A DUBAI FAVE: FLASH MOBS

Flash mobs take over the Internet in no time. Ideally, a flash mob is a ‘sudden’ assemblage or appearance of groups of people that break into an unusual act at an unexpected time. The first flash mob ever was an unsuccessful one. It was scheduled to take place at a Macy’s store in Manhattan in 2003, and organised by the senior editor of Harper’s

Magazine. However, it backfired as the store discovered the plan.

The idea of a flash mob is to draw the attention of a large crowd. And, malls seem like the ideal place to do just that. The Mall of the Emirates conducted a creative and successful flash mob with du’s ‘Fly for Free’ campaign in 2015. A trend gave way to another trend at The Dubai Mall with a Gangnam Style flash mob in 2012. A Sino-Arab flash mob against the Burj

Khalifa during the Chinese New Year celebrations in 2016 drew crowds in.

Over the years, flash mobs have arguably become one of the coolest marketing strategies to garner an audience and spread awareness. Dubai has stylishly celebrated festivals, kicked off campaigns, and inaugurated fairs — all through flash mobs. The UAE’s airports have become popular spots as well. Last year, passengers arriving in from Pakistan and India were treated to a heartwarming flash mob at the Abu

Dhabi International Airport on their respective Independence Days. In 2015, the Dubai Shopping Festival was celebrated by 30 international dancers with a flash mob at the Dubai International Airport.