- ‘The world is better when we act together’, says Lionel Messi in his first Expo 2020 campaign
- Filmed across the globe, 60-second video celebrates power of collaboration and cultural diversity
- Messi campaign embodies Expo’s aim to inspire and empower individuals to create progress
The 60-second film shows the world-famous footballer and people around the planet connecting through the universal language of football as they keep the Expo 2020 ball airborne through teamwork. Shot in the UAE, India, the UK and Kenya, it celebrates cultural diversity and its ability to break down barriers.
Lionel Messi said: “A football team can only succeed by working together, and the same is true of humanity. When people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds come together we can better address global challenges and create a brighter future for generations to come.”
Messi, a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocate and Global Goodwill UNICEF ambassador, was appointed as an Expo 2020 global ambassador in 2016, supporting Expo’s goals to leave a lasting impact on the path of human progress, build a better future and commit to positive change.
Sanjive Khosla, Deputy Chief – Sales and Marketing, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “As undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest footballers, Lionel Messi embodies Expo 2020’s global role as a facilitator of new ideas, innovation and progress. The new campaign video uses football to show that when we connect and collaborate, we can build a brighter tomorrow together.”
The campaign is Expo 2020’s first with Messi, who has won a record-tying five Ballon d’Or awards for best football player globally and a record five European Golden Shoes for scoring the most goals in a year. The film was created by a team of various nationalities and the music was composed with an Arabic melody and a call for togetherness in an African dialect.
As part of the initiative, Expo 2020 will also give 2,020 durable footballs to children in Jordan, Kenya and the Philippines, totalling 6,060 balls. The balls represent Expo 2020’s aim to facilitate collaboration and the strengthening of ties within communities, while spreading happiness.
The first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, Expo 2020 Dubai kicks off in October 2020 for a six-month celebration held under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
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About Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 Dubai is guided by the belief that innovation and progress are the result of people and ideas combining in new ways. For six months from 20 October 2020, Expo will bring together 192 countries and millions of people to celebrate human ingenuity: ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.
- During the six months from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021, we expect to welcome 25 million visits
- About 70 per cent of all visitors are anticipated to come from outside the UAE – the largest proportion of international visitors in Expo history
- We aim to create and deliver an inclusive and global Expo with more than 200 participants, including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses and educational institutions
- Expo 2020 also has an ambitious volunteer programme, which aims to include more than 30,000 volunteers from a wide range of ages, nationalities, cultures and backgrounds
- The Expo site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area. It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
- Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to take place in the MEASA (Middle East, Africa and South Asia) region
Applications for media accreditation for Expo 2020 Dubai are now open and media organisations are invited to submit their expression of interest at https://www.expo2020dubai.com/media-centre/expression-of-interest by 30 June 2019. All accredited media will have access to the Expo 2020 Media Centre and all associated services and facilities within the Expo 2020 site. Additionally, if your media organisation has television or radio studio requirements during Expo 2020, please email [email protected] by 9 May 2019.
Visit: www.expo2020dubai.com
Follow: Twitter: @expo2020dubai | Facebook: @Expo2020Dubai | Instagram: expo2020dubai
About World Expos
In 1851 the Crystal Palace was the centrepiece of London’s Great Exhibition – the first World Expo. It celebrated the man-made industrial wonders of a rapidly changing world. Architecture, contents and a theme, ‘Industry of All Nations’, were combined to create a big idea of nations meeting nations in shared technological and commercial progress. In more recent years, participants in World Expos, including governments, international organisations and companies, have gathered to find solutions to universal challenges and to promote their achievements, products, ideas, innovations, their national brand, and their nations as destinations for tourism, trade and investment. World Expos are held under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing and regulating international exhibitions (‘Expos’) and for fostering their core values of Education,