Castrol honours UAE’s unsung heroes

UAE mechanics’ portraits to be ‘hung’ in The Dubai Frame

Castrol Middle East has taken UAE mechanics from being unsung heroes, whose positive contributions often go unseen, to being seen on the biggest frame in the world. Celebrating the vital work of UAE mechanics to keep drivers and passengers safe on our roads, ‘the world’s largest’ portrait exhibition at The Dubai Frame, ‘Portraits of Change’ was conceptualised and brought to life in partnership with VMLY & R Commerce.

Often underappreciated as key facilitators of a thriving infrastructure, Castrol invited seven Dubai mechanics to share their stories, allowing people to ‘see’ them in an all-new light.

Stunning photographs

Partnering with renowned photographer, Marta Lamovsek, Castrol encouraged the mechanics to showcase their personality and passions, giving an insight into their hopes and dreams in a series of powerfully stunning portraits.

Initially revealed on social media with the help of supportive influencer partners, the stunning photographs are now being proudly displayed in The Dubai Frame — a fitting tribute that acknowledges how vital mechanics are to our society.

“Like any other job, we want our efforts to be appreciated,” said Mohammad Sudheer, a mechanic in Dubai. “Castrol lubricants is the first brand that has done that.”

Fellow mechanic Farid Ahmed said: “Seeing my portrait on the biggest frame in the world, it’s amazing! Especially because people rarely see what we do. People rarely see us.”

You can view the portraits by visiting The Dubai Frame and using the Portraits of Change Instagram filter by scanning the QR code on-site and viewing the filter demo on the @castrolmiddleeast Instagram page.

Leila Katrib, Creative Director at VMLY & R Commerce, said: “The moment mechanics put on their overalls, it’s almost like they become invisible to society … and our brief was to celebrate them and their efforts. So how do we change society’s perception from mechanics being unseen to seen? We looked at the biggest frame in the world — and we redefined how people view it. And we turned portraits of mechanics to portraits of glorified heroes for the world to see.”