www.campaignme.

com September 27, 2020

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FEATURING:
POWER ESSAYS 2020
CAM283_P01_Cover.indd 1 9/24/20 5:43 PM
GET READY FOR LYNX LIVE 5–7 OCTOBER
LYNX Live is a digital education, inspiration and networking experience with three days of MENA focused content
from 5–7 October. Aired on LIONS Live, the programme will include masterclasses, inspirational talks, messages
from the community, debates, interviews and roundtables. Free for everyone.
Explore the programme and speakers at lionslive.canneslions.com/lynx-live

MBC to replace Choueiri
Group with in-house
advertising and sales unit
MBC Group, the largest media
company in the Middle East & North
Africa (MENA), has announced it will
be launching MBC Media Services, an
in-house commercial advertising and
sales unit, in partnership with
Engineer Holding Group (EHG), a
media and investment group which
owns the Al Arabia out-of-home
business in Saudi Arabia.
The move signals an end to the
relationship with MBC’s long-term
partner Choueiri Group.
MBC Media Services will be
majority controlled by MBC Goup
and will begin operations at the start
of the new year. MBC has taken a
minority stake in Al Arabia. The
broadcaster says the new approach
will allow MBC to work more closely
with its clients, which include many
of the world’s largest consumer
brands, their marketing and
advertising companies and media
buyers. MBC will no longer outsource
its advertising and sales business
from January 2021, after the current
contract with Arabian Media Services
(AMS), a Choueiri Group company,
ends this year.
That relationship has lasted for
more than 15 years, and the
relationship between MBC and
BUGLES CRUNCH TIME
Bugles wanted to start building the same loyalty and brand-love they get from older generations with Generation Z in Saudi Arabia. Digital
agency Socialize figured the best way to tap into this new audience was with a new approach to content, one that only Gen Z could
understand. Socialize created a TikTok-first hero video packed with deep-fried memes, random visuals that changed every second and a
new dance move set to infectious music. TikTok is a new platform for the brand, but made complete sense for this campaign as it is
massively popular with the Gen Z audience in the region. It’s the #1 downloaded app in KSA, with 12.5 million users on the platform.
CAM283_P03_News.indd 3
Choueiri Group almost since MBC1
first launched in London in 1991.
MBC moved its headquarters to
Dubai in 2002.
In 2017, MBC chairman Waleed
Ibrahim was among about 200
leading businessmen, princes and
politicians arrested under the orders
of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman and held in the five-star
Ritz Carlton in Riyadh. Al Ibrahim
was released in January of 2018.
Many of those held were released
after handing over assets to the state.
In May 2018, MBC issued a statement
that said: “It’s worth noting that
Waleed Ibrahim retains his original
stake in MBC Group, continues to act
as its chairman and enjoys
management control.”
Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim,
chairman of MBC Group, said: “The
media industry has witnessed
remarkable changes over the past two
decades, driven by technological
advancements and the rapid
adoption by consumers of social
media platforms and mobile devices.
We want to move faster to address
these market forces, and by
establishing our own dedicated
in-house commercial business unit
we will be able to offer better
September 27, 2020
MBC is the largest media company in the Middle East
integrated solutions across our
television, digital and OTT platforms.
I am delighted that we will be
partnering with EHG, which owns Al
Arabia, one of the best known
outdoor advertising specialists in the
kingdom. I would like to thank AMS
and the Choueiri Group, who have
been great partners, and acknowledge
03
their commitment and service over
many years.”
Abdulelah Al-Khereiji, founder and
chairman of EHG, said: “We are very
proud to be partnering with a
prestigious institution like MBC,
which has played a leading role in the
development of the media sector in
our region.”
Discovery closes
MEA operations
US-based media company Discovery
has announced the merging of
several of its operating markets in
EMEA “to improve strategic focus
and enable further investment in its
D2C businesses”.
As a result of a wider restructure of
Discovery’s business in EMEA,
Amanda Turnbull will leave
Discovery as GM for the Middle East
and Africa business. The MEA
business will be combined with
Russia and Central and Eastern
European regions, as well as the
EMEA Pay-TV brands, under GM
Jamie Cooke.
“We are working systematically to
rationalise our operation and find
synergies and efficiencies across our
EMEA business,” said Kasia Kieli,
president and MD, Europe. “We have
come a long way over the years and
with this restructuring we have
defined a clear path towards a leaner
operating model.”
9/24/20 4:12 PM
 04 September 27, 2020

UAE and Egyptian agencies win Pencils at D&AD

Awards in virtual ceremony from UK institution
By Sofia Serrano
The 58th D&AD Awards ceremony
took place virtually, and four Black
Pencils – the most prestigious
creative accolade at the UK event –
were awarded. Designed by Studio
Dumbar and hosted by D&AD
President Kate Stanners, the virtual
ceremony was an opportunity for the
creative industry to come together,
celebrate great work and have the
platform it deserves during an
exceptionally challenging year.
This year only two countries from
the MENA region made it to the
D&AD Awards winners list: the
United Arab Emirates and Egypt. The
UAE came 21st in the country
ranking, and Egypt 39th. VMLY&R
won a Yellow Pencil, the only one for
the region.
VMLY&R Dubai won a Yellow Pencil
for “Mothers Smile Strong” for Colgate
in the category Photography: Portraits.
Leo Burnett Dubai won a Wood
Pencil for the campaign “Secure Your VMLY&R Dubai took home the region’s only Yellow Pencil for ‘Mothers Smile Strong’ for Colgate
Account” for Emirates NBD in the
category Sound Design & Use of Impact: Advertising-Brands and Expression in Print. Chicago in Book Design, and FCB/SIX
Music: Adapted Music. Direct: Direct Response-Ambient. The Egyptian agency Matter in Digital. The President’s Award,
Impact BBDO Dubai received FP7 McCann Dubai was shortlisted Branding won a Wood Pencil for the reserved for “true industry heroes”,
several recognitions for its “The New in the category Direct: Direct campaign “Mega Ice Cream” for was awarded to Yuya Furukawa, CCO
National Anthem Edition” for An Acquisition, for the “Astronomical Froneri, in Branding: Logos. at Dentsu. The United States was the
Nahar newspaper. The campaign Sales” campaign for Mastercard. The four Black Pencils were most awarded country at this year’s
won a Wood Pencil in the category TBWA/Raad Dubai was also awarded to INGO Stockholm-David D&AD Awards, followed by the
PR: Reactive Response and was shortlisted for “Napkinized” for KFC Miami-Publicis Bucharest in PR, United Kingdom in second place and
shortlisted in the two categories in the category Branding: Brand Family Type in Typography, FCB Japan in third.

PAMPERS HOPE IS BORN EMARAT EXPECT THE EXPECTED

After the devastating blast that tore through Beirut on August 4, and right in the middle of the
mayhem, a little baby was born. And with him, hope was born again for an entire nation.
George’s mum went into labour moments before the explosion, and even though the hospital
had been destroyed, he was determined to make it – delivered under the lights of nurses’
telephones. George’s story was an inspiration that needed to be shared. So Pampers created
a film to welcome him not just as a baby, but as a symbol of promise. After all, babies are born
every day, every minute, but this little baby’s birth was a message to the people of a devastated
Beirut that even in times of adversity, there is always a ray of hope.
To celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, Emarat has launched a brand refresh
campaign. ‘Expect the Expected’ explores the rich history of the Emarat brand and its
businesses from the time the company was established by the UAE Government in 1981 up
to the present day. Championing local talent from the region, Emarat enlisted acclaimed
Emirati director Ali Mostafa to bring the brand’s story to life in film, while UAE-based
photographer Waleed Shah captured striking imagery of Emarat’s core services. His
photos will be featured on billboards and in print media.

Agency Leo Burnett ECD Malek Ghorayeb Regional CD Betty Francis Copywriter Alisar Daher Lead creative agency House of Comms Production agency Boomtown Director Ali Mostafa
Art director Rami Rikka Production house Studio 1505 Director Jad Rahme DOP Ziad Chahoud Photographer Waleed Shah

CAM283_P04_News.indd 4 9/24/20 4:13 PM

 September 27, 2020 05

Fun Asia Network takes over Shock ME Jake Thomas to

frequencies, launches new stations
US-headquartered Fun Asia Network,
which acquired 106.2 Big FM from
Zee Network in January this year, has
now added two more popular
frequencies – 107.1 and 97.8 – to its
portfolio. The FM stations, previously
operated by Shock Middle East, have
been rebranded as Luv and Beat, and
will be headed by well-known radio
veteran Digby Taylor.
Beat 97.8, formerly known as Dance
97.8, will remain a dance music radio
station, with the brand position ‘#1
For Dance’. The radio station is the
only platform in the region that hosts
top international DJs such as Robin
Schulz, Lost Frequencies and Sam
Feldt. Beat 97.8 also promotes
dedicated content from local talent
Mark Shakedown, Jake Gray, Apollo
Breach, Cliff Townly and Soul Ninja.
Programme director Digby Taylor
said: “It’s a great feeling to know that
Beat 97.8 and Luv 107.1 are in safe
hands with the Fun Asia Network. I
was lucky enough to get the best
talent in the country back on air with
these stations, and am Luving the
challenge of getting the best Beat!”
The majority of Beat 97.8’s listeners
are Western and Arab expatriates,
followed by Asians and Emiratis. The
audience is multilingual with English
as a first or second language.
The presenters are from the UK,
Lebanon, Philippines and the US, and
The FM stations have been rebranded as Luv and Beat
speak English, Arabic and Tagalog.
Luv 107.1, with the brand position
‘Luv Music’, was formerly known as
Heart. It is a ‘hot adult contemporary’
(hot AC) station playing a variety of
90s and noughties hits throughout the
day. The station is a heritage brand
and claims to be the top adult
contemporary station in the UAE.
Luv 107.1 provides a roster of shows
from 6am, including BBC Minute
News and live performances. The
channel also has several giveaways
planned as part of its shows. With its
selection of on-air talent, content and
music, Luv 107.1 targets international
travellers and UAE residents with
high disposable incomes.
The Fun Asia Network has also
announced plans to expand into
London with three radio stations.It is
part of Thakkar Group, whose
interests include real estate, food,
finance and tax consultancy.
head Snap UAE
Snap Inc has appointed Jake
Thomas as head of the UAE. This
comes as the company rapidly
expands its local partner
ecosystem and seeks to deliver
more opportunities to consumers
and brands.
Based in Dubai, Thomas comes
into the head of UAE position
having joined Snap three and a
half years ago as one of the first
hires in the MENA region. He has
played a key role in building the
Snap MENA business, working
with local and regional agencies
and brands. He has been in the
MENA region for the last eight
years, previously overseeing the
marketing solutions business in
MENA for LinkedIn. Prior to that,
Thomas was instrumental in
driving digital transformation
with Telegraph Media Group,
based in the UK.
Since Snap launched its
regional headquarters in Dubai in
early 2017, the UAE has been a
crucial launchpad for Snap, said
the company.

MINI MIDDLE EAST #THEMINITHINGS SPOTIFY LISTENING IS EVERYTHING

One story, alternate endings, three times. Parking mindfully can make someone’s day.
Waiting before honking is the right decision. Being considerate to pedestrians can be
rewarding. The films, shot in a modular way, can show the audience simultaneously how
the outcome can be good or bad; see the difference, and choose the right way.
Agency ServicePlan Middle East ECD Akilesh Bagri Director Edoardo Lugari
Executive producer Rula Bevilacqua Production house Tomorrow Film
Today, listening is more important than ever before – it’s how we connect with each other,
get perspective and discover more about ourselves. With this in mind, Spotify is introducing
its hyper-localised version of its “Listening is Everything” global campaign. The campaign is
the biggest of its kind from Spotify and lands in Saudi Arabia and Egypt with the insight that
listening to music brings new layers to life and makes you feel better. Listening is Everything
includes a series of digital videos featuring artists from the iconic Warda to rising star
DJ-MK, and highlights how there is music for every situation. The campaign will run across
social, digital and geo-targeted OOH, with song titles that depict relatable life situations
and local cultural nuances. Listening is Everything includes a series of short digital videos
where engaging characters turn to music to rise above relatable yet awkwardly funny
moments. The agency is FP7 McCann.

CAM283_P05_News.indd 5 9/24/20 4:13 PM

 06 September 27, 2020
LYNX LIVE PREVIEW
Together we can use creativity to drive genuine progress, writes
Thea Skelton, festival director
T
he effects of the pandemic continue to be felt
across the world. Every business, discipline,
touchpoint and revenue stream has been
affected, and the creative communications
landscape has seen rapid and substantial change.
Now, more than ever, we need creativity, in its many
guises, to help us navigate these unprecedented
times and drive progress, and what our community
has told us is that they need a place to come
together – to tell their stories, offer inspiration and
collaborate to problem-solve together. With Lynx
Live, our aim is to offer exactly that; it’s for everyone
who believes in creative possibility, and it’s
available for free.
The figures and forecasts reflect a market that’s
been dramatically hit by the pandemic. Global
advertising expenditures will shrink by 9.1 per cent
in 2020 to $572bn, according to Zenith’s Advertising
Expenditure Forecasts, and while the WARC Global
Ad Spends predict that the MENA region will not be
as severely affected by Covid-19 as other regions,
adspend in the Middle East is still set to fall 15.1 per
cent ($1.8bn) to $10.4bn in 2020. Moreover,
advertisers are expected to slash spending by 20 per
cent across the region.
There’s no doubt that this is a gloomy outlook to
be faced, with but as organisers of Dubai Lynx – a
CAM283_P06_Thea Intro Lynx Live.indd 6
‘‘AS ORGANISERS
OF DUBAI LYNX,
WHAT WE KNOW
IS THAT SO OFTEN
IN TIMES OF
CONSTRAINT,
CREATIVITY
ACTUALLY
FLOURISHES.”
festival that exists to champion the
power of creativity – what we know
is that so often in times of
constraint, creativity actually
flourishes. At Lynx Live we’ll hear
personal stories from some of our
greatest storytellers and creative
stars who will share their creative
journeys, lessons and secrets to help
inspire and move us forward.
We’re also bringing the region’s
most diverse thinkers to share
thoughtful and provocative future
scenarios – based on science, data,
insight and their own ideas on what will matter
most in the years to come. Alongside this we’ll hear
from some extraordinary brands, agencies and
people who will deliver ‘Industry Shorts’, a
collection of surprising and original films
showcasing some of the region’s finest minds.
We’re a region that has for some years now been
demonstrating our creative excellence on a world
stage. Last year at Cannes Lions, BBDO Dubai took a
Grand Prix for An Nahar’s ‘The Blank Edition’, and
J. Walter Thompson Cairo was awarded the most
elusive trophy of all in 2015 – the Titanium Grand
Prix – for ‘Abla Fahita’. Winning on the world stage
in this way is no mean feat, and it’s reflective of a
region that understands creativity’s power. I hope
that Lynx Live will fuel and supercharge MENA’s
creativity, and offer some hope at a time when
everyone needs it most.
We know that great things can happen when our
community comes together, and so I for one have
great expectations for Lynx Live because
collectively we can use our shared belief in
creativity as a force to drive progress, transform
businesses and create change.
Dubai Lynx takes place online on October 5-7. To find
out more, visit DubaiLynx.com
MEET A SPEAKER
VIDYA MANMOHAN
I am a rarity in this region, a female
executive creative director.
During my session at Lynx Live 2020 I’ll
be addressing the creative community of
the MENA region to witness the perils of
getting out of comfort zones and sharing
my experiences – those that I believe have
shaped me and made me what I am today.
To put it concisely:
I’m known for having travelled off the
beaten track, across all these years.
I walked out of the medical school
campus to pursue a career in advertising.
Mid-way through a successful career in
art direction, I switched my expertise to
copywriting. What’s more, this mom of a
19-year-old decided to go back to
university this year to pursue a master’s
whilst launching my own company.
Over more than four decades in the
Middle East I’ve witnessed sand dunes
transform to skyscrapers. Born in India
and raised in the Middle East, I can
proudly say, “I’m made in Dubai.”
My work reflects the pop culture around
me and has bagged international awards,
not only in the print and outdoor
categories, but also in radio, design,
integrated and advertising for good. I’ve
also been on the jury list of most
advertising award festivals, including the
Cannes Lions, New York Festivals, Clio,
Adfest, Lisbon Advertising Awards and the
Young Guns to name a few.
My Lynx Live session, ‘Beware of
Comfort Zones’, will see me share my
personal creative journey as well as lessons
from (and secrets behind) a long-lasting
career in creativity.
Vidya Manmohan is the ex-executive
creative director of Grey Dubai and the
founder and creative chairwoman of V 4
Advertising.
9/24/20 4:14 PM

