17 hours ago
UAE says ‘Cannes-Do' to the ‘impossible'; creates conversations on the Croisette
For the second year in a row, the UAE Government Media Office has attracted incredible attention at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, with several hundred delegates, attendees and passers-by seen raising their phones to scan the QR Code on a massive billboard that read: 'An ad without a logo. There's only one country that would do something that risky.'
Positioned perfectly at the busiest entry points within the heart of the Palais, and on the glass façade overlooking the Croisette, these billboards played on the inherent curiosity of the global creative, brand, marketing and advertising industry.
Several similar billboards located within the Palais and along the Croisette also drew eyeballs. Campaign Middle East overheard conversations of the 'bold' and 'disuptive' ads from those who stood watching these billboards while waiting patiently in long queues – in the hopes to lay eyes on global celebrities such as Serena Williams, Jimmy Fallon and Reese Witherspoon.
Many visitors and attendees at Cannes Lions raised the question about 'what it would be like to work in a country that is daring enough to have billboards that read':
'If ideas don't seem impossible, we're not interested.'
'You didn't get into this business to resize banners. Let's fix that.'
'Where ideas go from 'nice deck' to 'next landmark'.'
Commenting on the campaign, Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication at the UAE Government Media Office, said, 'The UAE Government Media Office returned with louder confidence and sharper intent, taking over the Palais and the Croisette with bold, pointed headlines that did more than catch the eye.'
He added, 'The strategically placed outdoor and indoor billboards didn't ask for attention. They earned it. But beyond scale or design, it was the tone that turned heads: not promotional, not ceremonial, but culturally fluent. Made for the creative crowd, by a country that now speaks their language fluently.'
With an approach that included out-of-home (OOH) static billboards, digital-out-of-home (DOOH) billboards, and indoor billboards, the campaign created in collaboration with Impact BBDO, was also rolled out across some print publications.
Furthermore, the campaign also showed up on digital and social channels as a result of user-generated content (UGC) at Cannes Lions 2025.
Reacting to the buzz around the campaign, Ghassan Kassabji, CEO Dubai, CGO MENA, Impact BBDO said, 'The UAE didn't just show up at Cannes Lions. It showed the world what it stands for. If ideas don't seem impossible, they're not enough. This was a bold invitation to dream bigger, do more, and do it from the Emirates.'
Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer, Impact BBDO, added, 'We are beyond proud to have the opportunity to create this bold campaign for the UAE, a place which has always inspired us with its vision of making the impossible possible.'
That said, Campaign Middle East also spoke to agency leaders who were not involved in the campaign.
For instance, Natalie Shardan, Managing Partner, Serviceplan Group Middle East, and a jury member at Cannes Lions 2025, said, 'If there were a Grand Prix for turning the impossible into reality, the UAE would win it hands down.'
She added. 'After 20 years of calling this place home, the UAE's relentless ambition – regionally and on the global stage – still leaves me in awe. And, as someone leading an advertising agency, I know bold messages like this don't just inspire – they attract ambitious creative minds who want to turn possibility into action.'
This campaign also closed the loop on 'Bring Your Impossible': The platform launched by the Emirates at Cannes Lions 2024. What began as a campaign has since evolved into a narrative that continues to unfold: A narrative that calls on creators, founders and thinkers to go beyond ambition and move into execution.
And, this year, that message was not only reinforced on the streets; but also within the Cannes Lions 2025 jury rooms. Khaled AlShehhi was selected as a PR Lions juror marking a quiet shift in how the UAE is showing up at the highest levels of creative influence.
'We didn't come to Cannes to be seen,' AlShehhi said. 'We came to be part of the conversation on the stage, in the jury room, and on the streets. Our message is simple: if you have an impossible idea, you'll find your partner in the Emirates.'
The UAE's presence at Cannes Lions 2025 was further boosted by several UAE-based brands, government entities, and agencies that were seen engaging in the form of panels and partnerships throughout the festival.
Additionally, FP7 McCann Dubai, Impact BBDO, VML Dubai and LEO Dubai picked up the coveted metal cat trophies at the Cannes Lions Awards 2025, adding credibility to the Emirates on the global creative stage.
There's no doubt about it: These ads weren't just seen; they were felt. They didn't promote; they provoked.
They didn't sell; they were invited. They didn't follow; they set a standard.
'And the message was clear,' AlShehhi concluded. 'The Emirates are open for ideas as long as those ideas are impossible.'
