our work Abu Dhabi NBA Global Games: A full-Service Slam Dunk

Ensuring we delivered against NBA strategy and brand positioning, whilst also fulfilling Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Board objectives and requirements was paramount to the brief, which was one of the main creative challenges four our production team. 

The campaign was considered a success by our clients, with the hero videos garnering widespread attention across the UK and EMEA, and a comprehensive and cohesive suite of marketing content being delivered to partners, teams, and broadcasters to amplify this historical milestone. DMS helped not only drive fan engagement and ticket sales for the event, but also played a significant role in promoting tourism in Abu Dhabi. 

Teaser, Team Reveal & Launch 

Upon being onboarded, DMS  created a visual style for the campaign which was used as the foundation  to produce numerous  pre-launch assets. These graphics tool kits were distributed  to numerous  organisations  including  the  Bucks  and  the  Hawks,  as  well as  sponsoring brands in  Abu  Dhabi and broadcasters.   

Amongst all pre-launch content, the teaser announcement and the team reveal promo were the most celebrated and pivotal pieces in the lead up to the event, which were also localised in UK, EME and Arabic languages to connect with NBA’s market audience. The two edits were most successful in driving viewers to purchase game tickets, and as a result, excited international fans to turn the games into a holiday stay in Abu Dhabi. Alongside the announcement and team reveal videos, our team delivered  hundreds of promos, end cards, sizzles and bumpers to amplify the buzz. 

Digital Out Of Home 

DMS  was pivotal in creating a spectacular launch event in Abu Dhabi, by filling up the announcement venue with 25+ immersive digital screens. This visually striking setup created a fantastic backdrop for the Tourism Board speakers and mesmerized attendees with the high-impact content, all accurately produced to fit the size of each screen. 

To further the buzz around the event our post-production team delivered arguably our most epic DOOH piece to date: an original promo which has been projected over no other than the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. Additional DOOH videos were created and screened across multiple iconic landmarks, in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, like the 3D Yas Mall, Dubai Mall, the Corniche Hilal Bank, NBA Store and Dubai’s Airport to name a few. 

Finally, static live sheets and  video promos  were  created and delivered to be displayed at the Etihad Arena to promote the game. 

Live Event Production 

Representatives from our Production and Edit teams flew from London to Abu Dhabi during the week of the Games and worked in situ with the NBA to coordinate the filming and quick-turnaround delivery of social and online pieces throughout the live duration of the Games. 

Social 

Throughout the games we had an exceptional access to players from both the Hawks and the Bucks, which we capitalized in the form of Media Days content. Our post-production team turned the interviews with players into fun social edits, which performed phenomenally well on NBA channels with high engagement from fans. Thanks to the content we banked during the games, we delivered over 50+ social assets throughout the season. All content was edited, packaged with graphics and subtitled in-house. 

The campaign was deemed a huge success by our clients, with the hero videos gaining widespread attention across the UK and EMEA. Beyond driving ticket sales, our efforts played a significant role in promoting Abu Dhabi as a world-class destination for both sport and tourism. 

Let’s make your next event unforgettable. Contact our Creative Services team to get started on your next campaign: production@dmsukltd.com