-
Nicole Smith-Ludvik is shown standing on a platform atop the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building – in Dubai. The former White County resident has gained global attention for the stunt, which was part of an ad campaign for Emirates airlines. (Photos courtesy Emirates) -
The success of the first commercial led to a return trip to the skyscraper, this time with a fly-by of an Airbus A380 featuring her face (seen at the front of the plane). -
Nicole Smith-Ludvik says skydiving changed her perception of life. In 2012, she became the youngest person to skydive in all 50 states. (Photo courtesy David Ludvik)
Nicole Smith-Ludvik grew up in the Leaf Community of White County. The rural landscape was a playground where she exercised her flair for adventure, climbing trees in her grandparents’ yard or heading out on a hiking trail.
Living near Airport Road, her wonder was often drawn toward the skies.
“I would see these small airplanes taking off all weekend, buzzing around and flying around Yonah Mountain. It was kind of a fascination for me,” Smith-Ludvik says. “I always wondered what it would be like to jump out of one.”
That curiosity later opened a door to a career passion – and to standing on top of the world’s tallest building in a starring role for a viral ad campaign seen worldwide.
Smith-Ludvik has family roots going back generations in White County. She is the daughter of former residents Kerry and Holly Martin Smith and is the granddaughter of the Rev. Loyd and Algene Martin.
Her current career involves teaching skydiving, and performing stunts, but over the past several months she has been at the center of global attention in a pair of commercials for Emirates airlines.
The first viral ad debuted in August 2021 with Smith-Ludvik, dressed as an Emirates flight attendant, is seen up close with message boards. Her blonde hair, red lipstick and hat are set against a blue sky background. As the camera pulls back to conclude the 30-second video, it is revealed that she is standing on a platform at the top of the more than 2,700-foot-tall Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, complete with a panoramic view of the skyline.
“It was a surreal experience. I watched the sun rise over the desert, and it was just glorious – so quiet and so peaceful,” says Smith-Ludvik.
The reaction to the astounding stunt sparked filming for a second advertisement with Smith-Ludvik again elevated on the Burj Khalifa – as an airplane with her face painted on the side flies behind her.
From White County to being on top of the world
Smith-Ludvik moved to Columbus at age 17 as she entered university. She transitioned into a successful corporate career with a specialty retail company, though her trajectory would go in a much different direction.
In August 2007, her husband at the time bought her a tandem skydiving package in which she would jump with a professional guiding her.
“[Skydiving] changed my perception of life. It was just a completely different experience,” Smith-Ludvik says of the exhilaration followed by a sense of peace.
Tragedy, however, would shatter her world in January 2010 when her husband suddenly passed way.
“It set my world into a tailspin. I had no idea what I was doing in my life. I was a widow at 25.”
While navigating her new reality, she found herself with another skydiving opportunity in late 2010. After speaking with a newly licensed skydiver, Smith-Ludvik signed up in January 2011 to become one herself.
About five months later, she was fighting for her life.
In June, Smith-Ludvik was severely injured and her boyfriend killed when another vehicle crashed into their car.
“I was literally broken from neck to waist. Fast forward, the doctors didn’t expect me to make it with all the injuries I had,” she says.
There was concern her brain injuries would affect her cognitive ability and communication. Damage to her pelvis was thought to hinder her ability to walk again.
The recovery was long and excruciating. Smith-Ludvik says she found motivation in setting a goal to skydive once again.
Though the prognosis was grim, Smith-Ludvik says she was given much needed perspective in her recovery. She decided to leave her corporate job and do things she had once believed could wait until later in life. She knew not even one more day was guaranteed.
She pursued work as a professional skydiver, now going on 12 years.
Her mother, Holly Smith, remembers the panic after her daughter called to tell her she was about to jump out of an airplane.
“I begged her not to do it. I was just so fearful that something was going to happen and she would fall to her death.”
Much has changed since then. Both parents have since tried skydiving themselves
“She sent me the footage [of her jump], and I’m like, ‘I want to do that,’” Holly Smith says. “Once you see how good she is and how much safety is put in place, I guess you get accustomed to it.”
Their daughter never stopped taking to the sky. In 2012, she became the youngest person to ever skydive in all 50 states.
