Behind the Scenes at Emirates Commercial

True or false? Many viewers have asked this question, and Emirates has taken to the backstage to answer it. Here’s how they made it to the top of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.

At 828 meters above the ground, this is one of the tallest commercials ever to be filmed and was conceptualized and produced by Emirates’ internal branding team with help from Prime Productions AMG, based to Dubai.

The commercial was filmed without a green screen or special effects and was the result of rigorous planning, training, testing and safety protocol. At the top of the building, the main protagonist had a circumference space reduced from just 1.2 meters to 828 meters high to perform the waterfall.

Was this a real Emirates cabin crew? Emirates intelligently explains: A casting call was made to Emirates’ own cabin crew team and although there were willing and knowledgeable applicants, a professional skydiving instructor was selected to ensure the highest levels of safety.

Filming began at sunrise to capture the golden hour light and the crew, including the main star in the commercial, began their ascent to the summit before sunrise. The climb was 1 hour and 15 minutes from level 160 of the Burj Khalifa by Emaar and the team had to climb several levels and ladders inside a tube to reach the top. The team was at the pinnacle for about 5 hours with the stuntwoman, wearing a safety harness under the Emirates uniform attached to a custom-made platform that was attached directly to the pinnacle. A single drone was used to capture the footage in one continuous take to film the entire sequence.

“We are always looking to challenge the norm and push the boundaries at Emirates. We do this every day thanks to our innovative services, our best-in-class product and of course our advertising. The calm and confidence of the cabin crew that you see in the ad is an embodiment of our frontline team, serving travelers and ensuring their safety. We are proud to be one of the privileged few who have been allowed to film atop the Burj Khalifa and even more proud to be able to showcase our beautiful city, Dubai, ”said Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline.

She joins just a handful of people who have had the privilege of standing atop the tallest building in the world, including Tom Cruise and the Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

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