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Meet cheerful Modhesh who springs surprise after surprise. Laila Suhail talks about his first appearance and its business implications
You've seen his grinning yellow face pop up all over the city in the past month-and-a-half from lamp posts, stuffed toys, street signs and balloons to being painted on kids faces and t-shirts.
Long time Dubai residents are quite used to the annual appearance of the ever smiling Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) mascot but newcomers and visitors are wondering what he's all about.
Laila Suhail, chief executive of the Dubai Shopping Festival, chatted with tabloid! about the merry mascot.
What exactly is Modhesh?
Modhesh began as a jack-in-the-box and due to his overwhelming popularity has developed into a popular cartoon character soon afterwards.
When did Modhesh make his first appearance?
It all started with a television commercial during Dubai Summer Surprises 2000. A father approached his son and daughter with a gift. The kids opened the present, and were amazed by the surprise inside it.
A jack-in-the-box popped up with a wonderful enchanting smile coloured with tufts of yellow and strands of blue and yellow hair. He was called Modhesh, an amazing toy that served as a friend to the kids. That marketing promotion for DSS paved the way for the use of the mascot.
Why was this character chosen as a mascot?
Modhesh is a cute, lovable creature that simply wins the hearts of people from all ages and nationalities. Modhesh is the perfect embodiment of good character and traditional virtues; he adds extra value to the season of surprises. Through his games, stories and entertainment he gives a richer meaning to DSS.
Modhesh, the creative and kind character makes kids feel happy, adventurous, self-confident, and optimistic.
How many children are members of the Modhesh Friends Club?
There is no exact number of members as such, but the club receives around 500 kids during every DSS. Storytelling, games, art and craft, theatre, and music, are some of the most popular activities for the hundreds of members of the club.
What impact has the mascot had on the success of DSS 2008 in terms of the number of visitors he attracts and money spent by shoppers?
While the first edition of DSS in 1998 witnessed 600,000 visitors and recorded a visitor expenditure of Dh850 million, DSS 2007 welcomed a massive 2.1 million visitors while registering a consumer expenditure of Dh3.21 billion.
Why is DSS held every year?
The first two editions of the Dubai Shopping Festival in 1996 and 1997 were a tremendous success and it paved the way for plans to launch an initiative of a similar magnitude over a longer period of time but during the summer season.
The new venture would aim to emulate the success achieved by DSF and thus the idea of DSS was conceived under the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
DSS has contributed significantly in stimulating the retail and tourism sector.
It's a kind of magic
Flying objects, disappearing magician's assistants and hats that "eat" silk scarves are all part of the entertainment at Modhesh Fun City's Magic Play zone where kids also learn to do the tricks themselves.
Children are taught four magic tricks – the floating ball, magic cap, curious curtains and secret code spell.
Magic Play zone employee Josephine Guerra says the tricks are easy to learn "and it's good fun to see the little children crowd around when the demonstrations are in progress".
"To them magic tricks are real and it isn't about the quickness of the hands. They ask so many questions and we sometimes can't answer them," adds Guerra.
All that glitters
Little Sairish Sajeer cannot understand what the hoopla is about but her parents are ecstatic after finding out the one-year-old won a Dh10,000 jewellery voucher from Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group (DGJG).
She is the youngest winner of the of DGJG's ongoing Glittering Surprises competition currently running as part of DSS 2008.
Sairish's father Mohammad says he will use the voucher to buy more jewellery for his wife and daughter. More than 300 jewellery outlets across Dubai are running promotions with Dh10,000 (daily) and Dh50,000 (weekly) jewellery vouchers to be won.
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