Maison El Nabil Programmatic DOOH Campaign Lifts Purchase Intent to 41%

Maison El Nabil chose a high pressure moment to change its name and story. The luxury fragrance brand revealed its rebrand at October’s Beautyworld Dubai with a clear line, ‘Luxury for Everyone’. To make that message land quickly, it rolled out an AI powered, programmatic DOOH campaign for out of home screens. Mobile retargeting then reinforced the message after exposure and the brand tracked uplift through a post campaign study. The six day flight helped lift results, including purchase intent reaching 41% among audiences who recalled the ads.

A Rebrand Built for Busy Venues

Beautyworld Dubai brings together trade visitors, buyers and media, plus a wider public audience moving around the city. That mix made DOOH a strong match for a rebrand that needed instant recognition. The objectives were clear:

• Build awareness during the rebrand window
• Recruit professional partners such as buyers, distributors and marketplaces
• Drive qualified consumer interest and website leads

AI that Waited for the Right Moment

This activation was planned around timing, not just locations. Real time audience signals were used to decide when the ads should appear, using anonymised data such as screen level exposure, demographic indicators and attention metrics. The creative also leaned into AI generated visuals, keeping the luxury feel while staying consistent with the new positioning. 

One Story Across DOOH and Mobile

DOOH gave scale and presence. Mobile then reinforced the message with individual level precision. The campaign followed a sequential approach so people could see a connected story across channels.

Key elements included:

• Programmatic DOOH delivery for broad visibility
• Mobile display retargeting after exposure
• A planned sequence of touchpoints across both channels
• Post campaign measurement focused on uplift, not just impressions

For many UAE advertisers, this is where performance improves. DOOH grabs attention in real life. Mobile makes it easier to continue the journey, including site visits and lead forms.

The Numbers that Made Headlines

The post campaign study reported strong uplift across recall, awareness and intent, plus clear signals of trade reach: 

• Purchase intent rose by 23 points to reach 41% among ad aware audiences
• Ad recall reached 46% among the exposed group, five points higher than the control group
• Brand awareness lifted by eight points, moving the brand to second place in spontaneous awareness testing among perfume brands
• 70% of people exposed to both DOOH and mobile described the brand as affordable luxury
• 58% of memo exposed respondents worked in the beauty and fragrance sector
• 152 website leads were generated after mobile exposure among professionals

Why Programmatic DOOH Suits Premium Brands in the UAE

Luxury marketing needs two things at the same time. It needs status in the right environments and relevance at the right time. Programmatic DOOH helps by buying audiences and moments, then linking that exposure to follow up messaging on mobile.

If you are planning a premium launch, these lessons travel well:

• Keep DOOH creative simple with a strong visual cue and short line
• Split audiences by intent, such as trade visitors versus enthusiasts
• Pair DOOH with mobile retargeting so interest has a clear next step
• Measure brand lift alongside clicks and leads

Turning this Playbook into a UAE Media Plan

Dubai has dense premium inventory and fast moving audiences, so short flights can still feel big when the plan is tight. This approach works well with:

• Digital out of home screens in malls and lifestyle districts
• Airport media for international reach
• Roadside digital billboards for scale during a launch week

The key is to start with your moment. Rebrands, events and new product drops benefit from concentrated bursts, supported by smart targeting and clear measurement.

Plan Your Next Data Led DOOH Campaign with OOH AE

At OOH AE, we help brands and agencies plan, book and measure outdoor campaigns across Dubai and the wider UAE. We can advise on digital out of home and programmatic options, plus the right mix of formats for your audience.

If you want to build a DOOH plan that is data led and built for measurable uplift, contact us today.

FAQs

What is programmatic DOOH and why does it matter in Dubai advertising?

Programmatic DOOH lets brands buy digital out of home inventory using data triggers, so ads run at the best moments for the audience, not just on fixed schedules.

How did AI improve this DOOH campaign?

AI supported both creative production and smarter timing, using anonymised audience signals like exposure and attention to help place messages when they were more likely to land.

What results did the Maison El Nabil campaign achieve?

The study reported 41% purchase intent among ad aware audiences, plus uplift in ad recall, awareness and strong reach into beauty and fragrance professionals.

Do you need mobile retargeting with digital out of home?

It helps when you want action, because mobile can reinforce the message after DOOH exposure and drive clicks, site visits and lead forms.