HUMOUR:
THE SMART
SHORTCUT TO
BRAND FAME
Making people laugh is one of the
most powerful ways to connect and
can make your brand distinct from the
competition. But, asks WARC’s Lucy
Aitken, can it actually generate business
results? And is now the right time to
be funny?
BY LUCY AITKEN, managing editor – case studies, WARC
I
n four years of the WARC Prize for
MENA Strategy, we’ve seen up-close
the region’s warm and witty
advertising. And some of that work
has hit the sweet spot: it’s been genuinely
funny while also being highly strategic
and effective.
This year, a quarter of shortlisted case
studies used humour as a creative
strategy, often in commoditised sectors
like telecoms. Etisalat’s Hekaya tariff
enabled Egyptian customers to talk to
their families without worrying about the
cost; the campaign dramatised a
Hekaya-free family communicating in a
staccato style. This funny treatment,
through FP7 McCann Cairo not only grew
awareness, trust and brand equity, but it
was also imitated in spoofs and memes:
the sincerest form of flattery.
Standing out as a quick-service
restaurant brand is also an evergreen
challenge. Burger King’s light-hearted
Saudi campaign, through Wunderman
Thompson KSA, focused on Arab
pronunciation difficulties with the word
‘burger’. It spawned a nationwide
conversation that got the brand noticed
and lifted sales.
LIKEABILITY AND AUTHENTICITY
Humour, writes Grey MENA’s head of
strategy, Shagorika Heryani, in the latest
CAM283_P07_Warc Lynx Live.indd 7
September 27, 2020
edition of WARC’s MENA Strategy
Report, is a “shortcut to likeability and
authenticity. Brands that get it right are
catapulted into shaping the zeitgeist and
being a part of pop-culture vocabulary.”
That status, in turn, gives brands a
stronger chance of being successful in
meeting their business objectives.
Marketing effectiveness authority The
Ehrenberg-Bass Institute scrutinised
more than 300 ads for 60 brands across
‘‘BRANDS THAT
GET HUMOUR
RIGHT ARE
CATAPULTED
INTO SHAPING
THE ZEITGEIST
AND BEING A PART
OF POP-CULTURE
VOCABULARY.”
07
four consumer packaged goods
categories and five different markets. It
identified a strong correlation between
ads that use humour and effectiveness: of
the 29 per cent of ads that used humour,
45 per cent were “good” performers in
driving sales.
IS IT STILL OK TO BE FUNNY?
Yet, given such turbulent times, is it still
advisable to use humour? Grey’s Heryani
thinks it is. “Humour saves the day,” she
writes. “It is our individual and collective
coping mechanism.”
Kantar has been tracking the use of
humour over 20 years. While it fell out of
favour during the Great Recession,
there’s now a growing appetite for it,
especially among younger people. This is
particularly relevant in MENA, where
under-24s account for nearly half the
region’s population.
Despite – or perhaps even because of
– the current extraordinary
circumstances, humour should be a key
tool in the creative strategy toolbox.
So keep it light. And whatever happens,
don’t lose your sense of humour.
Lucy Aitken will be delivering a keynote
speech Humour: the smart shortcut to
brand fame as part of Lynx Live, October
5-7, 2020.
9/24/20 4:14 PM
 08
As part of the Lynx Live
Masterclasses, “My
Creative Journey”, Ali
Rez – regional ECD at
Impact BBDO – will
speak about how
harnessing courage
to cross the line helps
spark creativity and
builds better work
BY ALI REZ, regional ECD, Impact BBDO
CAM283_P08_Ali Rez Lynx Live-.indd 8
September 27, 2020
W
hat do Julius Caesar, a cricket shot, a
border crossing and a brief for a
Thanksgiving turkey ad have in common?
A large part of creativity is recognising
that moment when you develop the audacity to
transition from the uncreated to the created: the
aha, the Eureka, the let-me-write-that-down-before-
I-forget-it. This is the moment when you cross a
line, and nothing is the same ever again.
It is a moment that is deeply overwhelming, and
often fraught with fear, doubt and uncertainty. But
big things don’t happen until you do cross that line
of mental paralysis that holds you back from
creating. Sometimes these moments will be thrust
upon you, and other times you must take the
decision to cross yourself.
A few years ago, I was at the Wagah-Attari border
between India and Pakistan, and, while standing on
the thick white line painted between the two
countries, I realised what a tremendous weight it
carried – this immense burden of a cataclysmic
history manifested into that weather-resistant paint
that I was now standing astride, one foot in each
country. Physically, easy to cross; mentally, not so
much. And right there I decided that we would
do something that was never done before: have
children play a cricket game in the no-man’s-
‘‘A LARGE PART OF CREATIVITY IS RECOGNISING THAT
MOMENT WHEN YOU DEVELOP THE AUDACITY TO
TRANSITION FROM THE UNCREATED TO THE CREATED.”
land between the two countries. Immediately,
a mental line had been crossed as well.
It’s the same when confronting a brief to solve a
business problem: Where do you think the line is?
And how do you decide to cross it? How do you
bring yourself to step into the never-before?
Often it’s instantaneous: Somebody like Yousuf
Karsh knew how to do it. Famously pulling
Churchill’s cigar right out of his mouth gave him
one of the most celebrated – and honest – portraits
of all time. Dick Fosbury knew the line well too, and
decided to cross it by turning his back to it.
We had to do something ridiculously crazy to win
our first Gold Cannes Lion – all sorts of lines were
crossed: physical borders, personal safety, the
complications that scale brings. But at all points
during the campaign, we were aware of the lines we
needed to cross.
These lines are all around us, drawn between
misconceptions and acceptance, between the safe
and the mad, between control and letting go. In this
upcoming masterclass session as part of the Lynx
Live “My Creative Journey” series, I’ll share what
I’ve learnt from my career about recognising them,
and – of course – crossing them.
9/24/20 4:15 PM

Dubai Lynx brings LYNX Live
to MENA Creative Industry
L
aunched in June this year, LYNX Live is
a digital education, inspiration and
networking experience that will
culminate in a three-day virtual broadcast
held from 5-7 October 2020. Now, more than
ever, the importance of creativity is
fundamental. LYNX Live is for anyone in the
MENA creative communications industry
who believes in creative possibility and
seeks to move forward.
LYNX LIVE VIRTUAL
From 5 - 7 October, Dubai Lynx is
presenting LYNX Live Virtual, an
immersive digital experience hosted on
Cannes Lions’ global platform, LIONS Live.
Over the course of the three days, LYNX
Live Virtual will host creative
conversations, debates, intimate interviews
and forecasts on the future for MENA’s
creatives. This curated content is available
to everyone, everywhere, for free.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM LYNX LIVE VIRTUAL
My Creative Journey, sponsored
by Anghami
MENA’s greatest storytellers and creative
stars share lessons from, and secrets behind,
a long-lasting career in creativity.
Industry Shorts
Extraordinary brands, agencies and people
talk about creativity. Surprising and original,
these films showcase some of the region’s
finest minds and the sharpest thinking in
the industry.
The LYNX Live Debate
Industry leaders come together to figure out
what’s next. We tackle a hot topic affecting
MENA’s creative community, with
perspective from important people across
the business of creativity.
MENA, What’s Next?
Diverse thinkers share thoughtful and
provocative future scenarios – based on
science, data, insight and their own ideas on
what will matter most in the years to come.
Talent announced so far:
Vidya Manmohan, Ex-ECD – Grey MENA,
Founder & Creative Chairwoman, V 4
Advertising
‘Beware of Your Comfort Zone’
LYNX Stories - My Creative Journey
Zainab Salbi, Humanitarian, Author, and
Media Personality
MENA, What’s Next?
CAM283_P09_Lynx Live Advertorial.indd 9
September 27, 2020 09
Christine Harb, VP Marketing CEMEA, VISA broadcast on Anghami, the bi-weekly
‘Marketers From MENA: Christine Harb, podcast has been providing news and
VISA’ insightful views from industry leaders. So
Marketers From MENA far, the podcast has discussed important
topics such as mental health in the creative
Kalpesh Patankar, Chief Creative Officer, industries and the power of music in
VMLY&R, MENA evoking storytelling and emotion in
‘Ain’t No Rules’ creative campaigns.
LYNX Stories - My Creative
Journey
Ali Rez, Regional Executive
Creative Director, Middle East
and Pakistan, IMPACT BBDO
‘Cross the Line; My Creative
Journey’
LYNX Stories - My Creative
Journey
Ghassan Harfouche, Group CEO,
Middle East Communications
Network
‘LYNX Live Debate’
Keynote
Patou Nuytemans, Chief
Executive MENA, Chief Digital
Officer EMEA, Executive Partner
Worldwide, Ogilvy
‘LYNX Live Debate’
Keynote
LYNX LIVE MASTERCLASSES,
in partnership with Snap Inc.
Taking a step back from
Powerpoint slides and metrics,
the LYNX Live masterclass
programme has been offering
unique opportunities to see what drives and
inspires creative leaders. The recent ‘In the JOIN LYNX LIVE VIRTUAL
Jury Seat’ masterclass provided university LYNX Live Virtual is free and registration
students with the unique opportunity to can be done via https://www.dubailynx.
become Jury members and award four com/lynx-live.
categories of work based on case films, The line up of speakers and information
background information and the about their content sessions is now available
Unstereotype Alliance guidelines. at https://lionslive.canneslions.com/
lynx-live.
LYNX LIVE WEEKLY
Each week in the run-up to LYNX Live
Virtual, a top-rated Dubai Lynx talk will be
shared to the LYNX Live audience along
with a curated Anghami Playlist from one of
the region’s creatives. In the latest LYNX
Live Weekly, Matt Eastwood, Global Chief
Creative Officer at McCann Health “LYNX Live is for anyone
(Previously Worldwide Chief Creative
Officer, J. Walter Thompson), explores the
in the MENA creative
idea that “the memory is the message.” communications industry
LYNX LIVE PODCASTS who believes in
Hosted with Campaign Middle East and creative possibility.”
9/24/20 5:52 PM
 10 September 27, 2020
T
he last few months can’t have been easy for
production houses. Or the past few years. The days
of earning their keep shooting exclusively big-
budget TVCs are over, and the houses are doing more
fast-turnaround content for social and web.
The work is there but the margnins are not. So the
nature of production has changed – just look at the
wide skillsets the houses listed here now boast of.
Then came Covid-19. Suddenly the archetype of
production – getting out and shooting on location –
was shattered.
But of course production houses are resilient. You
don’t earn a living managing all those moving parts –
permits, talent, crew, budgets, equipment and so on –
without learning a thing or two about flexibility.
In the early days of the pandemic I heard stories of
crews shooting commercials dressed in full PPE. And
of agencies shopping around the world for production
CAM283_P10-21_ProductionHouse.indd 10
PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE
houses in geographies where the rules about working
outside allowed filming to take place.
Of course, on-set is not the only place where magic
happens. Animators, I suspect, have been having their
day in the sun. And those post-production wizeards
have been casting their spells over stock footage.
Content will get out regardless. On the following pages
you will find a list of the companies that make that
happen. The production houses vary in size from one
or two people to dozens, but few come close to the size
and scale of, for example, the network creative agencies
they regularly partner with.
They are sleek, nimble and resourceful. It’s in their job
description. They are experts in scaling up and shape-
shifting to execute a job, then moving on to the next
challenge. In good times or bad, the quality of regional
production speaks for itself.
By Austyn Allison, editor, Campaign Middle East
9/24/20 5:54 PM
 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE September 27, 2020 11

1505 Studio Bigfoot Films

Founded: 2018
Headquartered: Beirut
samer@1505.studio; jad@1505.studio
+961 3 489 348
1505 Studio is a boutique multimedia production company. In 2018, producer
Samer Fleihan and director Jad Rahmé teamed up to create marketing and
storytelling content for global and regional brands. 1505 is dedicated to working
with the best talent, carefully curated to fit the desired needs and challenges
of our partners. Whether it’s a TV commercial, documentary, photography or
digital content, our work reflects the stories and values of our corporate and
creative clients.
KEY CLIENTS: Always, Facebook, Ariel, Trident, Pampers, Nestle Waters, Vox
Cinemas, Ocean Spray, L’Oreal Paris
Founded: 2011
Headquartered: Cairo, with an office in Dubai
www.bigfootfilms.tv
info@bigfootfilms.net
Bigfoot Films is one of the region’s leading production houses. Founded in
2011, we are currently listed as the MENA region’s most awarded production
house. Whether for a television commercial, a music video, TV programme,
documentary or online content, our aim is to cater effortlessly to the needs of
our partners, in a quest to create award-winning films and quality content that
stands the test of time and leaves an indelible mark on the industry. Our success
has never dimmed our enthusiasm and determination to improve and evolve,
and only encourages us to stay focused on providing an exceptional service,
which helps our talents thrive and achieve their artistic and creative potential.

AFP-Services Camouflage Production

Founded: 2010 Founded: 2018
Ownership: AFP Headquartered: Dubai, with an office in Lebanon
Regional headquarters: Beirut Number of staff: 9
Number of staff: 52 +971 4 422 8480; +971 54 345 6082
mena@afp-services.com executive@camouflageproduction.com
SPECIALISMS: Content production, pre-production, scripting, editing, post- www.camouflageproduction.com
production, distribution
Camouflage is a boutique production house founded by a collective of
KEY CLIENTS: Coca-Cola, Perrier, Auditoire, El Gouna Film Festival, UNICEF filmmakers whose love and passion for filmmaking crossed paths throughout
our professional years, blending into each other’s lives and striving to always
raise the standards of our productions with no compromise.
KEY CLIENTS: Etisalat , Mars, Nestle , Nissan, Reckitt Benckiser

Air 3 Creative
Founded: 2011
Headquartered: Dubai
www.air3.tv
+971 4 454 2729 Central Films
Air3 Creative is an independent content-creation agency that brings global Founded: 2005, Dubai; 2000, UK
storytelling to the UAE. Fluent in every form of visual media, Air3 is here to help Regional headquarters: Dubai
your business ideate and execute its next TVC, snackable social or digital promo, Centralfilms.com
corporate video, animation, VR experience, 360-degree video, event shoot or
documentary.
Karen@centralfilms.com
Ian@centralfilms.com
SPECIALISMS: Air3 creates engaging video content from social media through
to high-end commercials SPECIALISMS: International service facilitation and local clients; we specialise
in cars but we do a whole load of other work too.
KEY CLIENTS: Apple; Jaguar Land Rover; Hyundai; Toyota; Save The Children;
Korea Telecom; Uniqlo; LG; Sunrise Insurance; BBC; National Geographic

Big Kahuna Films

Founded: 2007
Regional offices: Dubai, Beirut
www.bigkahunafilms.com CM Creatives
hello@bigkahunafilms.com
Founded: 2017
+971 4 432 9399 (Dubai)
Headquartered: Dubai
+961 1 201 334 (Beirut)
charles@cmcreatives.com
Big Kahuna Films is a commercial production house that has been working
CM Creatives is a new video-content-driven boutique. We specialise in
regionally and internationally since 2007. It has offices in Dubai and Beirut, each
showcasing human stories into a visual medium, capturing expressions and
being run by a full-time production and post-production team. The two offices
converting them into a reel format. Our journey started in 2017 in Dubai, and we
complement each other, but both work independently, catering to different
promise to bring happiness to every brand’s story to reach out in the
markets. With a great reputation of crafting great content, we are proud to have
digital world.
been awarded the Dubai Lynx Golden Palm Award in 2019.
SPECIALISMS: Digital content films and production; equipment rental (UAE
SPECIALISMS: Producers of high-end advertising films, creation of digital
and Beirut); social media content videos; explainer videos; event coverage; TVC
content, events management and brand activations.
production; line production (UAE, KSA, India); live streaming broadcast; UAE
AWARDS: Ranked 3rd Best Production house in Middle East & Africa at the and KSA fixer services; post-production (editing, animation and graphics);
Loeries awards in 2015; awarded Best Production House of the Year, Golden OTT content
Palm at the Dubai Lynx 2019
KEY CLIENTS: BBC Worldwide, Sony Networks, Star Network, Dior Middle East

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 12 September 27, 2020 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 2000
Headquartered: Dubai, with affiliates in Cape Town and London
letschat@boomtown-productions.com Shane Martin Dan Kilalea
CEO and Director Executive Producer
www.boomtown-productions.com
+971 4 390 3970
Boomtown is a multi-award-winning, director-led, creative production company,
super experienced working across all formats and channels. We produce relevant,
memorable and successful visual communications for most of the major clients and
enterprises active in the region. Boomtown’s production ethos is to put the idea first. 

