Emirates celebrates the African cultural renaissance in a series of BBC short films
Emirates has launched a pan-African brand advertising campaign to celebrate the talent and achievements of young Africans.
The campaign celebrates the cultural renaissance taking over Africa and pays tribute to a generation of African disruptors who are making their mark globally across music, fashion, literature and the arts.
Produced by BBC Storyworks, the content-marketing division of BBC Global News, the short films tell stories of unique African individuals. Taking the message of 'New Africa' to the world, the series stars the Kenyan musician and producer 'Blinky' Bill Sellanga, Shanelle Nyasiase, a 21-year-old South Sudanese model, and the chief executive and publisher of OkayAfrica, Abiola Oke.
Each of the cultural ambassadors shares a common passion to bring their global exposure and influences to their own local journeys, as they discover what it means to be ‘home’.
Discussing Emirates new brand campaign, Boutros Boutros, divisional senior vice-president, corporate communications, marketing and brand said: “It is impossible to ignore the energy and talent coming out of Africa today, whether in music, fashion, sport or art. We’re seeing a greater awareness of a strong, proud African identity — while being very connected to a broad, global culture.
"We wanted to join the conversation and celebrate amazing, inspiring stories of people constantly pushing boundaries and challenging African stereotypes. To us, that is what travel is about, to find a common ground that helps us connect, to question, to be curious, and I believe this campaign does just that in taking Emirates closer to the heart of our audience in a way that is authentic."
Richard Pattinson, head of BBC StoryWorks commented: “This new series taps into the deep creative strength of the BBC to deliver a campaign that will capture the attention of our extensive and premium audiences in a way that no other publisher can.”
