Marrakech Is Ready to Shine in Touching Ode to the City

As long as the sun rises, Marrakech will shine. For BETC Paris, as for the Moroccan people, there has never been any doubt. But while on the evening of September 8th, an earthquake of a rare intensity struck the Al Haouz region, the heart of the country's tourism, Marrakech, also suffered an unprecedented shock. To reassure the international scene, BETC Paris and the Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT) unveiled in record time an ode to this city which has in no way lost its shine.

If life is slowly returning to normal, the confusion made by the media, with headlines such as 'The Marrakech earthquake' damaged the image of serenity and security of the city. For the country's economy, this is all the more worrying as tourism represents nearly 10% of the Kingdom's GDP, with Marrakech is its flagship city.

So after almost three years of collaboration, BETC Paris and the ONMT went into urgent mode to show their support. It was the responsibility of the agency to try to act quickly and gently, to create an object which of course reassures tourists, but which above all makes Moroccans proud and illustrates the resilience of these people, who are already moving forward. Marrakech is doing well, and continues to shine. It is through its emblematic light, the standard of the ONMT brand platform, Kingdom of Light that the city once again exposes us to all the richness it invites us to discover.

Produced by General Pop, with Spanish director SEGA and the expertise of its cinematographer Pedro Del Rey, who travelled to Marrakech at the end of September, BETC  Paris and the ONMT unveiled in less than a month a film where the camera comes to magnify the light which touches the faces and the colourful facades of the city, from Majorelle to the streets of the Souk, and reveals the treasures of the art galleries and local crafts. As sublime Marrakech wakes up after a long night, the joy and celebration have not left it. The humble, human approach highlights the alliance of tradition and avant-gardism which makes the experience of this destination resolutely unique and unforgettable. This tribute is carried by the voice of Casablanca resident Meryem Aboulouafa who, for the occasion, reinterprets one of her flagship titles - Breath of Roma - initially highlighting the image of the eternal city, now tinged by the specific riches of Marrakech. The choice of the artist was obvious and her involvement was flawless, since it only took two days to produce the new version of the song now dedicated to the dazzling Marrakech.

A series of visuals immortalised by the lens of Nicolas Prado also highlights the portraits of Marrakesh residents, in their daily lives and driven by the desire to introduce their city to the whole world. To accompany this launch, BETC Paris has also created a new graphic identity symbolising the day that is coming and will continue to illuminate the city to infinity: Forever Marrakech.