Modesh x Baby Shark at Dubai Summer Surprises
Dubai's long-running summer mascot Modesh was paired with the Baby Shark character for the first time, a crossover built to carry the Dubai Summer Surprises season with families and to give the city's own IP a globally recognised partner.
- The brief
- Families visiting or living in Dubai over summer, and a home-grown mascot that needs a wider international audience.
- The idea
- DFRE paired Modesh, the festival's mascot for over 25 years, with Pinkfong's Baby Shark, debuting a joint show on 18 July under the 'City of Endless Adventures' theme.
- What to borrow
- Pairing a local mascot with a globally known children's character lends home-grown IP instant familiarity with overseas families.
| Brand | Visit Dubai |
|---|---|
| Agency | Not named on the source |
| Talent | Not named |
| Channels | on-ground, social, OOH |
| Source | Communicate Online |
Case studies like this
Campaigns from other brands that did something close, matched on what each one actually did.
| Brand | Campaign | Type | Agency | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercato Shopping Mall | Shop, Scan & Win (DSS 2026)Experiential · 3 Sep 2026 | Experiential | – | 3 Sep 2026 |
| Ooredoo | Doha Marathon by Ooredoo, 15th editionExperiential · 29 Jun 2026 | Experiential | – | 29 Jun 2026 |
| DEWA | Exciting Family SummerPurpose · 14 Aug 2026 | Purpose | – | 14 Aug 2026 |
| LuLu Hypermarket | Summer with LuLuIntegrated campaign · 16 Jun 2025 | Integrated campaign | – | 16 Jun 2025 |
| Doha Festival City | Hala Summer 2026 at Doha Festival CitySponsorship activation · 7 Sep 2026 | Sponsorship activation | – | 7 Sep 2026 |
| IMG Worlds of Adventure | Summer Fest 2023Experiential · 22 Jun 2023 | Experiential | – | 22 Jun 2023 |
What other travel & hospitality brands ran
The latest confirmed campaigns from the rest of the category, Gulf.
| Brand | Campaign | Type | Agency | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates | Travel RehearsalExperiential · 4 Sep 2026 | Experiential | – | 4 Sep 2026 |
| Mall of Qatar | Shop, Win & StyleIntegrated campaign · 3 Sep 2026 | Integrated campaign | – | 3 Sep 2026 |
| Careem | Order from 'the other guys'Digital/social · 1 Sep 2026 | Digital/social | – | 1 Sep 2026 |
| Etihad Airways | Beyond BordersIntegrated campaign · 31 Aug 2026 | Integrated campaign | – | 31 Aug 2026 |
| flyadeal | 50th aircraft livery design competitionDigital/social · 10 Aug 2026 | Digital/social | – | 10 Aug 2026 |
| Al Balad Development | Al Ittihad Club platinum sponsorship activationSponsorship activation · 8 Aug 2026 | Sponsorship activation | – | 8 Aug 2026 |
| Mall of Qatar | Hala Summer 2026 at Mall of QatarSponsorship activation · 27 Jul 2026 | Sponsorship activation | – | 27 Jul 2026 |
| Saudia | The Coolest IhramPurpose · 29 Jun 2026 | Purpose | – | 29 Jun 2026 |
More from Visit Dubai
| Campaign | Type | Agency | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Dubai InviteIntegrated campaign · 23 Jul 2026 | Integrated campaign | – | 23 Jul 2026 |
| Modesh and Baby Shark: A City of Endless Adventures!Experiential · 14 Jul 2026 | Experiential | – | 14 Jul 2026 |
| Map Your Dubai: Insider EditionDigital/social · 10 Jun 2026 | Digital/social | – | 10 Jun 2026 |
| Find Your StoryAd film · 11 Apr 2025 | Ad film | – | 11 Apr 2025 |
| Dubai: A Whole New YouAd film · 2024 | Ad film | – | 2024 |
| Dubai Presents — Museum of the FutureAd film · 3 May 2022 | Ad film | – | 3 May 2022 |







