Experience Abu Dhabi has launched a campaign targeting Indian travellers, starring Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh and set entirely within the familiar digital setting of a family WhatsApp group chat.
The campaign brings to life a behavioural truth: most Indian family holidays begin not at a travel agency or with a Google search – but with a message to the family group. With more than 500 million active users, India is WhatsApp’s largest market globally, making it a natural storytelling platform for the campaign’s concept.
The campaign was developed by Serviceplan Middle East and produced by Déjà vu. It was supported by Spark Foundry, Ogilvy India and Memac Ogilvy.
The video opens with Singh seated at a family dining table, excitedly announcing a holiday in Abu Dhabi. One by one, other family members begin to appear – both at the table and in the group chat – mirroring the way Indian families often plan trips through emojis, voice notes, and back-and-forth banter. Characters include a tech-challenged auntie who’s always typing but never sending, a good-morning-forwarding uncle, and the younger, Gen Z cousins with cool filters and hotter takes.
As each character weighs in, scenes shift fluidly from chat to real-world, showcasing what Abu Dhabi has to offer for every family member – from luxury shopping and theme parks to street food and serene beaches. The film closes with a cheerful CTA from Singh: “Habibis, so when are you going to Abu Dhabi?”
Beyond the film, the campaign extended into digital touchpoints with custom WhatsApp sticker packs featuring Ranveer Singh in playful poses and travel-themed captions like “Flight mode: on” and “No kaam, only araam. #InAbuDhabi.” These stickers were designed to organically integrate into Indian WhatsApp conversations, reinforcing both recall and relatability.
“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,” said Sajju Ambat, Director of Creative Strategy and Insights.
The Ranveer Singh campaign recorded over 143 million impressions, 18.5 million video views, and 254,000 engagements across digital and social channels – highlighting the value of insight-led, culturally resonant creative in travel marketing.
Credits
Agency – Serviceplan Middle East
Executive Creative Director: Nishant Shah
Creative Director: Andre Couto
Associate Creative Director: Kunal Gagwani
Copywriter – Mariyam Maroof
Senior Producer: Geetika Sood
Junior Production Manager: Saquib Wakankar
Business Director: Solange Constantin
Account Manager: Mohamad Saboury
Production House – Déjà vu
Executive Producer – Manasvi Gosalia
Head of Production – Kavya Iyer
Producer – Nadine Gibbs
Head of Postproduction – Rafic Sawaya
Post Producer – Adnan Plummer
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
H.E. Nouf Mohamed Al-Boushelaibi – Executive Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi
Imane Zebrini – Special Projects Lead, Strategic Communications Department
Kenneth Daniel Monis – Acting Destination Marketing Section Head
Ghadeer Khub – Creative & Production Department Director at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi
Emma Campbell – Sector Marketing Director and Acting Director of Strategic Communications at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi
Nada Assaf – Campaigns Section Head at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi
Mohamed ElShorafa – Campaigns Unit Head at The Department at The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi
Zain Variawa – Acting Media Planning Unit Head
Ady Badawi – Media Planning Specialist
Nishita Virkar – Consumer Communications Section Head
Muhimma Alriyami – Consumer PR Specialist
Spark Foundry
Skander Naaman – Media Manager
Asad Khan – Senior Executive
Anilyn Abitria – Media Executive
Anees Abdul Rehman – Senior Executive
Frankie Warren – Senior Media Manager
Vedrana Strong – Associate Business Director
Ogilvy India
Arneeta Vasudeva – National Head – PR & Influence
Nakul Sagar – Partner – PR & Influence
Hetika Gala – Associate Partner – PR & Influence
Laksh Kapri – Sr. Consultant – PR & Influence
Memac Ogilvy
Sarah Edwards – Managing Partner
Lameez Mohd – Senior Account Director
Mina Kiwan – Media Relations Director
Zainab Damji – Senior English Editor
Aamina Mohamed – Senior Account Manager
Rami Farrah – Senior Account Executive
Nayla Ibrahim – Account Executive
