GM MARKS A CENTURY IN AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST WITH PEOPLE-CENTRED ‘ZERO TO 100 AND BEYOND’ CAMPAIGN

General Motors Africa and Middle East has launched ‘Zero to 100 and Beyond’, a campaign celebrating its 100-year presence in the region. Through a cinematic film spanning generations, the initiative honours the people, partners and communities that shaped GM’s legacy while highlighting its vision for safer, connected mobility.

General Motors (GM) Africa and Middle East has unveiled a landmark campaign celebrating its 100-year journey across the region, placing people, memories and shared progress at the heart of the story.

Titled Zero to 100 and Beyond, the campaign commemorates a century since GM first established operations in Egypt in 1926. Rather than focusing solely on vehicles and technology, the initiative shines a spotlight on the generations of drivers, families, partners and communities that have woven Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac into daily life across Africa and the Middle East.

The campaign’s theme reimagines the language of automotive performance as a narrative of collective achievement. While “Zero to 100” reflects GM’s first century in the region, “and Beyond” signals the company’s ambition to continue shaping the future of mobility through innovation, connectivity and safety.

At the centre of the campaign is a cinematic film that traces the evolution of the region through a single journey along a desert road. Beginning with GM’s earliest presence in Egypt, the story moves through changing decades, countries and cultures as vehicles, roads and infrastructure evolve alongside society.

Historic GM models, period-inspired costumes and carefully recreated settings transport viewers through different eras, illustrating how mobility has developed in step with the aspirations of successive generations. The film blends major regional milestones with personal experiences, portraying solo drivers, couples and families whose lives intersect with GM vehicles in different ways.

As the narrative unfolds, it highlights moments that have helped define the region’s transformation, from growing industrial development and changing social norms to women taking the wheel in Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s ambitions in space exploration. A diverse cast from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and the Levant reflects the wide range of communities that have contributed to GM’s place in regional culture.

The storytelling approach was designed to resonate with multiple generations. For younger audiences, it offers an engaging introduction to a shared history, while older viewers are likely to recognise familiar moments and experiences from throughout the decades.

“This region doesn’t pause. It builds, it advances and it imagines what’s next,” said Furrukh Jawaid, Chief Marketing Officer of GM Africa and Middle East. He described the film as a tribute to the people who have made GM vehicles part of their journeys, ambitions and memories, adding that the campaign celebrates both the company’s heritage and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Beyond the film itself, the initiative also acknowledges the network of regional partners and dealerships that helped establish and grow GM’s presence across the region. Their perspectives are being shared through interviews and personal reflections, reinforcing the campaign’s focus on long-standing relationships.

Creative agency McCann MENA led the campaign’s strategy, concept development, visual identity and film production. According to Nima Askari, General Manager of McCann MENA, the inspiration came not from the milestone alone but from the stories behind it. He noted how deeply GM brands have become embedded in regional culture, reflected in local nicknames and popular references that have emerged over generations.

Communications agency Weber Shandwick MENAT supported the campaign’s messaging and narrative development to ensure a consistent story across audiences and platforms.

Looking beyond its centenary celebrations, GM is positioning the campaign as a bridge to its next chapter. The film concludes with a preview of Super Cruise, the company’s hands-free driver assistance technology set to arrive in the Middle East. Guided by its vision of Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion, GM says it will continue investing in advanced technologies, sustainable mobility solutions and local talent as it pursues a safer, cleaner and more connected future across Africa and the Middle East.