Emirates taps on comedian Badr Saleh for new Economy Class campaign in Saudi Arabia

Emirates today launched its first bespoke campaign with a series of short videos specifically targeted to Saudi Arabia, cleverly interlacing comedy to address the pain points of travel and showcase Emirates’ award-winning Economy class experience. 

The campaign stars Badr Saleh, and draws on experiences that almost every Saudi traveller can relate to - dated inflight movies and programmes, keeping children entertained onboard, and missing their favourite programmes while travelling.  Badr Saleh, one of the funniest comedians in the GCC, used a refreshing blend of observational humour, improvisation and in situ skits to differentiate the Emirates Economy Class experience.  Saleh was chosen for this campaign for his influence as one of the most well-known comedians in Saudi Arabia and the region, with millions of followers across YouTube, Twitter and Instagram as well as a strong TV presence, regularly reaching millions with his prime time evening show on MBC.  

The first video, debuting today, shows the endless inflight entertainment onboard a typical Emirates flight, so much so that Badr and his friend are still glued to their screens long after other passengers have disembarked. 

Khalid Al Haddad, Vice President Saudi Arabia said: “Emirates’ Economy Class is truly a no-compromise experience that offers more choice for Saudi travellers, and our onboard product provides exceptional comfort with world-class service and inflight entertainment for the whole family. It’s fantastic that Badr lent his comedic touch for this campaign and we hope that it brings some laughs to those watching while also showcasing the Emirates difference.”  

Badr Saleh commented on his role in the campaign: “Emirates’ sense of humour struck a chord with me, and I am incredibly proud to have worked alongside the airline’s team to develop great content that truly shows the outstanding onboard experience they offer."

The videos will be released over the course of the next few weeks, with the second spot illustrating the daunting experience of flying with children. Badr explains how many times he needs to apologise to other passengers and how flying with Emirates has alleviated his worries through the endless variety of kids entertainment provided onboard.  

In the third video, Badr relives an experience about missing a critical football match, which takes the viewers directly onboard where he is watching Live TV from his in-seat screen, a feature available on almost every Emirates flight. The comedian was able to enjoy his long-awaited football match, without missing a sporting highlight. 

The campaign will run digitally as well as across social platforms YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. 

Emirates has been flying to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 1989. The airline currently serves the Kingdom with 84 flights a week via four gateways; Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, and Al Medinah Al Munawarah. Emirates recently won the Best Airline in the World and Best Economy Class awards according to the 2017 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.