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Qiddiya “Set Play Free” 2024

Qiddiya “Set Play Free” (2024) is a Qiddiya commercial directed by Nick Roney for Droga5, produced by ProdCo. It won 2 awards, including Kinsale Sharks 2024 Gold Music & Sound Craft (International) - Sound Design and shots Awards EMEA 2024 Gold — VFX.

A commercial for Qiddiya, a new city in Saudi Arabia, shows people breaking free from mundane routines to embrace playful, adventurous activities in a fantastical, urban, and desert landscape.

Video: Sam Bould on Vimeo

Shot by shot

  1. A dark, textured wall with two signs, one black with "NO PLAYING" in yellow, and another red with "NO BALL GAMES" in white, is dimly lit in an interior space.© Qiddiya0:02
  2. A diverse group of people, including a man in a red shirt and piano tie, sit in stadium bleachers, looking bored and unimpressed.© Qiddiya0:11
  3. A group of four adults with curly hair ride a roller coaster with serious expressions, against a cloudy sky and urban background.© Qiddiya0:19
  4. A man with a beard in a blue shirt bowls a red ball down a long alley in a brightly lit bowling alley.© Qiddiya0:30
  5. A man with a beard, wearing a blue shirt and brown pants, slides on the bowling alley floor, reaching for a red bowling ball.© Qiddiya0:34
  6. A young man with long hair, wearing a hoodie, screams in terror while holding a white game controller in a dimly lit room, as the camera rapidly pulls back.© Qiddiya0:39
  7. A man with long hair and a beard sits in a green armchair, floating over a speed bump on a city street with cars and buildings.© Qiddiya0:53
  8. A person with dark hair, wearing a black top and jeans, is seen from behind, sitting on a teal sofa that is sliding down a city street.© Qiddiya0:57
  9. A diverse group of people wait at a bus stop, looking bored, until a man in a suit throws papers into the air, surprising everyone.© Qiddiya1:05
  10. A giant pink flamingo inflatable floats in front of the Kingdom Centre Tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the city skyline visible below.© Qiddiya1:13
  11. A young girl with pigtails, wearing denim overalls, rides a mechanical horse in a dusty desert landscape, shouting with excitement.© Qiddiya1:18
  12. A young girl with pigtails and a cowboy hat looks on with a serious expression, with blurred figures in the background.© Qiddiya1:24

Stills © Qiddiya. Made by Droga5, ProdCo and Nick Roney.

Every shot, full-quality frames and clips, and search across every commercial. Free account.

The idea

Break free from the mundane, embrace play, and live life to the fullest.

Tagline: “Don't just live life. Play life. Qiddiya.”

mundane reality vs fantasybreaking the rulesmagical realismtransformation sequencedesert oasiscollective joy

The cut

Length
91 s
Shots
56
Average shot
1.6 s

What creatives use Qiddiya “Set Play Free” for

  1. 01Reference frames for your treatment

    Pitching something with the feel of Qiddiya “Set Play Free”? A screenshot from a video player won't hold up in a deck.

    Download any frame of this spot at full quality, with its credits, or search every spot for the same look.

    A dark, textured wall with two signs, one black with "NO PLAYING" in yellow, and another red with "NO BALL GAMES" in white, is dimly lit in an interior space.© QiddiyaA diverse group of people, including a man in a red shirt and piano tie, sit in stadium bleachers, looking bored and unimpressed.© QiddiyaA group of four adults with curly hair ride a roller coaster with serious expressions, against a cloudy sky and urban background.© QiddiyaA man with a beard in a blue shirt bowls a red ball down a long alley in a brightly lit bowling alley.© Qiddiya
    Frames from Qiddiya “Set Play Free”

  2. 02Shot list example: how it was cut

    You need the structure of a great spot, shot by shot, for your storyboard.

    Every shot of Qiddiya “Set Play Free” in order, with its length, framing and what happens in it.

    A dark, textured wall with two signs, one black with "NO PLAYING" in yellow, and another red with "NO BALL GAMES" in white, is dimly lit in an interior space.© QiddiyaA diverse group of people, including a man in a red shirt and piano tie, sit in stadium bleachers, looking bored and unimpressed.© QiddiyaA group of four adults with curly hair ride a roller coaster with serious expressions, against a cloudy sky and urban background.© QiddiyaA man with a beard in a blue shirt bowls a red ball down a long alley in a brightly lit bowling alley.© QiddiyaA man with a beard, wearing a blue shirt and brown pants, slides on the bowling alley floor, reaching for a red bowling ball.© QiddiyaA young man with long hair, wearing a hoodie, screams in terror while holding a white game controller in a dimly lit room, as the camera rapidly pulls back.© Qiddiya
    Length: 91 s · Shots: 56 · Average shot: 1.6 s

  3. 03Ad ideas: every spot built on a breaking the rules

    Before you present an idea, you need to know who has done it, and how.

    Qiddiya “Set Play Free” is built on a breaking the rules. Search the library by idea to see every spot that uses it.

    Jeep “Gates”© JeepNike “Guerrilla Tennis”© NikeDodge “How to Change Cars Forever”© DodgeU by Kotex “U by Kotex”© U by Kotex
    Jeep · Nike · Dodge · U by Kotex

More commercials by Nick Roney

  • KFC US "Genius" (2025) commercial still© KFC USKFC US “Genius” 2025Dir. Nick Roney · APR
  • ParticipACTION "Make room to move" (2025) commercial still© ParticipACTIONParticipACTION “Make room to move” 2025Dir. Nick Roney · Zulu Alpha Kilo
  • Staropramen "The Prague Expert" (2023) commercial still© StaropramenStaropramen “The Prague Expert” 2023Dir. Nick Roney · BBDO Zagreb
  • O2 "Virgin Media" (2020) commercial still© O2O2 “Virgin Media” 2020Dir. Nick Roney · Publicis

More from Droga5

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  • Inspired by Iceland "Ask Gudmundur – The Human Search Engine" (2016) commercial still© Inspired by IcelandInspired by Iceland “Ask Gudmundur – The Human Search Engine” 2016The Brooklyn BrothersEffie Awards Grand Prix 2016
  • Embassy Suites Hotels "Austin" (2003) commercial still© Embassy Suites HotelsEmbassy Suites Hotels “Austin” 2003TBWA\Chiat\DayEffie Awards Grand Prix 2003
  • Travel Switzerland "THYLACINE - Swiss Sounds" (2026) commercial still© Travel SwitzerlandTravel Switzerland “THYLACINE - Swiss Sounds” 2026ADC Awards Gold 2026
  • DiDi "Yes, I DiDi" (2026) commercial still© DiDiDiDi “Yes, I DiDi” 2026Dir. Jim Hosking · Sunday Gravyshots Awards Gold 2026
  • Visit Sweden "The Swedish Prescription" (2026) commercial still© Visit SwedenVisit Sweden “The Swedish Prescription” 2026PRIME WEBER SHANDWICKClio Awards Gold 2026

Questions

Who directed the Qiddiya “Set Play Free” commercial?

Nick Roney directed it, produced by ProdCo, for the agency Droga5.

Which agency made Qiddiya “Set Play Free”?

Droga5 created it for Qiddiya (2024).

What awards did Qiddiya “Set Play Free” win?

2 awards, including Kinsale Sharks 2024 Gold Music & Sound Craft (International) - Sound Design and shots Awards EMEA 2024 Gold — VFX.

What is the tagline of Qiddiya “Set Play Free”?

“Don't just live life. Play life. Qiddiya.”

Sources for the credits and awards

web.archive.orgshots