SPECIALISMS: TV commercials, online content, broadcast documentaries and

corporate communications. In-house creative production capabilities and the latest Rory McLoughlin Mannu Singh
camera equipment and post-production tools. We represent some of the finest Director Post and Director’s
international directors and are the UAE partner for the Production Service Network Producer
(PSN), so have access to more than 40 production companies worldwide.

KEY CLIENTS: ADNOC, Expo 2020, Emirates, Netflix, VW, Lincoln, Shell, DTCM, DCT
Abu Dhabi, ENOC, Emarat, Masdar, Sky News Arabia, National geographic Arabia and
Global. MBRSC, Aldar, Oman Aviation. LG Electronics. Ministry of Culture. RSA Films,
Moxie Pictures, Czar Films.

PARTNER AGENCIES: AAB, Impact BBDO, Memac Ogilvy, M & C Saatchi, Face to Face,
HS AD. Leo Burnett, GTB, Focus Advertising

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 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE September 27, 2020 13

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 1994
Headquartered: Beirut
Number of staff: 9
www.cityfilms-lb.com Marc Hadife Joyce Hadife
+961 133 2267/8/9 Owner Executive Producer
+961 331 3040
You don’t have to be in front of the camera to smile.

To us, filmmaking is not just an industry. It is an art, a craft and a journey in itself.

At CITY FILMS, we work with a curated team of the most passionate producers, and a
pool of talented local and international directors, building a consistent track record of
creating quality productions across the Middle East.

More than 20 years of unparalleled experience in filmmaking and production have Nadine Checrallah Carla Dib
allowed us to be selective and choose projects that stimulate creativity and inspire us to Head of Production Head of Creative Dpt
push boundaries. Boundaries that are ever-evolving with time, and that we progressively
challenge as we look excitedly towards the future of bringing great ideas to life.

SPECIALISMS: Production company, production services

KEY CLIENTS: OOREDOO, Almarai Company, Nissan, Etisalat, QNB

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Dia Hassan
Managing Partner

Founded: 2016
Ownership: Create Media Group
Offices: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh
Number of staff: 10-person film crew as part of a wider team of 80+
hello@createproductiondxb.com
createproductiondxb.com/
+971 4 442 5674 Tom Otton
Managing Partner
People crave content in today’s mobile society. If you’re not delivering it to them, your competitors will
be. As part of Create Media Group, one of the leading digital agencies in the region, we understand
social consumption like few other production houses, and can create the content you need to get your
message seen, heard and remembered.

SPECIALISMS: Cinematography; 4k video; drone filming; storyboarding; animation; design; concept;

social media content production tailored for mobile consumption; live event coverage; live streaming
large-scale events (including Red Fest DXB); AR development; 3D motion graphics

KEY CLIENTS: Visit Dubai, Emirates Airline, EXPO 2020, Coca-Cola Arena, Audi Middle East, Red Bull, Luke Morris
Visa, EMAAR, EGA, W Hotels, Qasr Al Hosn, REEL Cinemas, Nespresso, Accenture Head of Production

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 14 September 27, 2020 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE

Crisp Dubai Film

Headquartered: Dubai
Founded: 2019
+971 52 639 5592 (Jacopo); +971 55 872 1193 (Maddy)
hello@bagofcrisps.com
www.bagofcrisps.com
SERVICES: (Creative) Brand consultancy; identity design; copywriting;
scriptwriting; storyboarding and illustration; (Production) Directors & DOPs;
photography; (Post) Editing; colour correction; voice-over; sound design
KEY CLIENTS: Volkswagen, Virgin Megastores, Hyundai, Aldar, Tashkeel
Founded: 2014
Headquartered: Dubai
www.dubaifilm.ae
+971 4 328 5276
SPECIALISMS: Equipment rental (cinematographic lenses; cinematographic
cameras; broadcast cameras; tracking vehicles; helicopter aerial gimbals;
drones). Full production facilitation capabilities; film permits; bespoke aerial
stock footage library. We specialise in state-of-the-art equipment that is
completely customisable as per the vision of the filmmaker. With the sole
aim of taking filmmaking to the next level, our team of dedicated experts is
constantly striving to turn the impossible into reality. From small projects to
large productions, we have you covered. Be it land, water or air, no location is
inaccessible for our troop of professionals.
AWARDS: Digital Studio Awards Best Live Action 2016 and Best Content
Capture 2017

Dejavu
Founded: 2007
Headquartered: Dubai, with offices in Mumbai and Beirut
www.dejavu.ae
+971 4 375 7410 Epic Films
SPECIALISMS: Production and post-production for feature films, commercial
and digital content Founded: 2012
Headquartered: Dubai
Number of staff: 6
info@epicfilms.me
SERVICES: Production servicing, feature film facilitation

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Chaza Said
electriclimefilms Senior Producer

Founded: 2015
Offices: Dubai, Singapore, Sydney
Number of Staff: 20 across all offices
chaza@electriclimefilms.com (Dubai Senior Producer)
+971 50 383 9544
www.electriclimefilms.com
Michael Ahmadzadeh
electriclimefilms is a boutique film house with offices in Singapore, Dubai and Sydney, bringing Partner/Executive Producer
an expression of art to commercial film through innovation and vision. The film house represents
emerging international directors and directors of photography from diverse artistic disciplines
and has worked on global client and agency campaigns.

SPECIALISMS: Director representation, film production, post-production (offline, online, colour,

finishing, audio mixing)

KEY CLIENTS: TBWA, M&C SAATCHI, DDB, Dentsu, GTB

AWARDS: Finalists Ad Stars 2020, Finalists AOTY Singapore 2020 Damiano Fieramosca
Director

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 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE September 27, 2020 15

Filmworks Giga Works Virtual Reality Film Studio

Founded: 1998
Headquartered: Dubai, with offices in Abu Dhabi, South Africa
and Jeddah
www.filmworksgroup.com
+971 4 457 3132
Filmworks produces US studio features, TV commercials, TV series,
documentaries and digital content. A full-service production entity respected
locally and internationally for its professional teams and ability to deliver a
quality product on time.
SPECIALISMS: Production of TV commercials, feature films, documentaries,
corporate videos, TV series, digital content
Founded: 2013
Headquartered: Dubai, with offices in Beirut
www.gigaworks.ae
+971 50 350 2735
Giga Works is a VR film studio offering 360-degree content capture and
storytelling and virtual reality experiences. We have undertaken many virtual
reality experiences across the UAE and worldwide since 2013.
SPECIALISMS: 3D and 360-degree video content capture; VR content creation;
VR post production; VR apps and games production; VR Cardboards production
KEY CLIENTS: Daimler, Red Bull, MAF, Emirates, Jumeirah, Dewa, GDFRA,
Tecom/DIFF, Etihad Rail, DP World, TS&S, Strata, YahSat

Hanzo
FLC Models & Production Founded: 2017
Regional headquarters: Dubai
Founded: 2009 www.hanzofilms.com
Headquartered: Dubai yanny@hanzofilms.com
Number of staff: 7 +971 55 138 6461
talk2us@flc-me.com
Hanzo is a boutique production company based out of Dubai, making award-
SPECIALISMS: Casting; models; talents;, locations; production (print and TVC, winning content across live action and animation mediums. Since its inception
domestic and international); event management and production in 2017, Hanzo has produced some of the region’s most awarded and globally
KEY CLIENTS: Apparel Group, Landmark Group, P&G, Nestle, IFFCO watched campaigns, including work for Emirates NBD, IKEA, Apsara Pearl and
Samsonite.
SPECIALISMS: Live-action and animation films
AWARDS: Dubai Lynx, New York Festivals, Loeries

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Offices: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Dammam

Contact:
heather.mcdonald@filmmastermea.com Heather Mc Donald Anna Domaneschi
www.filmmastermea.com Head of Production Senior Producer

+971 4 445 8530

+971 54 322 7384

At Filmmaster MEA Productions, our highly experienced multi-disciplinary team are

masters in the art of filmmaking, offering an all-round award-winning service from
creativity through to production and post-production. Our agile structure, wide-
reaching freelance network and global Filmmaster Group family allow us to respond
effectively to every challenge.
Batoul Amhaz Ilde Di Benedetto
AWARDS: Effie Mena Awards 2019, Gold Lynx 2019, and 29 Cannes Lions across the Producer Production Manager
group over the last five years.

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 16 September 27, 2020 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE

Joy Films Lightblue Media

Founded: 1995 (UK); 2008 (Dubai)
Headquartered: Dubai, with offices in Lebanon
joyfilmsme.com
+971 4 435 6019
Joy is not a name. It’s an experience. It is about the magic of the moment. Since
it was founded in 1995 in London by Mehdi Norowzian, Joy Films has won many
awards, including an Oscar nomination for the short film Killing Joe. We stand
for creativity because it makes a difference and it also makes perfect business
sense. Joy Films is unique in having in-house, experienced creative resources
with a thorough understanding of the strategic needs of clients.
SPECIALISMS: Commercial productions; online content development and
production; film production services; photography production
Headquarered: Dubai, with offices in Los Angeles
hello@lightblueww.com
Lightblue Media is a full-service creative production house, crafting engaging
and effective content for the world’s largest and most prestigious global brands.
We love the power of storytelling and collaborating with our partners to tell
human-driven narratives. We’re a team of award-winning filmmakers, from all
parts of the globe and united with a passion for crafting unique stories through
the medium of film and technology.
SPECIALISMS: High-end film production; digital /social content; event capture;
animation & motion graphics; immersive technologies; live-stream & broadcast
KEY CLIENTS: Estée Lauder Companies, Mastercard, LVMH, Burberry, PlayStation

Liwa Advertising
Founded: 1987
Headquartered: Dubai, with offices in New York, Colorado
K Kompany and Mumbai
Headquartered: Dubai info@liwa.tv
Number of staff: 15-20 With focus on video content for eight years, we were the first in the region. As
Founded: 2010 a specialist video marketing agency, we strategise, write and produce video
info@kkompany.com content to create engaging communication. We create more than 1,000 assets
a year to help institutions tell their stories, explain products, assist customers,
SPECIALISMS: Video; television; audio; store music edutain and drive engagement. We manufacture videos in five to six days. We
KEY CLIENTS: NFPC, Unilever, Fine, Agthia, Friesland Campina are specialised in creating engaging video content that entertains and educates
audiences . These videos are consumed through websites and social media.
KEY CLIENTS: Emirates NBD Bank, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, Smart
Dubai, Dubai Customs, Eagle Hills

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 2016
Ownership: GP&K
Offices: Dubai, Cairo, Beirut, Athens Ali Ali
Number of staff: 12 Director
Info@goodpeople.film
+20 100 251 2085
www.goodpeople.film
Let’s put it this way: We have about 78 awards that we could put on display but we’re the kind
of people who would rather use that space to store snacks. Or hide bodies. Of clients. We’re
digressing. All jokes aside, Good People is really just a group of good people who are in love with
what they do. Our producers would donate blood (and, if needed, sweat) to get the camera rolling
on time while our directors are as eclectic as they get. But hey, don’t take our word for it. Ask the Maged Nassar
Director
crazy people that made us Agency of the Year for three years straight. We’re a production house
that says ‘Amen’ to solid work and invites great briefs and money-owning-film-loving people to
our dinner table. Creatively, we keep it fresh and solid. Always. Until you come get your fingers
orange on some Cheetos when you visit us, have a look at our work. It’ll do the talking.

SPECIALISMS: High-end film production across eight different markets.

KEY CLIENTS: Amazon, Diesel, Google, Pepsi, Spotify, Uber, Coca Cola, Du, Vodafone, Etisalat, STC, Zain

AWARDS: Production House of the Year 2016,2017,2018 Dubai Lynx; Cannes Lions 2019; The One Khaled Zaki
Show 2019; A&AD 2018; Cleo; NY ADC Executive Producer

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 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE September 27, 2020 17

Lizard Magnet Connect

Founded: 2013 Founded: 2012
Headquartered: Cairo Headquartered: Dubai
Head of company: Karim Mira, founder Holding group: N2 Media
lizardvfx.com ishani@magnetconnect.com
cairo@lizardvfx.com magnetconnect.com
athens@lizardvfx.com SPECIALISMS: Creative; film; photography; facilitation; talent; post-production;
SPECIALISMS: Editing; colour-grading; VFX locations

KEY CLIENTS: Bigfoot Films; Excuse My Content; Rhino Productions; Nojara KEY CLIENTS: Jumeirah; Emirates; TBWA; Emaar; Etihad; Hogarth; Memac
Productions; DéjaVu; JWT; Impact BBDO; Leo Burnett; FP7; Kairo Ogilvy; Dnata; Atlantis

Magic Beans
Founded: 2013
Regional offices: Cairo, UAE Meraki
www.mbeans.tv Founded: 2015
Hello@mbeans.tv Headquartered: Dubai, with offices in London
+20 111 600 0006 www.merakiproduction.com
Having been created with creativity, passion and team work, Magic Beans has +971 50 559 0558
succeeded in establishing its own territory in Egypt over the past six years.
Meraki is a production house based in London and Dubai, with more than 10
Its scope of work is not restricted to TV commercials; Magic Beans has co-
years’ experience in the industry. At Meraki we specialise in photo and film
produced more than six TV series and more than three TV shows. In addition,
production in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. We’ve produced for clients
Magic Beans co-produced one of the most trending TV Shows in the Middle
including Wunderman, Y&R, Havas, Horizon FCB, BMW, Nike, Samsung, Rimmel,
East, SNL Arabia. Furthermore, Magic Beans produced the Gouna Film Festival,
Max Factor, Bourjois, Wella, Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy, Hogarth, Porsche, COS,
1st edition.
Dior, P&G, Publicis, Commonwealth, Audi, Momentum, MullenLowe, Linkedin,
SPECIALISMS: Production for TV commercials, feature films, short movies, TV M&S, Warner Bros, McDonalds and many more.
series, documentaries, TV programmes, music videos, digital content

KKDD Film Production

Founded: 2004
Owner: Kinjal Jagdish Tanna
Headquartered: Dubai.
Number of staff: 5
kinjal@kkddfilms.com
kkddfilms@gmail.com
+971 4 396 6999 (Dubai)
+971 50 2460999
+91 961 999 0000 (Mumbai)
www.kkddfilms.com
LEADERSHIP PANEL

We are a creative content production house based in Dubai since 2004 with two post suites,
two audio suites and a colour-grading suite in-house since 2010. We have shot commercials
across all genres in FMCG, automobiles, retail, food, etc. for brands including Jeema, Dettol,
Kelloggs, Dabur, Toyota, Colgate, Fanta, Eveready, Noor, Blackberry, McCain Foods, Domex and
Zain. KKDD Films has been set up with the intention of servicing our client base in the Middle
East and Africa. 

