Andre Couto
Associate Creative Director:Kunal Gagwani
Copywriter: Mariyam Maroof
Producer: Geetika Sood
Production Manager: Saquib Wakankar
Business Director: Solange Constantin
Account Manager: Mohamad Saboury
Media: Spark Foundry ME
Production Company: Déjà Vu
Executive Producer: Manasvi Gosalia
Head of Production: Kavya Iyer
Producer: Nadine Gibbs
Head of Production: Rafic Sawaya
Producer: Adnan Plummer
PR: Ogilvy India
