Hong Kong –– National Geographic Channel (NGC), part of the FOX International Channels (FIC) network, has launched a comprehensive travel feature, designed for Emirates as part of an integrated marketing campaign titled Be There. The travel feature is a series of vignettes about seven Emirates ‘Globalistas’ and is at the centre of the Be There campaign, with additional complementing on-air marketing and social media elements. Emirates Globalistas are staff members of the airline who were chosen to travel the world and present their discoveries about their diverse passions, from music, food, fashion to adventure, on a six-month journey around the world. The campaign runs exclusively with National Geographic Channel for eight months and began on 22 May.
NGC and Emirates developed the Be There campaign together – from auditions, judging, training, vignette production and social media marketing, to on-air media planning and broadcasting. Emirates prides itself on hiring people who are curious, adventure-seekers and cosmopolitan, terming them as Globalistas. This philosophy matches NGC’s targeted audience of travellers and adventure-seekers, enabling both NGC and Emirates to tell these fascinating stories about ordinary people with different passions from different parts of the globe.
Hailing from different countries and backgrounds, the Globalistas were chosen for their passion for travel as a way to enrich their lives. The Globalistas include members of Emirates cabin crew and customer service, an IT project manager, a training specialist, and a pilot — each on their own adventure to find personal epiphanies on their travels, celebrate their passions and doing as locals do at each destination.
Con Apostolopoulos, Vice President – Partnerships, Asia Pacific and Middle East at FIC, said, “NGC is all about storytelling, and the Be There partnership was one that made sense from our very first conversation with the team at Emirates. We are very pleased to work with a talented group of Globalistas and help take their stories to a broad global audience of like-minded travellers. Their passion is addictive.”
“We have found a likeminded partner in NGC, who has given the stories of our Globalistas a real voice. As they go on their journeys of self-discovery and learn about new cultures and experiences, it’s gratifying to see their narratives come to life,” said Boutros Boutros – Divisional Senior Vice President – Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand at Emirates. “We hope that viewers will be inspired to travel more as a result of the series. Emirates is excited to have partnered with NGC to impart this message, and we feel that this will translate to greater brand awareness in a wider audience.”
Through their travels, the Emirates Globalistas in Be There explore fashion, food, music, adventure, extreme sports and local culture in different parts of the world and share their experiences through videos and photos they post on http://emirates.com/BeThere. Be There’s campaign elements include an overview video; a profile video for each Emirates Globalista introducing them to viewers; videos of NGC Key Experiences, showcasing the Globalistas’ experiences on their travel to different destinations; and Destination Creatives that call for viewers to share their own personal experiences of the featured cities. Moreover, five different regional NGC websites will each have their own dedicated Be There page, detailing the campaign information. Viewers will also be invited to join the Emirates conversation using the hashtag #BeingThere.
Be There runs exclusively on NGC in the U.S., United Kingdom, Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and India, promoting Emirates with compelling stories of human connection.