SPECIALISMS: TV commercials, digital films, documentaries, OTT content, service production, Kinjal Jagdish Tanna
line production, radio commercials, dubbing, post-production, animation CEO/Producer

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 18 September 27, 2020 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE

Mile Studios Motivate Connect

Owner: Leo Joseph Founded: 1979
Headquartered: Dubai Headquartered: Dubai
Number of staff: 18 www.motivatemedia.com
Founded: 2011 connect@motivate.ae
info@milestudios.tv; leo@milestudios.tv From conception to distribution, Motivate Connect delivers! We help brands tell
SPECIALISMS: Videography; photography; location sound; digital imaging their stories through bespoke content creation across any media platform and
technicians; event coverage; live streaming; specialised in post-production device. From ideation to multi-lingual scripting and storyboarding, videography,
services such as editing, colour grading, sound design and 2D & 3D animation photography, drone filming, animation and design and editing, our services cover
every stage of the production process. Our specialised 360-degree approach
KEY CLIENTS: Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi, Mubadala, Cleveland Clinic integrates within your content strategy, and our distribution network extends the
Abu Dhabi, International Fund for Houbara Conservation, Imperial College reach of your content across the Motivate Media Group portfolio including online,
London Diabetes centre social media, influencer marketing, cinema and our partnerships with Emirates
ICE and Discovery MENA feed. Through our partnership with Intermedia, your
brand message can reach new television audiences with key distribution in
households across the MENA region via the local Discovery feed.

Misfits Content Creators Moving Stills

Headquarters: Dubai Founded: 2015
Founded: 2015 Founder: Sadanand Chhatbar
nader@misfits.ae Headquartered: Dubai
Number of staff: 6
SPECIALISMS: Marketing strategy; creative campaign platform ideas; film sadanand@movingstills.me
scripts; directing; editing and grading; VFX; audio
SPECIALISMS: Video and photo production and post-production, TV
commercials, corporate films, social media videos, 360-degree videos, time-
lapse, 2D animation, 3D walkthroughs, cinemagraphs, parallax animation,
stills photography

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Dev Vaswani
Managing Director and
Founded: 2009 Executive Producer
Ownership: Milkshake Media
Headquartered: Dubai
Number of staff: 8
www.milkshakeme.com
dev@milkshakeme.com
+971 4 457 2021/2; +971 50 469 2267
Wijnand Ott
Milkshake Media is a creatively grounded content creation and production house, offering Animator - Total Post
directors and writers to suit any budget and style. In-house post capabilities help craft stories. Production Wizard
With a discerning eye and deep understanding of budgeting, we work hard to delight our clients.
Some of these are: Mubadala, Landmark Group, Unilever, Adidas, GSK, Bosch, Samsung, Subaru,
Jotun Paints, Majid Al Futtaim, Amazon, National Geographic and P&G, to name a few.

SPECIALISMS: We specialise in production of commercials, visual content, stills photography

and animation

AWARDS: MENA Cristal Best Film (Dubai Islamic Bank), Best Use or Integration of Experiential
Events (Lipton Green Tea Fit Cart); Loeries Best Film (Samsung Kalima Lock); D&AD Creative Tom Gattos
Excellence (Samsung Kalima Lock); Dubai Lynx Best Content (Lipton Green Tea Fit Cart); Digital International Marketing
Studio Excellence in Post Production (Ikea Shadows) Director and Creative Head

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 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE September 27, 2020 19

Odeum Rahbani Productions

Founded: 2019
Headquartered: Dubai, with an office in Riyadh
Holding company:Augustus Media Holding
weareaugustus.com
hello@weareaugustus.com
Odeum, the in-house content studio of Augustus Media, owners of Lovin’ Dubai,
Lovin’ Saudi and Smashi TV, is powered by data and insights, designed to
produce new media formats, in real time for clients that live across our brand
channels. We connect brands with communities and culture.
SPECIALISMS: Video; social; written; content; events; audio; online advertising
Founded: 1977
President and CEO: Marwan Rahbani
Offices: Dubai and Lebanon
Number of staff: 20
marwan@rahbaniproductions.com
Rahbani Productions is the leading creative source in the Middle East in the
world of theatre production, feature films and events. The company produces
and organises mega events for the Arab and international world.
SPECIALISMS: Theatre production; feature films; TV programmes; events; TV
commercials; corporate/documentary films; music videos; music composition
and design; graphics and animation; dubbing; subtitling; in-flight entertainment

Phenomena
Founded: 2018
Founder: Pirlanta Toubba; partners: Hiam Salibi, Karam Tabbe Red Stone Films
Offices: Dubai
hello@phenomena-productions.com Founded: 2011
www.phenomena-productions.com Principal partner: Mohammad Irfan Dar
Number of staff: 7 full-time; 20-member floating team of
Phenomena is a film production house and creative studio representing
cinematographers, animators and directors.
emerging talent locally and internationally. We are a third-culture team with a
shared passion for film, music and culture. We take on projects as early as the you@redstonefilms.in; irfan@redstonefilms.in
development phase and drive them home for delivery. . SPECIALISMS: Creative research and strategy; video and film production
SPECIALISMS: Production for TV commercials; digital content; music videos; (brand films, digital spots, explainers); animation (2D, 3D, projection mapping);
short films post-production services; visual storytelling workshops.

KEY CLIENTS: Dubai Design District, Masdar, GMG KEY CLIENTS: Microsoft Corporation, International Centre for Research on
Women (ICRW), Ashoka University India

We believe in being brave. Whatever the brief, whatever the

subject matter, we guide and inspire our clients to make
content that stirs emotions.

We believe in trust. We trust our people, we trust our ability,

we build working relationships on trust. When trust is your
foundation, you can achieve great things.
Films by Nomad SPECIALISMS: Nomad is a multi award winning creative
agency that makes high end moving image campaigns,
Founded: 2012
specializing in scripted and factual storytelling.
Ownership: Nomad Media
Headquartered: Dubai KEY CLIENTS: ADNOC, Dubai Tourism, Disney, National
Number of staff: 20 Geographic, Discovery Channel, Emirates Airlines, ENBD,
Emaar, Jumeirah, ESPN, ENEC, Mubadala, Arla, Chrysler, EY,
abudhabi@filmsbynomad.com
Under Armour, Jaguar Land Rover, Adidas
dubai@filmsbynomad.com
+971 4 551 5368 AWARDS:
www.filmsbynomad.com Broadcast Pro | Production House of the Year
Founder and director: Philip Griffiths Broadcast Pro | Best Long Form Production of the Year
MENA Digital Awards | Best Use of Social Media & Best Use
Founder and director: Zoë Griffiths of Digital
Managing director: Tim Swain Digital Studio | Best Live Action Capture
Country Head - UAE: Gallien Chanalet-Quercy SPIA | Best Sports Event of the Year

CAM283_P10-21_ProductionHouse.indd 19 9/24/20 4:16 PM

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 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE September 27, 2020 21

Seven Production Tomorrow Film

Founded: 2011 Founded: 2018
Offices: Dubai, Riyadh Headquartered: Dubai
7production.net Number of staff: 4
pierre.tabet@7production.net www.tomorrow.film
SPECIALISMS: Video production; film and broadcast services; studio antonio@tomorrow.film; rula@tomorrow.film
facilities Tomorrow Film is an audacious, quality-driven and no-compromise production
KEY CLIENTS: MBC; Al Jazeera; Imagic; OSN; Dubai Media; Abu Dhabi house founded by Rula Bevilacqua and Antonio Sabatella in 2018, after a
Media; TwoFour54; BeIn Sports; IEC In Sports; Studio Vision; Talpa decade spent acquiring top-notch experience in the UAE and the Middle East.
Since we started this amazing journey of Tomorrow, we have quickly achieved
a reputation among clients, directors and crew as a reliable and flexible
production hub, able to empower the vision behind each project and to push
quality and creativity further.

Stoked SPECIALISMS: Production and post-production of TV commercials and high-

end digital content
Founded: 2013
KEY CLIENTS: Mondelez, Emirates NBD, Netflix, Centrepoint, DTCM
Headquartered: Dubai, with offices in Lebanon
www.stokedfilms.com
+971 58 566 3247; +971 58 537 7393; +961 3 824 192
rita@stokedfilms.com; charbel@stokedfilms.com;
info@stokedfilms.com
Stoked is a creative production company with main offices in the UAE and
Lebanon. We produce and facilitate commercials, TV and digital content, short Truffle
films, documentaries, photoshoots, activations and feature films across the Founded: 2017
Middle East.
Headquartered: Beirut
SPECIALISMS: Creative production; film production; post production; audio www.truffle.film
production; TV and digital content; documentaries; photoshoots; feature films
+961 1 321 455
KEY CLIENTS: UN-WFP, International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins
Truffle was founded by Michel Abou Zeid and Cynthia Chammas with the aim of
Sans Frontières, Greenpeace, Nestle
producing world-class work and setting a new standard in the market. Truffle
AWARDS: Since 2013, Stoked has won awards including 6 Cannes Lions, 14 has received accolades from regional and international shows including The
Awards at the Dubai Lynx including 4 Grand Prix, and 2 Awards at the Loeries Loeries, One Club for Creativity, MENA Cristal, Lynx and Cannes Lions.
including 1 Grand Prix and 1 Gold.
SPECIALISMS: Production house focusing mainly on TV commercial
productions

The Studio96
Founded: 2014
Ownership: Blurred Lens Films and TV Production Two Tales
Headquartered: Dubai
Founded: 2018
Number of staff: 12
Owners: Farah & Sami Joe
+971 4 284 6503; +971 55 508 5572; +971 52 722 2122
Headquartered: Jeddah, with office in Riyadh
www.thestudio96.com
Number of Staff: 5
Patrick@thestudio96.com; Alex@thestudio96.com
Hello@twotales.film; Farah@twotales.film; Samijoe@twotales.film
The Studio96 is more than four years old and is specialised in video production www.twotales.film
at various levels including short films, films for CSR campaigns, corporate
+966 56 075 4883
commercials, etc. We create stories and we believe stories create movements
and brand-building, and ultimately change the world SPECIALISMS: Full-fledged production house
SPECIALISMS: Production of commercials and corporate films; CSR KEY CLIENTS: RSA, Quad, Al Agosto, Deja Vu, Truffle Films, Big Kahuna Films,
campaigns and content creation VIP Films
KEY CLIENTS: Emirates NBD, Centrepoint, Kioxia, Rabdan Academy,
Diovid-Vidimed, Jacky’s, Berger Paints, Ikea

The Talkies Viola Producers

Founded: 1988 Founded: 2001
Ownership: Talent Holding Holding group: Viola Communications
Headquartered: Beirut, with branches in Dubai, Cairo and CEO and board member: Ammar Sharaf
Casablanca Headquartered: Abu Dhabi
Number of staff: 22 marketing@viola.ae
info@thetalkies.com Creatively inspired, we develop and deliver meaningful corporate
communications, specialising in high-quality video production, 2D and 3D
SPECIALISMS: Studios; casting; set building; post production
animated videos, virtual reality videos, interactive media, branded assets, CSR,
KEY CLIENTS: Leo Burnett, Cheil Worldwide, BBDO, FP7, JWT health and safety, events and theme videos.

CAM283_P10-21_ProductionHouse.indd 21 9/24/20 4:16 PM

 22 September 27, 2020 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE

VIP Films LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 1972 (Beirut); 2001 (Dubai)

Owner: Rafic Tamba
Offices: Dubai and Beirut
Number of staff: 10
hello@vipfilms.com
+971 4 391 4789 (Dubai)
+961 138 3453 (Beirut)
www.vipfilms.com
Rafic Tamba Paula Tamba
VIP Films is passionately dedicated to the way we treat every film, every story. We CEO Executive Producer
produce advertising films and TV commercials, social media content, digital and
online content, and pretty much anything you throw our way. We adapt. We create. We
find solutions. 20 years in UAE. We forge ahead.

AWARDS: ADSports TV idents – Promax BDA Europe 2016 Gold; Dubai Lynx 2015
Shortlist – Film Craft Achievement in Production; Sharjah Tourism Film – International
Tour Film Fest Bulgaria’s Special Award of the Team 2016; Toyota TRD – Dubai Lynx
2015 Shortlist, Film Craft, Cinematography; QNB Achievers – Dubai Lynx 2015 Shortlist;
Beirut Aftershave – Golden Cesar Award for Best Short Feature, France; Fnac Award
in Clermont Ferrand France; Nominated for Best short feature at Cannes; Mabrouk
Martha Nassar Jana Barnard
Again (short feature) – more than 10 awards for Best Film in international festivals; Regional Producer Producer
Ksara Wine – IAA Awards, Lebanon; Exotica ‘Pencil’ – IAA Awards, Lebanon (Silver);
Asthma Awareness – IAA Awards, Lebanon; Chevrolet Trailblazer ‘Kung Fu’ –IAA
Awards, Dubai (Gold); DDIA ‘Invest in Dubai’ – IAA Awards, Dubai (Silver); MBC
television –IAA Awards, Dubai; Nissan Patrol ‘Conquering the City’ – Sword Awards,
KSA (Silver); Cadillac Escalade ‘The Chase’ – IAA Awards, Dubai; Al Wasat Magazine –
IAA Awards, Dubai; Toyota Corolla – IAA Awards, Dubai; Dubai Sports Bumpers – Gold
Award at Promax BDA Arabia 2011, Dubai; Mention D’Honneur web award at the 2011
FICTS, Milan.

Dubai, thank you for your support

BY VIP FILMS

W
e have all been severely affected by
the Covid-19 lockdown. While we all
had to adhere to severe restrictions
for the greater good of all, it created a big
financial impact on our industry, as on so
many others as well. With the slow return to
a “responsible normal”, we now find some
clients are still very cautious. Nobody is able
to predict what lies ahead. Clients require
plenty of risk assessment calculations for
various Covid-19-related scenarios affecting
productions. There is a feeling of trying to
be prepared for whatever might lie ahead
before taking a decision on proceeding
or not.
Business is clearly picking up, with plenty
more pitches and productions in the market.
Our shared, continued efforts to take on this
new way of conducting business in a
responsible manner is key in ensuring our
industry stays afloat. We still need to deliver
excellent films and high-standard
productions, but with masks, frequent
sanitising and social distancing in place
as well.
It does slow things down during prep and
on-set, and with reduced crews people need
to take on more and more tasks in order to
compensate with less hands on
deck.  Clients are also shrinking their spend
on advertising, conservatively feeling out
the water during this time, which is adding
strain on the whole process.
So yes, work is picking up after the
complete lockdown we went through, but
certainly not like before. Everyone is very
careful about spending money and very
conscious about the implications of
cancellations due to possible new
regulations coming out.
VIP Films resumed shooting as normally
as possible thanks to the support of the
Dubai Film and TV Commission, who are
very supportive when it comes to issuing
permits. Directors are now flying in
normally and we are able to get to work in a
way that resembles pre-Covid-19 times, to a
degree. VIP Films also resumed servicing for
other countries who have difficulties
shooting in their own country, and with the
help of live streaming we can offer great
solutions for them.
It certainly is a challenge, but one that we
are ready to take on. Thank you.

