From Porsche’s perspective, brand heritage lives deep in the Middle East region, with many proud Porsche Collectors but no structured public platform for them to gather. Classic cars were normally viewed in very exclusive, closed circle formats, which only spoke to older luxury audiences. The car culture community, on the other hand, was already experimenting with smaller, scattered, independent hybrid models, that combined lifestyle elements with typical automotive events. Looking at the current construct, an opportunity was identified; to leverage the Porsche brand heritage with a new outlook, tap into the region’s appetite, activate key strategic audiences, while offering Classic Cars an inclusive spin. A secondary objective sought to highlight Porsche’s brand pillars of Classic/Heritage, Exclusive Manufaktur, Motorsport, and Design and more, showcasing the performance and capabilities of Porsche sports cars through disruptive activations that would excite and engage fans and new audiences. The sole purpose, bringing the community together!

The Icons of Porsche festival was a free-flowing experience where car enthusiasts of all ages were immersed into the brand's rich history through several thematic, individually designed zones. In ‘The Library’, guests experienced the passion for Porsche’s classic cars with displays and engaging activations while ‘The Garage’ featured ionic racing cars where guests could engage in creating vintage posters. ‘The Unseen’ zone gave guests a chance to sketch futuristic models through a simple user interface and dive deeper by scanning QR codes on each display. ‘The Studio’ featured works from international and local artists, including photography, paintings, graffiti, and sculpture while younger visitors enjoyed their own area packed with creative activities in ‘The Park’. The heart of the festival was the stage surrounded by hundreds of classic cars with dynamic screen content highlighting legendary models and supporting performances by popular regional musicians over the two days.

The strategic goal was to create a unique brand platform where Porsche could connect on a deeper level with existing Porsche owners as well as three strategic audiences: Driven Youth, Driven Women, and Creative Leaders. The strategy was designed with an inclusive “something for everyone” approach by first mapping the opportunity calendar and audience mindset to ensure a richly curated, one-of-a-kind brand experience. By consulting the existing Porsche community, wider regional car clubs, and collaborating with the global Porsche office and its Stuttgart design museum, we understood what was needed to create a deep level of strategic programming. This resulted in exciting activations, exclusive displays, creative activations, and edutainment. Brand partners including Hugo Boss and Tag Heuer helped engage our audience segments as did artists and performers who allowed us to lean into their social currency. Meanwhile, key influencers and brand advocates extended awareness with audiences on their own channels.

Festival planning took place over 6 months with multiple teams working seamlessly across the creative, production, and execution processes delivering several experiential zones: The Garage, The Library, The Studio, The Park, The Unseen, The Yard, and The Stage. With thousands of visitors and hundreds of amazing Porsches including unique museum pieces, our team was able to navigate on-ground complexities, maintaining the highest quality standards. However, the execution went beyond a singular event. Pre-festival, select VIP and media were invited to a Media Drive at Dubai Autodrome where they experienced Porsche DNA firsthand. An additional Media Night contributed to a conversation starter, igniting interest and excitement in print, digital and social channels. The festival itself on 19th-20th November drew 7,000 attendees to the Dubai Design District, spread across a sprawling 17,000 sq. meters. As a testament to the event’s executional success, The Icons of Porsche will now become an annual event.

“Our idea was to pilot a new concept and do what we do best: showcase our unique brand heritage in an attractive way. We were amazed by the results!”– Dr. Manfred Bräunl, CEO of Porsche MEA.

Additionally, the festival had a reach of 17.1 million on social media with 12.9 million impressions and a total engagement of 499,000. Video views totaled 2.2 million and 37,400 website clicks. PR value totaled USD 4.5M internationally and USD 1.5M regionally with an 86.8 million reach, 1,328 media posts, 107 content pieces, and 28 minutes of broadcast time. With a consolidated delivery, we were able to shift the typical perception of Classic Cars in the region and bring the heritage closer to future-centric audiences. With the festival becoming an annual fixture, the resulting brand influence and awareness will increase significantly across the MENA region, paving the way for a busier 2022 edition.