Louvre Abu Dhabi brings cultures together and Publicis ME new integrated campaign taps into it

Posted on 2021 Nov,11 | By ArabAd's staff

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Louvre Abu Dhabi brings cultures together and Publicis ME new integrated campaign taps into it

Chinese or Islamic Art? A question you will no doubt ponder upon, as you will be astonished by the objects on display at the current Dragon and Phoenix Exhibition in Louvre Abu Dhabi, running until 12 Feb 2022.

Visitors are offered the opportunity to marvel at the untold story of how China, ‘the dragon’, and the Islamic world, ‘the phoenix’, exchanged ideas between 8th – 18th century through a display of over 200 masterpieces, exploring the remarkable and little-known history of these cultural exchanges.

Supported by a beautiful animation film, which recalls stories of cultural exchange between the Chinese and Islamic civilisations, the exhibition showcases the connections, artistic influences, and remarkable untold stories of more than 800 years of cultural and commercial relationships.

All communication elements were developed to highlight or celebrate the artistic production interchange between the two cultures.

Starting from the blue-hued animated film, which pays tribute to the cobalt blue pigment imported from the Islamic lands thus giving birth to the iconic white and blue Chinese porcelain, to the social media posts where the viewer is invited to note the uncanny similarities between the different-origin artifacts.

In addition, Louvre Abu Dhabi invited influencers to support them on their mission to recall stories of cultural connection and highlight the remarkable exchange between the two civilisations.

The invitations took the form of blue and white ceramic half-plates decorated with Islamic motifs and an illustrated phoenix that represents the Islamic lands.

Influencers were then encouraged to visit the museum and reclaim the second half of the plate, which was decorated with Chinese drawings and an illustration of a dragon, thus symbolically merging the two cultures in one plate. The complete plate served as their entry ticket into the exhibition.

This fully integrated campaign is the first collaboration between Louvre Abu Dhabi and their new communication partner Publicis Middle East after winning, at the start of 2021, the creative account, which was previously handled by TBWA\Raad.