INSITE OOH Media Platform

Dubai has seen its fair share of luxury billboards doing the most; glossy watches floating in space, slow-motion wrists emerging from silk sleeves, the usual choreography of power and polish. So when Hublot decided to put a very fluffy, very unimpressed-looking cat on one of Sheikh Zayed Road’s towering digital screens, it landed less like another luxury ad and more like a knowing wink.

In this sense, it seemed less like an advertising event when Hublot picked as its billboard image a rather fluffly, rather nonchalant cat placed on one of Dubai's digital screens on Sheikh Zayed Road.

At center front is the word “Hublot”, simple and bold, followed by the direct order in English: “OWN IT.” There’s no need for further explanation or description of what makes this watch tick. Instead, comes the image of what appears to be a Persian cat strutting around, held aloft in mid-air by the aid of a gloved hand, the hand containing a red watch emblazoned at the wrist—a confident-looking Hublot.

The visual joke: luxury, but make it feral. The image itself is just absurd in the best possible way. A cat, famously ungovernable, famously allergic to authority, now stands forth as the ultimate emblem of ownership. Not the ownership of the cat, of course, but of attitude, of presence.

The jewelry styling does a great deal of heavy lifting of its own. The glove conveys an image of precision and control – or even motorsport. The red watch boldly breaks through the otherwise monotone color scheme like a piece of personal adornment unwilling to be absorbed into its surroundings. The cat's fur is messy and soft and almost rebellious, an interesting juxtaposition to its strict and hyper-architectural environment.

It's clever here that Hublot doesn’t try very hard to explain who they are. There is no story text or luxury creed. There is no hush-tone nod to tradition (which they could totally do). “OWN IT” is just the mic drop. The Arabic name of the brand is boldly placed on top of it. It’s a message that speaks to the assumption that the audience will get it, or won't. Either way, the brand won't chase.

This attitude reflects the long-standing positioning of the brand: bold materials, loud designs, watches that are not intended to fade into the background when worn under the cuff. 

Placement is important, and Dubai is the punchline. Looking on from a distance on Sheikh Zayed Road, where so many executions seem to line the same stretch of the motorway, the otherwise observational campaign tends to feel like it is watching your every move as you drive by. 

So, in a town that is fixated with show, size, and prestige, picking a cat over a celebrity is a rather astute decision. Cats do not perform. Cats do not sell. They just exist – and take up your attention as an obligation, which, arguably, is the most luxury-coded behavior of all.

Similar to their last OOH campaign, this digital campaign launched by Hublot in Dubai shows a clear understanding of what matters in luxury these days: confidence does not have to involve overproduction. Sometimes, all it takes is one powerful image, one decisive line, and just a hint of self-awareness sufficient to let a cat speak for itself. There is a healthy dose of cheeky, but not a hint of gimmicky behavior. A perfect fit for a city that can appreciate a good show, especially one that includes fur, pizzazz, and a red wristwatch that securely plants itself front and center. 

The campaign hit Dubai’s digital screens in the first week of December.