CAM283_P10-21_ProductionHouse.indd 22 9/24/20 6:01 PM

 PRODUCTION HOUSE GUIDE September 27, 2020 23

Wild Media Zia Creative Network

Founded: 2013 Founded: 2009
Owners: Hattie Bowering and Dalia Penzik Offices: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Halifax
Headquartered: Dubai Number of staff: 15
Number of staff: 4 info@zianetwork.com
hello@wildmedia.com SPECIALISMS: Video production; photography; advertising; PR and
www.wildmedia.com communications
SPECIALISMS: Digital content, documentaries, commercials, campaigns, KEY CLIENTS: Ministry of Interior, Dubai Police, Jaguar Land Rover, Abu Dhabi
exhibitions, corporate films, events Pension, ADNEC
KEY CLIENTS: Louvre Abu Dhabi, Dubai Tourism, Abu Dhabi Tourism, Saudi
Arabia Ministry of Housing, Burberry

Zooxel
Founded: 2013
Wonderful Productions Holding group: Aidem Media
Founded: 2009 Headquartered: Dubai
Offices: Lebanon and Dubai info@zooxel.com
Number of staff: 5 SPECIALISMS: Commercial and feature film production; 3D Animation;
paul.sabbagh@wprod.tv cinematics; virtual production
SPECIALISMS: TV commercials, corporate and music videos production KEY CLIENTS: Abu Dhabi Government, Sharjah Government, Daimler, Microsoft

LEADERSHIP PANEL

Founded: 2012 of it. But we’ve got your back. We’re up

Offices: Dubai, Abu Dhabi.
Number of staff: 14
action@salukimedia.com
+971 4 375 2435
+971 50 103 9117
www.salukimedia.com
We’re Saluki Media. Storytellers and
moviemakers. Creative, agile, impactful
and diverse. From documentary to TVC,
from live action to animation… from safe
face-to-face to virtual content creation…
Whatever the medium, we craft
emotional, cinematic stories.
for the challenge. Proud to stand with
you and create. Because the audience
deserves it.  John Sammon Bashir Wagih
Director and Executive Creative Director
SPECIALISMS: Documentaries; Producer
corporate films; aerial cinematography;
animated content creation; episodic
television; event coverage; foreign
facilitation; opening ceremony films; virtual
event creation and administration; TVCs
KEY CLIENTS: ADNOC, DMG Events,
Majid Al Futtaim Group, Vox Cinemas,
Masdar, National Geographic, Image
Nation Abu Dhabi, CNBC, NBC Universal, John Haddad Ema Chacar
Abu Dhabi Media Company  Director Producer

It has been a year beyond description. AWARDS: Winner of 2018 Transform

And we know we’re all still in the thick Awards MENA

CAM283_P10-21_ProductionHouse.indd 23 9/24/20 6:01 PM

 A NEW AGENCY CONNECTING
WORLD-CLASS TALENT WITH BRANDS

TIKTOK
HIVE
HOSTS
TIKTOK T
he video-sharing platform TikTok
recently launched its corporate arm,
FOR
TikTok for Business. TikTok for
Business is the platform’s offering for
brands to develop their image and unleash
their creativity, to raise their voice and find
the right audience among a young and
engaged TikTok community.
BUSINESS
Following the trend of virtual events
during the pandemic, TikTok for Business
gathered an online community for an Open
Day at the TikTok Hive – a virtual
conference centre. When guests logged in,
an enthusiastic man in a unicorn onesie
VIRTUAL
welcomed them to the platform before
leading them to an interactive Reception,
the “homepage for the day”. In the
Reception – a virtual hall adorned with
cushions, virtual personas and TikTok
videos – visitors had access to different
spaces including the Auditorium, the
OPEN DAY
Directory Hall, the Exhibition Hall, the
Lounge and the Resource Centre. They
could also download a virtual goody bag of
wallpapers, PDF brochures, graphics and
other conference-style freebies.
The event started in the Hive’s
Auditorium with introductions and the
keynote speech by Shant Oknayan, the head
of global business solutions for MENA and
More than 1,300 attended Turkey. Oknayan explained how TikTok’s
full-screen, sound-on format encourages
the online event, which high engagement, and emphasised that
boasted a keynote, breakout “engagement then drives strong business
results”. He demonstrated TikTok’s
sessions, a DJ and more. engagement rates through multiple
By Sofia Serrano examples of third-party data. Oknayan
shared metrics and consumer behaviour
trends on TikTok and its value as a platform
for brands to expand their identities among
a community of fully engaged creators.
The conference, which had more
than 1,300 attendees, continued with
breakout sessions accessed through the
Directory Hall.
TikTok for Business team members
discussed topics including an Arabic
introduction to the platform’s new services
and topics such as “The Power of Creation”,
“Building Great Partnerships”, “Get your
SME started on TikTok”, “Branding
Solutions Crash Course”, and “The
Evolution of Consumers”.
In “Brand Building through Authentic
Content”, Jovana Jovanovich, creative
CAM283_P25_TikTok event.indd 25
September 27, 2020 25
‘‘ONE NEEDS
TO GO BEYOND
GETTING
THUMBS-UP-
ORIENTED
ENGAGEMENT.”
agency partner at TikTok, presented
insights about how TikTok thrives on the
“three Cs” of content, community and
consumers. To that list brands can add a
fourth C – commerce – if they learn to
“make TikToks not ads”. The talks
emphasised the commerce aspect of TikTok
and the opportunity it presents for brands.
The attendees Campaign chatted with in
the Lounge (as TikTok’s head of video and
creative Rami Zeidan played a DJ set of
old-school hip-hop) were enjoying this
unusual event. Beverney Shane from AKQA
said: “The event was refreshingly different
compared to other online events, and a
nice break from the usual Zoom
and BlueJeans conference calls. Super sick
to see a more positive and entertaining
push on the direction of content that
agencies should aspire to create. What I’ve
learned is that people need to find their
voice and be creative with it. One needs to
go beyond getting thumbs-up-oriented
engagement.”
Business growth specialist Ayman Itani
said: “As an active member on TikTok, I felt
that the #TikTokHive event format was
structured in a way where it covers the
different needs of the attendees: statistics,
downloadable files, knowing who the
TikTok team is, where to get started, and
entertainment.”
The event’s resources will continue to
be up for some time, so don’t miss your
chance to dig into the insightful material
and watch any videos you might have
missed on the day.
Additional reporting by Austyn Allison
(partner content)
9/24/20 6:04 PM
 PARTNER CONTENT

26 September 27, 2020

Samsung’s got talent

The mobile phone manufacturer tapped into Arabic TV star Ahmed Helmy’s
Facebook and Instagram popularity to launch its S20 Ultra handset to a
socially distanced audience

C
ovid-19 has put certain limitations on new product launches,
with most physical events being out of the question. Brands
wanting to showcase their latest tech offerings to consumers
have had to find ways to give a hands-on experience without getting
any hands on the product itself.
This was the challenge that faced Samsung’s Middle East team
when the Korean phone manufacturer wanted to launch its new S20
Ultra handset.
Luckily for Samsung, it has a secret weapon. In April it signed a
partnership with Egyptian TV star, comedian and influencer Ahmed
Helmy, who has 32 million followers across his social media
channels. It was the first time Samsung had produced content with a
local celebrity.
As well as being a much-loved judge on the television show Arabs
Got Talent, Helmy is a goodwill ambassador for Unicef, the UN
World Food Programme, and for Arab Hope Makers in the UAE. It’s
fair to say he’s well known.
Samsung used its partnership with Helmy to launch its flagship
S20 Ultra in July.
Under his contract with the brand, Helmy agreed to make two
Instagram posts and two Instagram stories, with two Facebook posts
reposted from Instagram. Helmy will also be integrating the product
twice a month into his own posts under the sponsorship agreement.
Helmy unveiled the phone with a rap. In a shift from the normal
phone-launch clichés of lots of product shots, Samsung let Helmy’s
words explain the product while the visuals of his post concentrated
on the influencer and his user experience.
After Helmy had posted about the phone, Samsung amplified his
posts over its own channels, including on Facebook and Instagram.
The campaign went live on July 2. By July 5, only three days (and
one post) later, the results were already impressive. Helmy’s
Facebook video had racked up 77,000 likes, 4,400 comments, 4,100
shares and 706,000 views. On IGTV he had reached 221,000 likes,
6,900 comments and 1.5 million views.
Over those three days, 332 conversations started about the S20
Ultra thanks to Helmy’s posts. Monitoring firm Crimson Hexagon
calculated 87 per cent of those conversations to be positive, 12 per
cent neutral and only 1 per cent negative. The main buzzwords in
the conversations were “Samsung” and the Arabic for “amazing”.
Fans were mimicking the Helmy’s lyrics and rapping back without
even being asked to do so.
Crimson Hexagon found the key winning insight was: “Content
strength falls in subtle product key selling point integration with a
creative that reflects the persona of the celebrity to secure
authenticity.”
Within 72 hours Helmy’s launch rap had also been picked up by
Arabic TV magazine ETV, where it had garnered 3,180 views. And
the Jeddah College of Advertising asked its social followers to vote
whether the campaign was “amazing” or they had “seen this idea
before”. “Amazing” got 87 per cent of the vote.
The results weren’t only reflected in social conversations and
likes; in Saudi Arabia the campaign had a measurably positive effect
on the brand too. Ad recall rose by 15.8 points; preference rose by 1.9
points and purchase intent went up by 2.4 points.

“Content strength falls in subtle product key

selling point integration with a creative that
reflects the persona of the celebrity.”

CAM283_P26-27_FacebookOfTheQuarter.indd 26 9/24/20 4:22 PM

 PARTNER CONTENT

September 27, 2020 27

Prihan Farrag – Senior

Marketing Manager, MENA,
Samsung
“As Samsung Mobile,
we will always
strive to bring our
fans innovation in
everything we do
– not just products
but also consumer
marketing. We are keen
to keep them always
entertained with our
latest technology and
future storytelling.”

Anas Charif – Senior Digital

Marketing Manager,
Samsung KSA
“Innovation is at the
heart of everything
we do at Samsung,
whether it’s creating
cutting edge products
or delivering
meaningful experiences
to our consumers. The
results of our S20 Ultra
campaign reinforce the
Ahmed Helmy importance of tackling
local consumer insights
introduced the S20 to build relevant content
Ultra with a rap that resonates.”

Austyn Allison, editor of

Campaign Middle East
“During lockdown
people are looking for
entertainment and are
perhaps more open to
influencer marketing.
Ahmed Helmy has
one foot in the world
of aspirational
celebrity and the
other in the role of
relatable influencer,
so has a wide reach.
Launching a phone
just as lockdown was
ending must also have
appealed to consumers
looking for a ‘revenge
purchase’, when
they can finally treat
themselves to a new
phone.”

Agency: Leo Burnett

Director: Tameem Youness
Media agency: Starcom Saudi

CAM283_P26-27_FacebookOfTheQuarter.indd 27 9/24/20 4:22 PM

 PARTNER CONTENT

28 September 27, 2020

New strategies
Snap’s Antoine Challita looks at how to align purpose, context
and reach throughout the consumer journey

I
t’s no secret that 2020 has been a turbulent year for
regional economies and communities. This has in turn
affected the way brands engage with their customers,
deliver value and measure their marketing ROI.
Within the Middle East, the conversations we are having
with brands are also evolving. More and more, these
conversations are not only about the scale and reach that
Snapchat has in the region but, more importantly, about the
context and the value of audiences that brands are trying to
engage with. That is why it is important to introduce
products that enable marketers not only to leverage
upper- and mid-funnel activities, but also to really push the
needle to ensure that conversions are
happening based on the intent signals
that brands are capturing throughout
the consumer journey.
Recognising this, new media
strategies have had to come into play.
The fundamentals of brand building
are actually the same. However, the
avenues of connecting with audiences
are evolving, and the way brands are
leveraging these avenues should be
optimised to make their investments
more productive and effective.
Mobile-empowered consumers are
making more decisions on the go,
researching on the go, discovering on
the go, and I think organisations that
are conscious of growth need to be
very mindful of that and seize the
opportunities accordingly.
The other side of this conversation
on media strategies is the value of audiences. It’s all about
reflecting on where future growth will be coming from.
Acquiring new consumers and tapping into Gen Z has been
at the forefront of many of our partners’ thinking.
Thankfully, we are in a very strong position, considering our
scale across the region, as we reach 90 per cent of 13- to
34-year-olds in KSA and more than 60 per cent of 13- to
24-year-olds in the UAE.
Once brands truly know their audience, it is imperative for
them to define a brand purpose that is relevant to those
audiences, and that the organisation can commit to. I recall
when one of the social groups shared a video about the ads
that are being created by brands during and for the
pandemic. Everything was looking the same, and
differentiation between brands was lost.
Alex Edmans published a book recently called Grow the Pie,
where he explores how companies can do good and do well at
the same time. When brands and businesses have a purpose,
partners are generally more willing to engage and collaborate,
and employees are now more willing to mobilise and are more
productive. Brands that have a relevant purpose – and that
are committed to it – can really differentiate themselves.
Again, it is possible for you to do good and do well on the
bottom line. Profitability and growth are outcomes and are
driven by fulfilling the value that
brands have set themselves to
achieve. This relationship at times has
been confused and separated the
successful organisations from the
struggling ones.
Of course, having a clear brand
purpose is easier said than done.
Businesses today are hungry for
innovative ways to differentiate
themselves and to communicate their
brand purpose. For example, we have
seen how virtual try-ons and our
creative tools – powered by AR – have
enabled businesses to maximise their
sales by driving both awareness and
consideration while consumers had
restricted mobility.
Taking this all into account, I do
think it’s worthwhile to come back to
the point about an increasingly
mobile consumer. Mobile penetration and time spent on
mobiles are incredibly high in this part of the world, and
with technological progression this will only grow. As a
mobile-only platform, we know how valuable and immersive
content experiences can be when they tie back to brand
purpose. It is perhaps why 90 per cent of our users in KSA,
for example, access our lenses on a daily basis. On mobile,
you have a consumer that is leaned-in and attentive. By
appreciating the context and the value of audiences, sticking
to a clear media strategy and aligning that with brand
purpose, brands have ample opportunities to expand their
visibility across the consumer journey.

“Once brands truly know their audience, it is imperative for them

to define a brand purpose that is relevant to those audiences, and
that the organisation can commit to.”
By Antoine Challita, Head of CPG in MENA, Snap Inc. and corporate
member of The Marketing Society

CAM283_P28_MarketingSocietyPartnerContent.indd 28 9/24/20 4:10 PM

 September 27, 2020 29

MATTER News, views & trends from

across the spectrum NOW IS THE FUTURE

OF FACT Many terms are redefined or reformed to match the zeitgeist of the prevalent lexicon and maintain
relevancy in any given period. However, very few, if any, have transcended across the years to adopt a
more powerful meaning with every age that they are used in. From exceptional writers and orators to
digital savants whose understanding of modern technologies and platforms is palpable to an intrinsic
degree, influence is no longer just the means of affecting someone’s choice; it is the compass that is
guiding the new era.

Where once the reins were explicitly in the hands of marketers and communication professionals, they
are now in the control of people who have adapted to the tools in their hands and used them to garner
influential dominance over others, for better or for worse.

