Emirates ad wows with surprise climax

Emirates starts its latest ad in what some may take as a nod to Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues but that's just to lure you into a false sense of security. The latest ad by Dubai-based Emirates is waiting to spring a big surprise (spoiler alert: watch the ad now). [embed]https://youtu.be/uQHhYRuaEtM[/embed] The hint was in the press release headline asking what an Emirates cabin crew, Tom Cruise and the Crown Prince of Dubai have in common. READ: Sensational color photo of Convair 990. All of them, apparently, have stood on the top of the Burj Khalifa 828m above the ground. It turns out the message boards are not a direct nod to Dylan but to a scene in the 2003 romantic comedy  "Love Actually". The ad was filmed without a green screen or special effects and the airline says it was the result of rigorous, planning training, testing and strict safety protocol. Filming began at sunrise to catch the famous golden hour light and the ascent to the peak took an hour and 15 minutes from level 160 and involved scaling several tiers and ladders. Although a casting call to Emirates cabin staff produced some "willing and capable candidates", the young lady on top of the iconic Dubai landmark was actually a professional skydiving instructor who spent five hours at the pinnacle. Watch the behind-the-scenes video: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HagU3vUp0Ck&authuser=0[/embed] Emirates president Tim Clark said the airline always looked to challenge the norm and push boundaries at Emirates. "We’re proud to be among a privileged few who have been allowed to film at the top of the Burj Khalifa by Emaar, and even prouder that we get to showcase our beautiful city, Dubai,” said Sir Tim said. The film was conceptualized and directed by Emirates' in-house band team with the help of Dubai-based Prime Productions AMG and will be screened across several markets across the airline's network, including the UK.