“I think [my parents] realized that at that point I wasn’t going to go back to a traditional job or traditional life,” Smith-Ludvik says.
A connection from her first skydive would later become part of the future.
David “Junior” Ludvik – stuntman, skydiver and world record holder – took her on that first jump years ago. They would eventually marry, and she would move to Dubai where he lived.
Along with teaching skydiving, Smith-Ludvik had also worked behind the scenes on some of her husband’s stunts. A mutual acquaintance who owned a production company later recommended she send him a casting video for a vaguely described project.
Weeks later, he called to tell her she would be climbing the Burj Khalifa for the Emirates video.
“My behind the scenes stunt career kind of got catapulted into one of the most recognized commercials on the planet,” Smith-Ludvik says.
The development caused some apprehension.
“We’ve been to Dubai. We’ve been to the Burj Khalifa, so we know how enormous this building is,” says Holly Smith.
It became easier with an overview of some of the safety measures and plenty of prayer.
“We knew that she was going to be in good hands and, of course, the good Lord told me a long time ago that He had this child in His hands,” Holly Smith says.
When the first commercial debuted in mid-2021, Smith-Ludvik was in the middle of a yoga class in Cleveland. Amid the calm, she heard “someone’s” phone going haywire with alerts. Afterward, she found more than 300 messages about the commercial.
Was it really her? Was it special effects?
As some skepticism arose, Emirates released behind-the-scenes footage of the stunt production to show it was indeed real. That too went viral.
The company wanted to respond with an even bigger concept. So in October, Smith-Ludvik returned to the Burj Khalifa for two days of filming, this time as an Airbus A380 plane – one of five with her face featured on it – flew behind her in the shot.
“It was just joy and pride to see where she started and where’s she’s come, all the challenges she’s had to go through. It’s real emotional,” says Holly Smith.
The eye-catching stunts came with a wealth of safety measures and simulations to assess and limit risks. Her hidden harness was attached to a pole on the platform and rigorous study was done to see how slow and how low the plane could fly. (While it looks close to her in the commercial, it’s actually about a half-mile away.)
Smith-Ludvik was able to ride an elevator to the 160th floor of the tower, before having to climb just over 600 feet inside the spire to reach the top. Physical endurance was not an issue, though there was another consideration.
“I had to do that without sweating all my makeup off,” Smith-Ludvik says. “That was the challenging part, because my hair and makeup had to be done before, obviously, because my makeup artist isn’t going to make that climb with me.”
With stops to cool down and rest, the climb took roughly an hour.
Smith-Ludvik, while no stranger to high altitudes, says she’s usually in an airplane or with a parachute on her back at that level. The first time up top took some adjustment.
“My heart started beating fast. My breathing accelerated a little bit. My palms got a little sweaty. I really had to come back to myself.”
She says her own mindfulness practices and experience skydiving helped calm the anxiety. As she stood above everyone else, however, her mind went back home, allowing her to relax and become the smiling, composed character seen in the commercial.
“I intentionally imagined being in the kitchen with my mom and my grandmother, cooking a holiday meal,” says Smith-Ludvik. “I was going through the steps of what we would do.”
Kerry Smith continues to be grateful for the people of White County as the journey continues. He points to how the community lifted the family up when his daughter faced a bleak outlook after the car wreck.
“We called on all the churches in the county to pray for this girl, and on the seventh day – on a Sunday – this girl came back to us,” he says.
“It has taken a village to get Nicole where she is. We will not forget our roots. We will not forget everything White County has done.”
So what’s next for Smith-Ludvik?
“I do have some very big things in the works that I cannot talk about in any detail,” she says with a smile. “But there’s some big stuff coming. I’m really excited about it.”
In the meantime, Smith-Ludvik is eager to further her motivational speaking now that she has a global platform for telling her story of triumph from tragedy. She believes it’s her purpose to inspire others in how they deal with fear and adversity.
“The testament is through faith and perseverance and grit that things can be overcome, and if not, it’s about our perception of the experiences that we have.”
“I hope I’m able to present my story in a way that helps people achieve better things in their lives.”
Keeping up
You can follow Nicole Smith-Ludvik on her social media accounts:
• Instagram – www.instagram.com/nicolesmithludvik