Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 has been positioned as more than just a global sporting event, marking a broader cultural push to redefine perceptions of ageing and athleticism in Abu Dhabi.
The Games brought together over 40,000 athletes from more than 150 countries, competing across 38 sports, with a focus on promoting intergenerational health and active ageing. Backed by the Presidential Court, the initiative aimed to challenge long-held assumptions about age, gender, and physical capability.
Marketing and communications agency Quill joined the project three months before launch, tasked not only with driving participation and attendance but also with shaping a broader cultural narrative.
The campaign was built around the themes “United by sport, active for life” and “Masters are built, not born,” combining a functional message with an emotional appeal designed to extend beyond the event itself.
“When we came on board, we knew fairly quickly that this could not be treated as a conventional event campaign,” said Maan Bou Dargham, CEO, Quill. “The Games carried a cultural brief. It was asking people to rethink what ageing looks like, what capability looks like, and what sport means across a lifetime. Our job was to give that belief a voice loud enough and consistent enough to actually move something in people. That is a different kind of responsibility than filling a registration funnel.”
Quill executed a full-scale integrated campaign spanning strategy, creative, digital, social media, PR, and production. Over 1,000 pieces of content were produced in-house as part of a three-month push.
The agency’s digital and social efforts drove more than 20,000 athlete registrations within a month, while a ticketing campaign attracted 25,000 attendees to the opening ceremony at Zayed Sports City Stadium in under three days.
During the Games, the campaign operated at the pace of a live newsroom, producing over 400 social posts, 180 reels, and 200 static creatives. Overall, the campaign generated more than 212 million impressions, including 65 million organic reach, over 500,000 engagements, and more than 30,000 new followers across platforms.
The PR effort further amplified the Games globally, generating over 3,000 media stories across more than 400 outlets, supported by over 100 influencer activations.
Beyond the numbers, the campaign’s broader aim was to shift public perception around ageing — highlighting athletes in their 60s, 70s, and even 90s as symbols of endurance and inspiration rather than exception.
The Games, organisers say, have helped position active ageing as a central part of Abu Dhabi’s evolving social and health narrative, using sport as a platform to normalise lifelong physical activity.