Ahmad Itani is a passionate

educator and entrepreneur
who is the founder and CEO
of public relations
consultancy Cicero & Bernay.
33
22
VS 40Responders across generational
categories who identified social
media as the reason behind their
travel choices
The third-person effect in
the retail industry of social
media influence vs the
actual statistic
YOU HEARD IT FIRST
Word of mouth is still
the most influential channel
across industries
THE YOUNGER
THEY ARE

62
The younger the
respondents, the more
likely they were to be
influenced by social
media

Millennials who consider social

media posts from their close
friends to be their primary
reference, followed closely by
Generation X at 61% Source: instituteforpr.org

G A M E CH ANG E R
Things have changed exponentially over the past months, and people have introduced innovative ways to celebrate.
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay held an online graduation ceremony that took the world by storm. It
wasn’t just remote; an avatar was generated for each student and faculty member, granting the event a true virtual feel.

BR E AK IN G THE NE T
Oneya Johnson is 22 years old. He is homeless, living in his car, and amassed one million followers on TikTok on his first day
on the platform. Why? His unique way of spreading positivity. The story here is not of this young man, however. It’s that no
matter what, people are still looking to share and spread love against all odds and challenges, and celebrating those who do.

#NOT
Novak Djokovic, the number-one ranked tennis player in the world, was disqualified from the US Open for inadvertently
striking a line judge with a stray tennis ball. The internet has been vocal over this matter, with some decrying his dismissal
and others calling the decision, though justified, a blow to tennis fans who now have nothing to look forward to in this Grand
Slam. Moral of the story? Don’t give in to frustration and always keep your cool.

CAM283_P29_MatterOfFact.indd 29 9/24/20 4:19 PM

 30 September 27, 2020

A VIEW FROM

Alex Malouf
TECH TIPS

Kundera
WE’VE GOT TO GET PR Locally produced
PROFESSIONALS BACK TO AI writer
WORK: WE NEED INDUSTRY
CERTIFICATION
Alex Malouf is corporate
communications director MEA at
launched
Schneider Electric
Dubai-based start-up KF

B
ack in 2008, I was lucky. I was in Saudi, development, and who can say, “I know my Solutions has announced
and the global hit to the financial market communications theory, and this is how I the launch of Kundera, a
didn’t dent the country’s economy. That can prove it.” locally developed mobile
wasn’t the case for my friends and colleagues Any funds raised from a certification application that will enable
in Dubai, many of whom lost jobs as sectors could go back into the industry, to support individuals and businesses to research
such as real estate collapsed. those who are out of work (the CIPR does and generate articles in minutes.
I never thought anything would be as bad this with iprovision, which provides The mobile app and web platform for
as 2008 and 2009. I was wrong. 2020 has been grants to members to help with care and enterpris, was launched earlier this month
a disaster for nearly all of us. Everyone is respite costs). And it would also prove the in English, with Arabic due to roll out in
letting people go, both agencies and clients. commitment of those communicators and early 2021, and further languages in the
And it hurts to see so many good marketing public relations people in work to support following months.
and communications unemployed. The those people who need our help. AI solutions are
question is: How do we get experienced A certification won’t just help people virtually integrated
people back into work? understand the difference between an within all industries,
We’ve always been an open industry. experienced communicator who knows about whether used to boost
There’s no single route to becoming a a host of issues such as measurement, digital, technical functioning
communications or public relations ethics and the like. It’ll also help others get or crunch massive
executive. In some respects, it’s a strength. what the function is all about. Many of us will data sets. Kundera’s
The diversity makes us more dynamic, open work tirelessly for our brands, but we’re awful creators say businesses
to different opinions. However, there’s also no at doing public relations for what we love and in the region can use
way to rate a communicator. You’ve got a CV, what we are good at. There are not enough it to empower their
and that’s it. And that’s a weakness right now. people out there, particularly among the workforce to be more Kareem Farid
We need a way to find out the experienced C-level crowd and within human resources, productive by saving Founder and MD,
professionals from those who aren’t. We who actually know what communications is time and enabling KF Solutions
need a universally accepted certification that about. As an industry we have to spend more faster, more accurate
will help people who are hiring understand time educating our peers, so that they know decision-making underpinned by insight
what level a person is at. You have to what we do and the value of our work. and data.
remember that most people who hire for I’m going to end by saying everything The app is the brain-child of Kareem
communications really don’t have much of has changed, and we have to change as an Farid, a former journalist and comms
an idea what we do or how we do it. industry too. We’ve got to try new things, professional, who says he plans to “move
If we’re to get the best of us who are out of we’ve got to look at what we can do better. I the region beyond digital transformation
work back to what they’re best at, then we want our profession to be respected, to have and address the need to provide smart
need to go forward as an industry and adopt a seat at the table, and to be strategic. And I solutions to help businesses run more
a standard certification, be it that advocated want those experienced people who are out effectively as we accelerate the pace
by the CIPR, IABC, the PRCA or any other of work back in work. We’ve got to look at how towards becoming a digital-first nation”. He
global association. We need people who are we can best do this, and, for me, certification says he aims to disrupt daily
accredited, who have invested time in their is one of the better answers out there. life by providing the latest in
AI solutions that integrate
into everyday operations.
Motivate Publishing Group
Head Office: 34th Floor, Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 427 3000, Email: motivate@motivate.ae
Dubai Media City: Motivate Publishing FZ LLC, Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845
Abu Dhabi: Motivate Advertising, Marketing & Publishing, PO Box 43072, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124,
Email: motivate-adh@motivate.ae
London: Motivate Publishing Ltd, Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER. motivateuk@motivate.ae
www.motivatemedia.com
EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner and Group Editor Ian Fairservice
Editor Austyn Allison Editorial Intern Sofia Serrano
DESIGN Senior Art Director Olga Petroff Art Director Sheila Deocareza Junior Designer Thokchom Remy
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Tel: +971 4 427 3000 Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne
Group Sales Manager Nadeem Ahmed Quraishi (+971 50 6453365) Group Marketing Manager Anusha Azees
PRODUCTION General Manager S. Sunil Kumar Assistant Production Manager Binu Purandaran
HAYMARKET MEDIA GROUP Chairman Kevin Costello Managing Director Jane Macken

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and
views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on
information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular
circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby
granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Campaign Middle East includes material reproduced from the UK Edition (and other
editions) of Campaign, which is the copyright of Haymarket. Campaign is a trademark of Haymarket and is used under licence. The views and
opinions expressed within this magazine are not necessarily those of Haymarket Magazines Limited or those of its contributors.

CAM283_P30_AViewFrom_TechTips.indd 30 9/24/20 5:20 PM

 September 27, 2020 31

A split that will reshape media

T
he biggest break up in 21st century regional media has happened, Choueiri has other interests, and
with Saudi-owned broadcasting giant MBC announcing it will no over the past decade has been actively
longer be represented by Choueiri Group’s Arabian Media Services. diversifying its media portfolio, most
The split with Choueiri Group marks and end to the most influential actively in the online space with its
partnership in the industry and is sure to have huge implications in the Digital Media Services division. DMS
coming years. represents numerous websites and
MBC launched in London in 1991 and transformed the regional media platforms and has been one of the
scene. It provided international programming via satellite to a Saudi key players in leading the Middle
audience desperate for more scintillating content than that produced by its East’s digital evolution. Choueiri
national broadcaster. Industry veterans have told me the apocryphal story also represents other broadcasters,
that, before MBC1 arrived, the highest viewing figures in the kingdom came including Dubai Media, and has an out-
at midnight, when Saudi TV would show all the TVCs it had sold in one half- of-home division, Arabian Outdoor. AUSTYN ALLISON
hour block. Saudis were so keen to see content from beyond their borders Much media spend is moving online, Editor
they would tune in just to watch the adverts. and away from traditional channels austyn.allison@motivate.ae
MBC gave them international quality, and a less conservative approach to such as print and television, so Google @maustyn
programming than the Saudi state might have tolerated, were the channels and Facebook arguably have more clout
to be broadcast domestically. MBC because Saudi’s window to the world, now than MBC, and the migration of
and its ad slots quickly became the hottest currency in MENA media. money is set to continue.
Enter: Choueiri Group. The Lebanese firm soon came to an agreement to But MBC is moving hundreds of millions of dollars of spend to run through
represent MBC’s media sales. Both MBC and Choueiri moved to Dubai, but its own in-house division, based in Saudi Arabia. MBC itself will be moving
although the UAE was the regional centre of media, it was agencies born out its headquarters to Riyadh within the next few years, a sign both of the
of the Levant that were buying air time to reach Saudis. That meant buying kingdom’s liberalisation under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and
MBC through Choueiri, and within regional media agencies careers have also of the tighter control ‘MBS’ is exerting on economic and social assets.
risen and fallen depending on the quality of relationships between buyers This means the axis of media power is shifting from Beirut and Dubai
and their counterparts at Choueiri Group. On an institutional level, the towards Riyadh. I’d be surprised of we don’t see media agencies building up
concentration of media money through one player has meant Choueiri has their presence in the kingdom as soon as travel and relocation are possible.
often led the way in introducing media technologies and influencing the Creative agencies and the rest of the industry will also follow the money.
way business is done across other channels as well as its own. An era has ended. It will be fascinating to see what the next one brings.

Clarity means responsibility

I n 2002, a Russian airliner was
flying to Barcelona.
It had a very experienced crew,
plus 15 adult passengers and 45
children on board.
A DHL 757 cargo plane with an
English and a Canadian pilot was
also in the air.
They were at the same height and
would both reach the same spot at
exactly the same time, and crash.
There were two systems in place to
prevent this: human and automatic.
The human system was Air Traffic
Control (ATC) and consisted of a
A VIEW FROM man watching a screen.
The DHL pilot had been told to
descend by the TCAS, so he
obeyed that.
The conflicting advice made sure
that the planes arrived at exactly the
same place at exactly the same time.
The tail of the DHL plane sliced
through the body of the Russian
plane – both planes crashed and all
71 people on board died.
The problem was communication:
a lack of clarity concerning the two
systems.
In the training manuals, it said:
“TCAS is a back-up to the ATC
system.”
kept quiet.
The callous way they dealt with
the deaths was matched by the
laziness and incompetence with
which they had dealt with their jobs.
They weren’t sure which system
should take priority, so they fudged it.
They hadn’t made a decision, so
they couldn’t communicate one.
Consequently, no-one knew which
system had priority so, in truth,
neither did.
And that’s how most of us do our
jobs: decisions are difficult, no-one
wants to be held responsible, so we
don’t make them.

DAVE
The automatic one was Traffic Which suggested that human We know in a crowded
Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) instructions should take precedence. marketplace only a single, simple
with no humans involved. But elsewhere in the manuals, it communication can work.

TROTT That night, the human controller

at Zurich was Peter Nielsen.
When he saw the planes were
Dave Trott is the author
of Creative Mischief, getting close, he told the Russian
Predatory Thinking plane to descend.
and One Plus One He didn’t tell the DHL plane
Equals Three anything – if it carried on, the
Russian plane would go under it.
But at that moment the automatic
TCAS instructed the Russian plane to
climb and the DHL plane to descend.
If both planes had obeyed the
TCAS, everything would have been
fine – the Russian plane would have
gone over the DHL plane.
But the Russian pilot had been
told to descend by the ground
controller, so he obeyed him.
states “TCAS is an additional aid”,
then contradicts itself by forbidding
any manoeuvres “contrary to TCAS”.
So who should the pilot obey: ATC
or TCAS?
That lack of clarity in
communication cost 71 lives.
Actually, it cost 72 lives.
One of the parents of the children
tracked down the controller and
stabbed him to death.
Vitaly Kaloyev was an architect
who lost his wife Svetlana, his
10-year-old daughter Konstantin, and
his four-year-old daughter Diana.
Air-traffic control offered him
60,000 Swiss Francs for his wife, and
50,000 for each child, as long as he
But that isn’t going to make us
popular, so we pretend we can do
everything.
Is it market share or market
growth? Is it current users or
triallists? Is it brand or product?
The answer is we want it all and
we don’t want to take a decision
between them.
So we ridicule clarity by calling it
binary thinking.
And yet, as David Ogilvy said:
“Strategy is sacrifice.”
We dodge responsibility by
ignoring reality.
And by pretending we can do
everything, we end up doing
nothing.

CAM283_P31_Editor_Trott.indd 31 9/24/20 4:23 PM

 32 September 27, 2020

Unilever… ‘Strikes the balance between pragmatic ends and empathic means.’ Burger King… ‘Someone at Burger King Arabia aced their psychology 101.’

Visa… ‘The execution doesn’t seem to be as thoughtful as the idea.’

Visit Dubai… ‘For a MENA destination campaign, something was missing.’ Lebanese Army… ‘I can’t decide if the campaign is confusing or confused.’

CAM283_P32-33_PrivateView.indd 32 9/24/20 4:24 PM


Private View
REEM
FAHD
Bilingual copywriter
and KSA content
consultant
Brands are not always a welcome passenger on the
wagon of current events. Still, some brands figure
out how to endear themselves to us well; some lose
themselves in the attempt, and some… they just
make things weird.
UNILEVER’S PAKISTAN NATIONAL DAY (1) campaign
is one that effortlessly strikes the balance between
pragmatic ends and empathic means in the face of
the coronavirus pandemic.
The scenes of Shehzad Roy and his chorus,
singing with muffled voices from behind their
masks, adds a new dimension to the simple act of
wearing a mask, and new shades of meaning to the
anthem itself without a touch of fluff or fervour.
Another that tugs on the heart’s strings, while
avoiding the pitfalls of unsavoury virtue-
signalling, is BURGER KING ARABIA’S PAY-CUT
WHOPPER (2) campaign.
Whopping discounts on ordering-in abound
during the present economic crunch, and Burger
King Arabia found a way to seize this opportunity
by marketing with empathy vs. marketing with a
vengeance. In offering to match its customers’ pay
cuts with equivalent discounts, up to 30 per cent
for a maximum of three months, the incentive
is shifted from the enticement of an offer to the
thoughtfulness behind it. Someone at Burger King
Arabia aced their psychology 101.
Speaking of empathy, VISA’S WHERE YOU
SHOP MATTERS (3) puts a face to the small and
medium-sized businesses’ struggle in the
economic downturn. People might be mindful
of their spending nowadays but it’s also worth
remembering that the survival of SMEs in these
rough times depends on our everyday consumer
choices.
The execution, however, doesn’t seem to be as
thoughtful as the idea. The Arabic version of the
campaign’s hero video, especially, comes across
as an afterthought: a stream of disjointed positive
affirmations, at the end of which the core message
is completely lost in translation, “because you
CAM283_P32-33_PrivateView.indd 33
September 27, 2020 33
Unilever
Title: Face Mask Anthem
Agency: Impact BBDO
Singer: Shehzad Roy
Burger King
Title: Pay Cut Whopper
Agency: Wunderman
Thompson Dubai
and what you’re looking for doesn’t matter”.
Then again, afterthoughts are usually never well
thought through.
There’s always room for more empathy in the world,
if you’re wondering if there could be an empathic
angle to destination marketing. After a long and
lost summer spent in unpleasant and involuntary Visa
staycationing, we deserve a bit of empathy, if not Title: Where You Shop Matters
Agency: Impact BBDO
sympathy. Enter VISIT DUBAI’S SEE YOU SOON (4).
If there can be an upside to the Covid-created
circumstances, it might be that it presents unique
opportunities for brands to keep themselves top-of-
mind by having friendly conversations with their
audience that feel more like touching-base than
selling something. But for a MENA destination
campaign, something was missing. Considering Visit Dubai
Title: We Will See You Soon
Saudis are the second-largest tourist demographic Agency: Create Media Group
that visits Dubai (756,000 in 2019) and Oman is the
5th (499,000), why wasn’t there an Arabic version of
the campaign? Strategy or oversight?
Non-commercial brands, especially governmental
ones, deserve more leeway when it comes to
missing the mark. But I can’t decide whether
Lebanese Army
the LEBANESE ARMY PEACE CAMO (5) campaign is Title: PeaceCamo
confusing or confused? Agency: TBWA/Raad
It seems to be celebrating the Lebanese Army’s
revamped camo, designed to morph into images
of solidarity and love for the people. A genius idea!
But on closer inspection you’ll notice the ominous
soundtrack to the English version; the bullet-pop
beats; a frame of a soldier in front of a wall with the
word “Revolution” in Arabic graffitied onto it.
The Arabic version plays to a more benign track.
However, it contradicts its narrative by the end
with an offbeat statement: “Today the Lebanese
Army is confronting its families and its people in
the nation’s squares. 75 years, and we’re still up to
the most difficult missions.” And the graffiti? It’s
still there! But flipped right-to-left, camouflaging
the Arabic word “Revolution”. Which means
someone was aware it didn’t fit the narrative, yet
didn’t remove it. I’m not sure where our empathy is
supposed to lie here.
9/24/20 4:24 PM
 34 September 27, 2020

The Spin
The Spin is a tad puzzled by the message behind this advert for Porsches.
Should we never postpone our dream again? In that case, why is there that
full stop? Or is it saying that, yet again we should never postpone our
dream? As though we are constantly postponing our dream. It’s a moot
point though. Our dream is about being naked in an exam we haven’t pre-
pared for. And we can’t afford a Porsche anyway.

