In 2014, Ford Mustang celebrated its 50th anniversary. Almost five decades ago Ford captured the world’s attention by placing a 1965 Mustang Convertible on top of what was then the world’s tallest building, New York’s Empire State Building. The “Mustang Rises” event in Dubai, home to the Burj Khalifa – now the world’s tallest building – celebrated Mustang’s 50th anniversary and also marked the inauguration of Ford’s recently launched business unit, covering the Middle East & Africa.

The agency developed a 360 degree communications programme that centered around the assembly of a new 2014 yellow Mustang Convertible on the 112th floor of the Burj Khalifa, demonstrating the heights to which Ford has risen over the past 50 years. The event was topped off by Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford completing a challenge to place the iconic pony badge on the car. The creative communications campaign included a strong digital element through the use of social media, livestreaming and videos.

The agency developed a compelling story for Ford Middle East & Africa that combined Mustang’s 50th anniversary and a local business story for regional, global and social media. Bill Ford shared his vision of the Future of Mobility at a forum hosted by Dubai Chamber, a non-profit organisation that represents Dubai’s business community, and at a meeting with HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

The second event centered on the big reveal of the Mustang at the top of the Burj Khalifa. The agency targeted international and regional media as well as social media influencers through the use of live webcasts, exclusive interviews with Ford’s executive team and videos that went viral.

Dubai’s Mustang Rises event generated $2.2m worth of media coverage across more than 1560 outlets including the Wall Street Journal, BBC and one of the Middle East’s most influential broadcast networks, Al Arabiya and a cover interview with Bill Ford in the region’s leading business magazine, Arabian Business.

In addition to the media coverage, the event attracted over 10,000 people to Downtown Dubai, around the Burj Khalifa, to watch the live streaming of the Mustang anniversary event. The event was live webcast in over 100 countries and the YouTube videos have been viewed 1.3 million times to date*.

*as of March 2015