Emirates Really Put A ‘Flight Attendant’ On Top Of Burj Khalifa In Dubai
Video screenshot via Emirates
If you thought Dubai’s tourism campaign starring Jessica Alba and Zac Efron as spies in a faux movie was a blockbuster, wait until you see this commercial by the city’s airline, Emirates.
2,722 feet above ground, at the tip of the tallest building in the world, stood a flight attendant. The advertisement could very well be simulated with a green screen, but that wouldn’t have achieved the same reaction.
The commercial starts with Nicole Smith-Ludvik, a professional skydiving instructor dressed in an Emirates flight attendant uniform, seemingly suspended in the sky.
The reason she’s among the clouds is to simply present the punning message, Love Actually-style: “Moving the UAE to the UK Amber List has made us feel on top of the world. Fly Emirates. Fly better.”
The camera then pans down to reveal the famous Burj Khalifa and its sheer height, towering over all other buildings of Dubai’s skyline and, of course, the rest of the world’s.
As many would too, One Mile at a Time’s Ben Schlappig had suspected the stunt to be the result of clever VFX, but Emirates Airline later released an equally impressive behind-the-scenes video to bring viewers back to the ground, or half a mile up above.
“Hi Mom, I’m on top of the world!” Smith-Ludvik declared at the start of the video. It reveals that, after taking the elevator to the 160th floor, the crew still had to climb for an hour to reach the top of the Burj Khalifa—all for a fleeting 33-second moment.
She was then harnessed, and filming was done by a helicopter and drone.
The advertisement celebrates the removal of the UAE from the UK’s ‘Red List’, allowing travelers in the country to fly by Emirates.
“This is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing and exciting stunts I’ve ever done,” Smith-Ludvik gleefully proclaimed in a statement. “A big shout out to Emirates Airlines for your creative marketing idea!”
[via One Mile at a Time, videos and cover image via Emirates]
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