Dubai’s ‘Happiness Agenda’ is getting pretty existential these days.

Who provides an experience? Is an experience provided or received? Do
we even exist?

Like most people who use Microsoft Outlook, The Spin is a technological
luddite. So we’re happy to see the people behind the email app understand
that not everyone is a tech geek, so couch their error messages in easy-to-
understand layman’s terms that are clear for everyone.

The Spin was a little alarmed by the juxtaposition of the terms “strip
searched” and “touches you deeply” in this story from the Guardian. Per-
haps the sub-editor could have rethought her choice of words.

The Spin recently tried to get a grip on the UAE’s Alhosn contact-tracing
app. We can tell we’ve been Covid-ing for too long when we are aghast at
its illustrated figures all being maskless. That’s some big fines right there.

CAMPAIGN DIARY

Marketing Mania Lynx Live

December 6-9 October 5-7
Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Virtual event

There is a new kid on the block that promises to rock your
world. Marketing Mania, a creative and digital festival, is
coming to Dubai this December. It promises more than
10,000 marketing, design, advertising, social and creative
professionals under one roof , with competitions, activations,
demo zones, performances, live art and training as well as
high-profile speakers.
For more details: marketingmaniashow.com
Dubai Lynx has launched a free, curated three-day digitally
streamed experience. The festival organisers say: “From the
UAE to Egypt to Saudi Arabia, Lynx Live is for anyone in the
MENA communications industry and beyond who believes in
creative possibility.” The event will run from 5-7 October, and
will bring together talent from across the world to talk about
what’s next for creativity in MENA. There will be a daily
programme of original series, creative conversations, debates
and interviews in a magazine show format.

More details at dubailynx.com

CAM283_P34_TheSpin_Diary.indd 34 9/24/20 5:19 PM

 IN ASSOCIATION WITH

CAM283_PE20_P01_Cover.indd 1 9/24/20 5:14 PM

 September 27, 2020 3

INTRODUCTION CONTENTS
T
here are a few themes that run through this year’s Power Essays. Spoiler 04 COMPLEX STRUCTURES REQUIRE SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
alert: One of them is Covid-19. That’s probably not a surprise. The Terry Mo, Director of Performance and Biddable Media, OMD
coronavirus pandemic and its effects are the meta-theme running through
everything today, and it is valuable to have 11 leaders give their thoughts on the
state of the industry together in one place. It allows us to see what common
05 IF NOT NOT NOW, WHEN?
threads are weighing on those shaping policy and strategy right now. David Barnes, Director of Digital Data and Measurement, PHD
There is a big-versus-small debate here. Or perhaps more of a specialist-vs-multi-
service debate. OMD’s Terry Mo exmines agency structure and compares modern
06 BIG IDEAS ARE NO LONGER BIG ENOUGH
agencies to those in the pre-unbundling days when agencies handled media, creative
Mario Soufia, Head of Strategy, Digitas
and more. Sunil John from Asda’a highlights how PR agencies are expanding their
creative offerings. If ‘de-unbundling’ isn’t yet a word, it may be soon. John also
points out that the lockdown hit smaller, specialist PR agencies hardest. Mo argues 07 LIFE AFTER THE COOKIE: WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN
that while specialist agencies will maximise your investment in certain areas, they
can lose sight of the bigger picture. From a non-network agency standpoint, C2
YOU’RE EXPECTING
Communications’ Roy Aftimos empasises that change is in the blood of “ever-elastic Youmna Borghol, Chief Data Officer, Choueiri Group
agencies and creatives”, at every scale.
Another debate that crops up is that of long-term vs short-term marketing. This is a
09 THE PARANOID PUBLIC RELATIONS SURVIVORS
conversation taking place across agencies at all levels. Clients are drawn to focus on
performance marketing that is easy to measure and track. To a certain extent that’s
Sunil John, Founder of ASDA’A BCW and President – Middle East of BCW
symptomatic of every economic downturn, but many of the writers here point out
that purely tactical thinking is seldom the best strategy. Jad Chababi from UM says 10 NEXT TO NORMAL
that agencies now measure the effects of marketing on long-term brand-building
Roy Aftimos, Managing Director, C2 Communications
using advanced modelling and data, to help their clients achieve both short-term
efficiency and long-term effectiveness. PHD’s David Barnes agrees that too much
focus on cost-per and ROI measurements can lead to a reduction in brand growth. 13 THE WAY FORWARD TO THE NEXT NORMAL
Focus on effectiveness first, and build efficiency from there, he says.
Avni Ved, Media Manager, Fusion 5
There is discussion around the death of the cookie and the rise of first-party data.
In this area, lockdown has been a bit of a blessing in disguise. Every customer now
interacting with brands in a socially distanced, contactless online way is another 15 I BELIEVE; THEREFORE, I BUY
customer whose data can be mined for insights and targeting. But while the digital Kavita Ramrakhiani, Rain
transformation has been accelerated by Covid, so has the drive towards more
personal, authentic and conversational relationships with consumers. So be careful
what you do with that data. 16 ARE WE FUTURE-READY?
Covid-19 has accelerated a lot of changes across the industry. But this collection of Jad Chababi, General Manager, UM UAE
essays isn’t about a pandemic; it’s about the essence of marketing today. Enjoy.

17 DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE IN THE ERA OF

CULTURAL MARKETING
AUSTYN ALLISON Alex Jena, Business Director, Carat MENA
EDITOR, CAMPAIGN MIDDLE EAST

18 1918. NOW
Matthew Butterworth, Managing Director, MENA, MullenLowe

Motivate Publishing Group

Head Office: 34th Floor, Media One Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 427 3000, Email: motivate@motivate.ae
Dubai Media City: Motivate Publishing FZ LLC, Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 390 3550, Fax: +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: Motivate
Advertising, Marketing & Publishing, PO Box 43072, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tel: +971 2 677 2005, Fax: +971 2 677 0124, Email: motivate-adh@motivate.ae
London: Motivate Publishing Ltd, Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER. motivateuk@motivate.ae
www.motivatemedia.com
EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Managing Partner and Group Editor Ian Fairservice Editor Austyn Allison
DESIGN Senior Art Director Olga Petroff Art Director Sheila Deocareza Junior Designer Thokchom Remy
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Tel: +971 4 427 3000 Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Milne
Group Sales Manager Nadeem Ahmed Quraishi (+971 50 6453365) Group Marketing Manager Anusha Azees
PRODUCTION General Manager S. Sunil Kumar Assistant Production Manager Binu Purandaran
HAYMARKET MEDIA GROUP Chairman Kevin Costello Managing Director Jane Macken

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to
seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of
this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose
of fair review. Campaign Middle East includes material reproduced from the UK Edition (and other editions) of Campaign, which is the copyright of Haymarket. Campaign is a trademark of Haymarket and is used under licence. The views and
opinions expressed within this magazine are not necessarily those of Haymarket Magazines Limited or those of its contributors. ISSUE 283. POWER ESSAYS 2020

GOT A VIEW? campaignme.com @campaignME Campaign ME campaignme@motivate.ae

CAM283_P03_IntroContents.indd 3 9/24/20 6:51 PM

 04 September 27, 2020
By Terry Mo
Director of Performance and
Biddable Media, OMD
W
e work in a complex agency
landscape, increasingly
populated by boutiques with
a narrow focus and the
promise of deep specialisation. In
theory, a blended model of generalist
and specialist agencies should have all
bases covered in addressing the
ever-increasing range of client needs,
driven chiefly by the complex digital
and tech space. In reality, devising,
matching and managing the right
models has become an at-times
overwhelming challenge for our
industry and, in the search for
efficiencies, has become a deeply
inefficient beast with implications on
us and our clients.
We see agencies tangling themselves
in a world obsessed with matching the
right structure to the needs of today’s
shape, be it matrix, circular or
triangular. Clearly, the answer is not
black and white and the nature of our
industry means that a best-practice
standard is unlikely ever to be devised.
If our landscape is complex then we
owe it to ourselves and our clients to
find workable solutions. While we
know our promise of deep
specialisation has its allure, the real
power comes in cross-functional
collaboration, integration and a true
understanding of the client’s problem.
This is a natural reaction to the
increasing complexity of the landscape
and tech ecosystem; after all, managing
a customer-relationship-management
(CRM) and customer-data platform
(CDP) is a vastly different skill set to
understanding search algorithms or
social listening. In this environment,
deep specialisation no doubt has its
allure, but there is a hidden cost – the
power of cross-functional
collaboration, integration, and a true
understanding of the client’s problem.
Instead, our response to the complex
landscape needs to be a similarly
complex solution, but one contained
within a single, accountable, future-
focused agency partner.
As we enter a new decade, more
businesses are making this shift. At a
macro level, we see better integration
and collaboration between creative
and media as a must-have. At a micro
level, niche specialisations are
disappearing – pureplay search-
engine-optimisation (SEO), retargeting
and similar agencies are needing to
take a wider view or become obsolete.
We are collectively beginning to
recognise – or recognise again – the
power of an integrated approach, with
all the moving pieces in advertising
under one roof and working towards a
single goal. After all, before the
unbundling of the 1980s, this was the
approach that worked.
Take the rise of the digital agency.
The value proposition 20 years ago was
CAM283_PE20_P04_OMD.indd 4
E
S T
J X F
K
T Z
OU
R keyword from multiple sources) and
J L
H
A D
F
COMPLEX
STRUCTURES
REQUIRE SIMPLE
SOLUTIONS
simple – digital is the future, so split
out your investment and put it in the
hands of an agency that lives and
breathes this new reality. As digital
normalised and digital buying became
just another aspect of media buying,
we saw this value proposition pivot –
performance agencies or growth
agencies became the new kid in town.
The message shouted from the
rooftops was that if you need a better
return on advertising spend, or cost
per lead, or cost per acquisition, then
hire a specialist. It’s a simple, attractive
message that hides a concerning
subtext – they will maximise your
performance investment, with no
accountability for long-term brand
building. This is exactly the thinking
that Field and Binet warned against in
M
U
E
R
Y
C R
A G
Y
The Long and the Short of It. It’s what
Mark Ritson has rallied against in his
keynotes on ‘Bothism’. It’s the driver
behind Simon Peel’s transformation of
Adidas. Yet the implications go beyond
the simple either/or, or long-term vs
short-term. When we normalise
specialisation and give each agency its
own remit and KPIs, we no longer have
a single agency partner that is
accountable for holistic, sustainable
business growth.
The most obvious frontline example
of this sits with search and the myth of
paid search cannibalisation – that is,
the idea if you are ranking with organic
search then you don’t need to pay for
paid search on the same keyword. It’s a
claim that typically originates in SEO
communities, but now and again takes
root with otherwise capable marketers.
Where did the myth come from? The
optimist in me says that it comes from
SEO professionals taking the very real
concept of keyword cannibalisation
(penalties for targeting the same
then mistakenly applying it to paid
search. The pessimist says that
without the paid search agency, SEO
ROI goes through the roof, justifying
an expanded retainer. The concept
itself is flawed, but invisible without
collaborative analysis between SEO
and SEM. Evidence from OMD internal
studies show us that the best business
performance actually comes with a
unified search strategy – increasing
visibility through both paid and
organic together.
As another example, we can look at
social media. There is absolutely no
denying the value of a solid content
strategy, and many readers
undoubtedly have this in place. We
have never-ending conversations
about building social media followings
and driving social engagement. At the
same time, algorithm changes have
eroded organic reach to less than 1 per
cent – so to maximise your content
dollar, you should also be
supplementing with paid reach. This is
where the lid to Pandora’s box starts to
creep open. Who defines the audience
– the creative agency charged with
content, or the performance agency
tasked with optimisation? Who decides
on budget allocation – the agency
tasked with content, or the agency
optimising in real-time? If
performance falls apart, where do
we need to focus our efforts – content
or optimisation?
Truthfully, these questions should
be irrelevant. The real question is:
“How do we impact business
performance?”
In a world where multiple agencies
are working independently, it is very
difficult to catch sight of the big
picture. This is partly a specialisation
issue – as in the search example, where
a specialist cannot make a judgment
call on something which falls outside
of his or her niche. It can be an issue of
ownership – like the social example;
when specialisations overlap, which
party takes precedence? What does the
other party do when they need to act
with one hand tied behind their back?
Most importantly, it is an issue of
accountability – if each agency is only
accountable for their piece of the
puzzle, then who is advising on the big
picture? Clients need a media agency
offering both generalised and
specialised insight that spreads the
breadth and depth of the landscape.
Someone who can handle, juggle, and
seamlessly collaborate across
disciplines to maximise their brand
equity. Someone capable of delivering
a media solution that is not just
responsible for a small piece of the
puzzle, but boldly accountable for the
complex whole.
9/24/20 3:35 PM

