Louvre Abu Dhabi and Publicis make art unmissable with cultural wayfinding campaign
In an oversaturated tourism landscape, where many attractions feel distant from Louvre Abu Dhabi, both geographically and mentally , the challenge was clear: show people exactly what they were missing and guide them there in the most compelling way possible.
The solution was as bold as it was elegant. Louvre Abu Dhabi transformed its iconic artworks into a series of striking; bespoke street signs placed across the UAE’s busiest tourist hubs. Art didn’t just invite visitors in, it led them there.
Created in collaboration with Publicis Middle East, the campaign reimagined outdoor billboards as an unexpected, first-of-its-kind cultural wayfinding system. Carefully selected from over 6,000 global masterpieces, each artwork became a directional cue, guiding audiences at every corner and turn — making Louvre Abu Dhabi not just visible, but unmissable.
The journey didn’t stop at the city’s streets. The same art-led signs were reinterpreted as wayfinding devices within the museum itself, extending the concept beyond its walls. By bringing artworks from the galleries — and even from the storage collection — into public-facing spaces, the campaign blurred the line between inside and outside. Art accompanied visitors throughout their entire journey, deepening engagement and transforming the path to the museum into a continuous cultural experience.
To amplify the impact, the outdoor activation was supported by a fully integrated digital campaign designed to remind audiences why following these directions mattered. From new exhibitions and summer programmes to free entry for children, the campaign highlighted compelling reasons to visit. Leveraging a data-driven approach that combined telco intelligence, high-impact media takeovers, and precise audience targeting, the activation successfully reached high-intent travellers at remarkable scale — turning curiosity into visitation.
Aunindo Sen, Executive Creative Director at Publicis, said: “Louvre Abu Dhabi is home to some of the world’s most renowned masterpieces. Yet it’s often overlooked due to flashier entertainment alternatives. This campaign turned an out-of-home execution into an out-of-museum one, showing people what they might be missing while giving them the directions.”
Anna Ferris, Marketing Manager at Louvre Abu Dhabi, said: “By transforming the lesser-known artworks from our collection into wayfinding, we invited people to follow the art itself towards the museum. Supported by targeted digital advertising, the campaign helped drive summer visits and encouraged deeper engagement with culture.”
In a similar spirit, the results spoke for themselves. Within the first week of the campaign, Louvre Abu Dhabi recorded a 37.5% increase in visits compared to the same period in 2024. Online ticket sales also rose significantly year on year, with a 79.9% increase (source: Google Analytics), proving that when art leads the way, the unexpected still has the power to nudge people in the right direction.