16 hours ago
How NYX, Safa Siddiqui & Hypermedia turned a fan comment into a citywide campaign
It started with a fan's comment and ended with Safa Siddiqui's face wrapped across an entire city. NYX Professional Makeup didn't just launch their Face Glue Primer, and Hypermedia didn't just run a campaign. Together, they branded Dubai.
From the beating heart of Sheikh Zayed Road to the can't-miss areas of Dubai's iconic neighborhoods, NYX Professional Makeup in collaboration with reality star Safa Siddiqui and Hypermedia's OOH network, transformed a product launch into a citywide spectacle.
'This campaign redefined what impact means. It wasn't advertising; it was a citywide statement. Fueled by audience demand, powered by precision, and executed at full scale, this takeover became a masterclass in how global brands, regional voices, and media giants collide to create real-world dominance,' said Ghada El Kari, Chief Strategy Officer of W Group Holding, the parent company of Hypermedia.
Dominating the city
Safa Siddiqui wasn't just a face on a billboard; she was the soul of the story.
'Safa, a billboard isn't enough. I want that entire road stamped with you, that's when I know I'm in Dubai.'
This one fan's cheeky remark became the spark for a citywide takeover. Hypermedia took the message literally and rolled out an OOH strategy that stamped Safa and NYX across every major corner of Dubai. What started as a moment on social media became a co-creation with her community.
The campaign's physical presence was as disruptive as its message. At the center: a full wrap of Dubai Metro station. Along Sheikh Zayed Road, 13 massive LED bridges, part of Hypermedia's 'The Artists' collection, pulsed with the NYX Face Glue Primer campaign, reaching millions in one of the region's most heavily trafficked highways.
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A post shared by Safa/صفا Siddiqui (@safa_dubai)
Inside Dubai's urban arteries, Hypermedia's 1,316 metro screens delivered high-frequency exposure to over 800,000 daily riders, while 256 screens across Majid Al Futtaim malls reached over 400,000 daily shoppers, amplifying the campaign's luxury yet youthful feel. But perhaps the crown jewel was Hypermedia's Royal Palm Collection 'The Gems Network' with digital screens placed in elite neighborhoods. This was NYX's royal moment, blending mass reach with prestige.
The numbers proved the impact: About 180 million impressions, 1.9 million reach, and a 39.33 per cent penetration rate on Sheikh Zayed Road and the Gems Network alone, a performance any media planner would envy.
'You asked, and we delivered, not just one billboard, but the entire city,' said El-Kari.
The moment Hypermedia revealed the SZR metro station wrap featuring Safa, social media erupted with excitement. Requests poured in, demanding more visibility, more Safa, more NYX.
TV star Safa Siddiqui reflected on the collaboration, 'I think it's really important to understand the brand's value and really immerse yourself in the brand's vision. It's not enough with so much content out there to produce something that's not extraordinary and bold enough to be remembered whilst being authentic and true to your audience.'
According to Sarah Versari, Brand Director for NYX Professional Makeup in the GCC, the integration of OOH into the broader media plan was crucial, 'We're obsessed with being disruptive and loud with our incredible launches, and for a campaign as fun as Face Glue, OOH was just the perfect fit. Safa's now-iconic pose wrapped across a Dubai Metro station was a truly unmissable visual statement.
Our social strategy started the awareness and engagement frenzy online and OOH brought a scale, visibility, and physical proximity into the real world that fans of NYX and Safa couldn't help but celebrate'.
The build-up of NYX's campaign starring Safa
Before dominating Dubai's streets, NYX laid the foundation with a digital-first campaign tailored for the region. NYX as a brand thrives on bold, unexpected collaborations, in the GCC, that spirit came to life with the launch of 'NYX TV', a locally driven content platform designed to reflect regional pop culture and conversation.
The debut episode, styled as a reality TV format, starred Safa Siddiqui (Dubai Bling) and Dounia Al Ibrahim (Love Is Blind Habibi), tapping into the region's obsession with drama-driven storytelling.
The response was instant: 250 thousand engagements and a flood of positive comments confirmed the strategy was resonating.
The momentum didn't stop there: over 100 influencers were activated across platforms, and NYX hosted a massive, immersive launch event at Attaché in Riyadh, bringing the Face Glue experience to life ahead of the campaign's entry into Dubai's landscape.
The talk of the town
More than impressions or clicks, this campaign became a moment. For Ghada El Kari, this is exactly what modern marketing should look like, 'When a brand, an influencer, and a media network move in sync, the result isn't just exposure, it's cultural relevance. The NYX Face Glue Primer campaign became the talk of the city because it was everywhere people looked and exactly where they were already engaged. This is the future of advertising: not just counted impressions, but memorable moments mentioned on every tongue.'
In a market increasingly defined by attention scarcity, the NYX – Safa – Hypermedia collaboration showed how the right formula of cultural insight, media innovation, and influencer resonance, can drive real visibility and deeper connection.
They didn't just advertise in Dubai. They took it over.
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Campaign Credits:
Client: L'Oréal Middle East
Creative Agency: Brandizer
Media Agency: Wavemaker
Outdoor Media Partner: Hypermedia, subsidiary of W Group Holding
PR Agency: Qraft
