This Riyadh Season, Roblox campaign reimagines Saudi Arabia’s festival as a global interactive game, blending culture and competition— Clapboard's Global Ad
Ryan Reynolds appointed CIO of YAS Island - Yas Island Theme Parks | Clapboard Ad Archive
Ryan Reynolds takes centre stage for Yas Island Theme Parks’ headline campaign in 2024, as the Abu Dhabi entertainment behemoth appoints the A-list star as its latest Chief Island Officer — a role that has become a signature, celebrity-studded marketing device for the brand. Created by Momentum, Initiative, and Weber Shandwick, this integrated campaign launches with a kinetic and comic trailer: Reynolds parachutes straight into the high-octane heart of Yas Marina Circuit, only to land off target before delivering a self-referential monologue brimming with the wit and breezy self-assurance that define his global appeal. As he catalogs his career highlights — from Hollywood actor to football club owner to now overseeing Yas Island’s playground of world-class attractions — the campaign leverages his charisma to recast the destination for a new global audience, positioning it as not merely a tourism hub but a stage for irreverent, energy-fuelled adventure. By centring the creative on Reynolds and slotting him into the ongoing Chief Island Officer narrative, following on from Kevin Hart and Jason Momoa, the work sits squarely in what Clapboard’s taxonomy would call FORMAT#8—Ongoing Characters or Celebrities, using recurring big-name personalities to cement brand recall and deepen audience connection across campaigns. The campaign’s strategy is shrewd: Reynolds’ universal likability, comedic timing, and multifaceted fame serve as emotional hooks for a broad demographic, while the action-led visuals — from rollercoasters at Ferrari World Yas Island to cinematic worlds at Warner Bros. World™ Yas Island — align the brand’s offerings with the thrill-seeking, always-on-the-move spirit Reynolds embodies. Social activation is baked in with the #RollLikeRyan rallying cry, inviting fans worldwide to experience Yas Island with the same relentless enthusiasm, driving engagement and UGC that broadens reach beyond the Middle Eastern market. With over six million views and major social traction, the campaign reflects a clear understanding that celebrity-powered storytelling, when injected with humour and continuity, delivers outsized impact in travel and leisure marketing and reframes an entire destination as a pop-culture event. Clapboard rates this 78/100. As Yas Island Theme Parks continues to blur the lines between blockbuster entertainment and tourism, the market is witnessing how recurring celebrity narrative frameworks can transform destination branding from mere location marketing into an ongoing entertainment property in its own right.
.webp)
