Ras Al Khaimah unveils unscripted campaign for staycations

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has launched RAK Summer Unscripted – a campaign designed to inspire UAE residents to rediscover the joy of a staycation that’s refreshingly real, spontaneous and anything but routine.

 

With a tone that’s raw, real and emotionally driven, RAK Summer Unscripted breaks away from the usual polished travel content and embraces the unfiltered moments that make a summer memorable – from impromptu adventures and last-minute road trips to slightly wonky photos snapped by the least tech-savvy person in the group.

 

As the story goes in RAK Summer Unscripted, even Impact BBDO – RAKTDA’s creative agency and seven-time consecutive winner of MENA Network of the Year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – didn’t actually show up for this campaign.

 

Instead, they were portrayed as having gone entirely off-script, ditching their laptops for loungers and diving headfirst into Ras Al Khaimah.

 

So deep into creative exploration, that no one was left to record the radio ad — leaving none other than Raki Phillips, the CEO of RAKTDA, to step in as the unexpected voiceover artist. It’s a tongue-in-cheek twist that perfectly captures the campaign’s spirit: unpolished, unplanned, and delightfully off the cuff.

 

“This isn’t your typical destination marketing campaign, because Ras Al Khaimah isn’t your typical destination,” said Alka Winter, Vice President, Destination Marketing & Communications at RAKTDA. “We wanted to do something creatively bold and refreshingly honest. RAK Summer Unscripted captures the spirit of the staycations we actually remember – the spontaneous ones that turn into stories. It’s quirky, fun, and shows Ras Al Khaimah as a place you don’t just visit but truly experience.”

 

Ghassan Kassabji, CEO of ImpactBBDO Dubai shared, “We had a great time working on this campaign. Not every client is brave enough to turn the lens on the creative process itself and laugh along the way. RAKTDA gave us that freedom to let go, embrace the imperfections, and create something that truly mirrors the joy of an unscripted summer. That kind of trust is rare, and the result is a campaign that feels as spontaneous and unfiltered as the memories people actually make.”

 

What sets RAKTDA’s summer campaign apart is its embrace of the imperfect.

 

Campaign visuals feature deliberately unpolished images paired with tongue-in-cheek captions.

 

The premise is that the official photographer is missing in action – chilling in the pool, hiking in the mountains, relaxing in the spa, or dune bashing in the desert – so others have stepped in to “click” a far-from-perfect shot.

 

For example, “Marj from finance” puts her finger over the lens while “Ian from procurement” takes a shot at the moment water is splashed all over the camera. “Zoe from R&D”, meanwhile, captures only half the family strolling on the beach!

 

RAK Summer Unscripted also includes short film clips where mishaps range from bad selfies obscuring mountain views, to a couples’ beach vlog where the phone tips over and there’s no sign of the “blue sky and beautiful water” mentioned on their excited and detailed commentary.

 

The campaign is light-hearted, self-aware, and deeply relatable and its call to action says it all: “Book your stay and let the story unfold — unscripted, unforgettable, and uniquely Ras Al Khaimah.”

 

Designed specifically with UAE residents in mind, RAK Summer Unscripted positions Ras Al Khaimah as the ultimate staycation – easily accessible from other emirates, offering a wide choice of three-, four- and five-star hotels, and offering a diverse mix of beach, mountain and desert experiences.

 

Think ziplining across Jebel Jais, kayaking through mangroves, or unwinding at a world-class resort with no fixed plan. That’s the spirit of the campaign: embracing the freedom to explore without an agenda.

 

Bringing it all together, Winter concluded, “We’re inviting people to let go of the plan,” added Winter. “This campaign is about embracing the unexpected and creating space for joy, laughter and those small, surprising moments that define a great summer. Ras Al Khaimah gives you room to live in the now; there’s no script required.” -TradeArabia News Service