| Story | With "Unseen Potential", Al Tayer Motors, in the UAE, through its agency FP7/Dubai, has owned recycling of automotive spare parts in a distinctive and meaningful manner, and stood out. The dealership and the agency created a sustainable platform converting wasted spare parts from cars into beautiful art pieces, using the talents of the dealership’s blue-collar and factory workers. In recognizing the unseen potential of spare parts and avoiding throwing away their second life, this platform has also helped recognize the unseen potential of Al Tayer Motors’ workers, giving them a new life. 316 blue-collar factory workers worked across 86 teams for 6 hours per week, in their spare time, over the course of 2 months to create masterpieces of recycled art. The entire journey was documented through “making of” videos that were circulated to Al Tayer Motors’ customers as video invites to exhibitions. Exhibitions across Al Tayer Motors showrooms across Dubai and Abu Dhabi the UAE promoted and sold the art pieces to affluent car buyers, through silent auctions. Prominent media, influential personalities, and affluent individuals were invited to this exhibition. The artpieces of recycled craft were on display with stories about them written on elegantly designed panels. The creators of these pieces were also present at the exhibitions. The pieces were also exhibited on a microsite for online bids. All the earnings from the exhibitions went to the workers who created the art. We continued to put them in the limelight. 'How-to Videos' showcased the unseen potential of the workers as well as of the spare parts, as the workers explained their process to make their beautiful art happen. The workers gave lectures in classrooms across leading UAE universities to design and creativity students. The workers also inspired inmates, through talks and workshops aimed at channeling the unseen potential of inmates too; as we saw them create their own recycled art at the end of the workshops. Culturally, the UAE has become very environment friendly and focused on recycling with several initiatives to "Go Green" and be "Eco Friendly" being propagated by the government and by organizations. So, the timing and context was perfect for Al Tayer Motors to marry 'metal' with 'nature'. |
