Emirates Palace undergoes dramatic 48-hour makeover, masterminded by Innovation Crew
In a remarkable feat of logistics and design, Innovation Crew, an agency renowned for creating talked-about brand experiences, undertook a transformation of Emirates Palace within 48 hours in April.
The challenge was to transform Emirates Palace, a famously opulent venue, into a trademark BRABUS experience, as per the brief from Cosmo Developments (powered by Reportage Group). The BRABUS brand, known for its bold black-on-black aesthetic, had to be incorporated into every detail of the venue, but with one key condition – no walls were allowed to be touched during the transformation.
Innovation Crew rose to the challenge by focusing on shadows, spotlights, and surfaces. They sourced custom materials across the UAE, including carpets, furniture, cutlery, and textiles, to achieve the desired look. Black plates and cutlery were used in the transformation, which may have been missing across the UAE in April or May.
To ensure the project's success, additional crew were brought in from Riyadh and Cairo to support the Dubai-based team. Over 50 specialists handled production, design, guest experience, and technology, working alongside Emirates Palace staff to ensure all installations respected the venue's preservation guidelines.
Sony AbdelMohsen, General Manager of Innovation Crew, stated that they had a short time to finalize the creative, plan the journey, source materials, rehearse, and execute the transformation. Despite the tight deadline, the team managed to deliver a fully immersive lifestyle brand experience for BRABUS Island, a new residential project by Cosmo Developments, introducing one of the boldest real estate concepts in the region.
The launch generated significant digital traction, setting the benchmark for future branded lifestyle projects. The result was a powerful sensory environment that brought the BRABUS universe to life without compromising the heritage space. It has been recognized as one of the most commercially successful showcases of the year.
This project showcases Innovation Crew’s capability to manage complex, high-profile activations under extreme time constraints while maintaining precision in design and guest experience. The agency managed eight large-scale campaigns simultaneously across eight countries, demonstrating their versatility and expertise in the field.
- The BRABUS Island project, a new residential endeavor by Cosmo Developments, showcased technology's Role in crafting immersive experiences, as Innovation Crew utilized technology to engineer the transformation within the given limitations.
- Over the course of April, Innovation Crew's ability to modernize lifestyles was exemplified in the Emirates Palace transformation, introducing the BRABUS brand to the UAE by incorporating black tech-advanced plates and cutlery in the renovation.
- As this remarkable project attracted substantial digital attention, it set new standards for future branded lifestyle news stories, proving Innovation Crew as leaders in environmentally-conscious activations that Safeguard the heritage of iconic venues like the Emirates Palace.