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?
W
e all know the adage about
fixing your roof when the
sun is shining. While recent
times haven’t exactly been
sunny, there is still a lot we can take
from this proverb when we address
how we adapt and drive growth for
our clients today.
Without using the term ‘new
normal’ again, as it has quickly
become background noise, it is
undoubtable that people’s behaviours
have changed and that brands need to
acknowledge these new traditions to
succeed. Whilst we all immediately
became Zoom pub quiz experts,
downloaded HouseParty and banged
pots and pans on our balconies, these
are not long-term shifts that need
concern us. Instead, we must use this
relative downtime to ask ourselves
when we last thought of a brand and
why it made us peel our eyes away
from our phones? The sunny period is
the chance for everyone, and brands
especially, to take a breath,
understand the situation and uncover
the opportunities not just to survive
but to thrive.
Most MENA markets continue to
suffer economic hardships that make
identifying new strategies for growth
vital for brands. While some have
successfully navigated this, it has
become an all too familiar scenario
seeing some immediately jump back
into churning out exactly what they
were doing pre-lockdown. Just ask
yourself: Are you behaving the same
way now that you did pre-lockdown? I
expect the answer is no, so why
should a brand go back to behaving in
the same way that it did last year?
The effectiveness-versus-efficiency
debate rumbles on and the current
trend appears to be an even bigger
focus on efficiency within the
industry. It is natural during economic
downturns that marketers will get
dragged towards cost-per and ROI
metrics; however, there is a danger
that too much focus on these could
lead to an inadvertent reduction in
brand growth. Looking at brands that
have challenged and succeeded
recently, we often see certain
commonalities, namely that on the
face of it they appear to be extremely
inefficient. Generally, the brands that
have challenged the market and seen
success have done so by focusing on
generating disproportionate attention,
rather than being bogged down by
campaign ROI. In time these brands
CAM283_PE20_P5_PHD .indd 5
By David Barnes
Director of Digital Data and Measurement, PHD
have actually become extremely
efficient, but that is because they have
focused on the outcome first
(effectiveness) rather than the
methods of execution (efficiency).
So, how do brands achieve this
today? Relating back to the notion of
fixing your roof whilst the sun is
shining, there has never been a
greater opportunity to pause and
re-assess your brand’s future. If I was
‘‘THERE HAS
NEVER BEEN A
GREATER
OPPORTUNITY
TO PAUSE AND
RE-ASSESS YOUR
BRAND’S FUTURE.”
to search for one positive from this
situation it would be that we’ve had a
chance to stop and take stock of what
we are actually trying to achieve and
think about how our brands can offer
customers what they want. Data and
technology play two key roles here:
firstly, ensuring we are capturing
actionable customer data; and
secondly to uncover invaluable
insights on customer trends.
Taking the first point into
consideration, it is not only the
pandemic that has shifted the
goalposts, as we also have Google
killing off the cookie and Apple’s
Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA)
agenda. The relative quiet that we are
experiencing with media spends
should open the door to brands
putting serious consideration into
ensuring that their first-party data
strategy is set up to capture and
engage their audience. We know that
e-commerce and screen time continue
to grow, but how do we make use of
this? Essentially, we need to make sure
that our brands are either owning the
entire direct-to-consumer (D2C)
journey, or as much of it as possible,
and that the data architecture is
primed to capture everything along
the way. Looking at three brands that
have achieved success post-outbreak,
September 27, 2020
it is clear that the drive for first-party
data has become a key part of media
strategy. Starbucks modified its app to
allow customers to order before arrival
and then pay with contactless. Nike
updated its digital ecosystem to
include not only e-commerce but also
an app dedicated to workout content.
Even Heinz, not a traditional player in
the D2C arena, launched Heinz to
Home boxes, allowing customers to
purchase bundles. To the customer
this indicates that these brands are
catering to their need for
convenience; however, they also
facilitate the capture of crucial
first-party data for brands to
listen, learn and activate for
business growth.
The second key use of data relates
to understanding consumer trends.
The most effective brands are those
that know how to make the leap and
keep up to date on shifts in consumer
behaviour. Brands that have spotted
and acted on emerging trends have
tended to be most effective. Think
Burger King with its new spicy menu
A
E J
K
D S
PU
R
J B
H
Z D
D
F
05
campaign “Who Said Men Don’t Cry”,
tapping into the need for humour, or
Guinness’ “Saint Patrick’s Day
Message”, harnessing the drive for
communal care, or Nike’s “Play Inside,
Play for the World” message, which
built on the need for unity. These
campaigns were all built on data and
insight to tap into what people
wanted, and they ultimately delivered
that disproportionate attention
through effective advertising.
The message here is clear: If not
now, then when for your brand? We all
know that media is a 24/7, fast-paced
world, and rarely are we offered such
an opportunity to pause and think.
The brands that come out of this
successfully will be those that have
used this time to focus on their data
strategies and used data to
understand their customers’ needs,
not those who revert back to what
they were doing before and hoping for
the best. Remember, Apple came out
of the Great Recession by launching
the first iPad; how have you spent the
last few months?
M
F U
O T
VI F
Y
CT I
R
MG
9/27/20 4:25 PM
 06 September 27, 2020
E M B
A
S
S T
R
V
J
W
NF
M
K
Y e have welcomed the digital
Z
A
era with open arms for the
R I opportunities it seemingly
O
provides, so why haven’t
R H ER
A GO
the world and our respective
industries become easier to navigate?
GL
We spend 10 hours a day looking at
screens, yet it’s tough to hold
A anyone’s attention for more than a
L WA V few seconds.
On average, brands have to manage
W 23 different channels at once, which
J
O
causes them to resort to reach and
retargeting technologies to try to
catch consumers’ eyes. These
initiatives are sometimes successful,
but most of the time they are not. We
have now reached the era of
distraction advertising, in which
users are practically developing
amnesia across interactions. And too
often brand actions don’t match their
professed values.
We know that people want, even
demand, a different relationship with
brands: “Meaning over distraction.”
Seventy per cent of us say we
expect contextualised engagements
based on previous interactions, and
63 per cent believe brands should
recognise us across touchpoints. This
means that we need actions, not ads.
BIG
This calls for connected ideas—
because big ideas are no longer big
enough. The idea of signature
moments assumes that consumers
stay “wowed” each time they repeat
the experience. It assumes that the
IDEAS
idea is unique, and that competitors
can’t copy it. It assumes that the
market stays static. We’re all fighting
for the micro moments of digital
behaviour, yet we’ve neglected the
pivotal moments in our consumers’
daily lives.
ARE NO
Consider the biggest brands in the
world. They operate with the mindset
that consumers crave relationships in
which brands view them as
individuals, and behave accordingly
by targeting them in more
LONGER
‘‘AGENCIES NEED
BIG
TO REBUILD THEIR
COMMUNICATION
MODEL TO APPLY A
ENOUGH
USER EXPERIENCE
FRAMEWORK
BASED ON
INDIVIDUAL
CONSUMER TRUTH.”
By Mario Soufia
Head of Strategy, Digitas
CAM283_PE20_P06_Publicis.indd 6
transparent, personal ways than
ever before.
Big ideas, big stunts and big
activations are great but, no matter
how you look at it, they generalise.
They generalise that all consumers
are the same – that they’re all ready,
and that they’ll all have an identical
relationship with our brand. But we
know better. We know how to capture
the nuance and variation of the
consumer-brand dynamic. We know
that there are 19 different consumer-
brand relationship archetypes that
represent the consumer’s voice. And
we know how to use this information
to get results.
The digital social world moves
rapidly, and we’ve all had to create
our own ways of meeting consumers
acting now and in the moment—at
the “speed of social”. But this comes
at what cost? We’ve left less than 10
per cent of our focus and attention
for the long-haul planning, which is
how we create deep-rooted
relationships that can be passed on to
the next generation of consumers.
This is beyond data usage, data
infrastructure and a single customer
viewpoint – it’s time to connect all of
our activities under a unified
strategic platform that allows us to
digest, understand, move, and grow
consumers beyond the next sale.
Agencies need to rebuild their
communication model in order to
apply a user experience framework
based on individual consumer truth.
Communication to out-of-market,
in-market, and current brand
consumers must be connected to
convert an impression to a lifetime of
advocacy. To do this, we must adopt
an approach with consumer-centric
values and commitments at its heart.
We have to keep reminding
ourselves of the consumer and their
daily pivotal moments as we push
through our daily time-consuming
efforts to generate business. Take a
look at Jeff Bezos, the founder and
CEO of Amazon: Bezos is famous for
leaving an empty chair at the
conference table and letting people
know it’s occupied by “the most
important person in the room” – the
consumer. And, of course, Amazon
continues to rank in the top 10 for the
Temkin Experience Rating.
Demographic targeting, interests
targeting, psychographics targeting,
socio-economic targeting, and even
behavioural targeting – these days
are over, or at least should be. It’s
time to put the consumer in the
driving seat of our communication,
cater to their wants and needs, and
let the digital capabilities of our
modern world co-pilot us home.
No, it’s not easy. Yes, it is complex.
It will take time, and you will need
resources. But if we don’t make the
transition now, then when? We’re
here, and we’re ready. Are you?
9/24/20 3:40 PM

LIFE AFTER THE COOKIE: WHAT TO
EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING
E L
O
S T
J U
K
Y Z
OD
V
RH
Q L
By Youmna Borghol,
Chief Data Officer, Choueiri Group
A
new era has dawned for digital
advertising.
Stricter data protection laws
coupled with browsers’
anti-tracking policies are fueling the
drive for privacy-first strategies in the
cookie-less world. Following
Chrome’s ‘Cookie Apocalypse’ in
January, Google’s plans to phase out
support for third-party cookies in the
next two years, as well as Apple’s
recent IDFA (Identification for
Advertisers) opt-in overhaul, are
expected to have a significant impact
on advertising businesses. As they
scramble to imagine an entirely new
ecosystem, here are three key things
to expect:
THE RISE OF FIRST-PARTY DATA
First-party data will continue to
capture the primary focus and
investments of marketers and
CAM283_PE20_P07_Choueiri.indd 7
G
S
NF
Y
M
R and abandoning first-generation
E technologies in order to restore scale
A G
N
A
T G
publishers this year, as they respond
to privacy regulations and strive to
mitigate the risk associated with
reliance on third-party data.
In an effort to drive better customer
experiences, there has been an
accelerated, industry-wide emphasis
on collecting, managing and
activating first-party audience data.
Recent Winterberry Group research
found: 60 per cent of marketers have
already increased their spending on
first-party data for targeting, aiming
to obtain more value; 36 per cent
increased investment in third-party
data management capabilities and
resources; and 33 per cent onboarded
or began the process of onboarding a
new customer data platform (CDP).
The shift in focus towards first-
party data collection is at the centre
of the publishers’ fight for survival in
this new ecosystem. As marketers
September 27, 2020
move from the data management
platform (DMP) to the CDP,
publishers are hitting the reset button
DMPs for next-generation DMP
to their segments. By leveraging the
golden opportunity they have as
primary owners of valuable first-
party data, publishers are growing
addressable audience pools,
improving campaign performance
and increasing revenue.
Consecutively, direct partnerships
between advertisers and publishers
are on the rise. Owning both user
relationships and inventory,
publishers provide a content service
for users who in turn interact with
the service, generating a wealth of
valuable first-party data. When
third-party cookies disappear and
Apple’s IDFA restrictions are
enforced, advertisers will have no
choice but to turn to publishers for
first-party data.
MULTIPLE IDENTITY SOLUTIONS
ARE VITAL
As the market evolves, identity will
continue to be a vital part of marketers’
efforts to build deeper connections
with their consumers. 37 per cent of
marketers confirmed that first-party
data is being used alongside third-
party identity resolution solutions to
provide advertisers with better
accuracy, reach and scale to create
audience segments, deliver targeted
campaigns and gain data-driven
insights, the Winterberry Group found.
Over the last two years, the identity
landscape has evolved greatly, its
current state influenced by the
challenges of the privacy-first,
post-cookie world and the inevitable
changes it has brought about in both
identity resolution and identity
graph creation.
Three significant developments
have occurred:
The recognition that privacy-by-design
and consent are key elements for
identity. Identity providers are
leveraging an ever-growing list of
practices to resolve the privacy
challenges associated with first-party
data such as clean rooms, bunkers,
differential privacy and other
environments designed to provide
data security.
07
The existential crisis of shared IDs and
solutions based on third-party cookies.
The IAB Tech Lab had to shut down
DigiTrust back in July due to the
ongoing decline of third-party cookies.
The development of unique identity
resolution applications independent of
third-party cookies. For authenticated
solutions, the challenge remains
scale, with no clear winner or
solution in sight just yet.
What remains clear is that multiple
ID solutions will be required and, in
order to achieve their goals of
consumer engagement and
acquisition, marketers will have to
apply a mix of approaches based on
the availability of privacy-compliant
identifiers as well as the suitability of
approaches for specific channels and
touch points. In parallel, publishers
and other media owners will have to
support multiple ID solutions based
on their scale of first-party data.
PRIVACY IS NO LONGER A CRITICAL
CONCERN
Data specialists continue to remain
on top of consumer privacy measures
and customer data regulations, yet
the anxieties surrounding new
regulations (which dominated the
marketing landscape in 2019) have
faded. The ‘threat of data privacy’
regulation dropped steeply on the list
of challenges this year, with only 18.9
per cent of respondents identifying
data privacy regulation as a top
concern. Rather, the decline of
cookies, as well as the business
impact of Covid-19, have surpassed
privacy as the top concerns for 2020.
SILVER LINING: CHALLENGE BREEDS
INNOVATION
Over a year ago, the top priority was
being GDPR-compliant, but now the
subtle echoes of data privacy can only
be heard in the distance, with
first-party data and identity
resolution taking centre stage.
Of course, many questions remain
about the future of measurement and
targeting. Will row-level data
disappear? How will we evaluate
performance and optimise spend for
results? Will identity solutions only
solve for certain aspects? The list goes
on, and only time will tell. And, while
uncertainty is a part of life,
opportunity exists when we can adapt
and innovate in the midst of it.
9/24/20 3:40 PM
 What do 200 million
Arab youth have to say
about their future?

Find out on Tuesday, October 6, 2020

3 PM UAE / 2 PM KSA / 1 PM Egypt

Join us online for the launch of the 12th Annual

ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey 2020

Confirm your participation at:

ays@bcw-global.com

asdaa-bcw.com proof-communications.com psbinsights.com

 September 27, 2020
THE PARANOID
PUBLIC RELATIONS
SURVIVORS
By Sunil John
Founder of ASDA’A BCW and
President – Middle East of BCW
I
‘‘OUR SECTOR
n July, with the benefit of insights However stormy the outlook, many
gained at the helm of our agency after agencies have nonetheless stayed afloat
HAS BEEN
four months of the pandemic, I urged and proved their resilience. Our sector
communicators to adopt a healthy has been buoyed up by the fact that
BUOYED UP BY
paranoia. To tear up and reinvent our public relations, as a communications
playbooks to take account of a series of function and marketing service, matters
THE FACT
seismic shifts. more now than ever before. A
Today, as I survey the emerging transformation is sweeping through the
THAT PR
landscape, I believe that our paranoia has economy, reshaping communications
served us well, compared with other and the role of public relations, and
marketing disciplines, as we deftly revealing the ‘True North’ for the
navigated through economic and social
uncertainty. Several firms have been MATTERS days ahead.
forced to take harsh measures. We have
all battened down and drawn in our sails. MORE NOW Relevant and continuous communications in
a downturn results in disproportionate
Many are riding out the storm, bucked by
budgets cuts and cancelled projects. THAN EVER.” rewards as the market resumes
The experience of the 2008-11 global
financial crisis and oil price slump of the
past decade taught us that brands and
G organisations that stay the course,
U
U
E investing in relevant and meaningful
S
communications during a downturn,
S T
N
B
J NF
are disproportionately rewarded as the
markets come back. When consumer
K
Y
S Z
spending returns the continuous
engagement driven by public relations
OD
R I
results in enduring equity, protecting value.
V
R H E
Diversify your offer with the right talent
The agencies that were most impacted in
GL A
the current crisis were the ones that
QA G focused on niche sectors such as tourism
L
L and hospitality, which unfortunately
were also the most seriously hit. A
W
diversified range of practices focused on
multiple sectors is critical. Interestingly,
J
O
new mandates related to corporate
purpose, employee engagement and
business continuity and internal
culture have gained traction. Most
of these truly integrated
campaigns need top-of-the-line
digital, content and creative skills.
PR agencies now are leading the
way in growing their ranks with a
range of creative and digital talent
to meet changing client needs.
Forget the giga budgets from
giga projects
For years now, big-ticket
campaigns in the region have been
driven by massive infrastructure
CAM283_PE20_P09_Asdaa.indd 9
09
investments, huge mixed-purpose
developments, entertainment complexes
and massive malls, all of which had a
trickle-down effect on the economy.
Today, on the back of the oil price slump,
with governments facing massive budget
deficits (to the tune of $180bn this year
and $490bn by 2023 in the GCC region
alone, according to Standard & Poor), we
face a new economic reality. And that
means relooking at agencies’ business
and operating models – being nimble and
efficient, fast and flexible. There is a need
for PR agencies to present their value in a
whole different way.
Deliver expert data analytics to
drive communications
Every organisation, whether in the public
or private sector, is now a data
organisation. But data has been siloed
into new digital services such as
performance marketing, focused on the
attention economy driven by the big tech
platforms. With the advent of the value
economy, now is the time for public
relations to leverage the power of big,
medium and small data to drive brand
reputation and business enhancement.
The scale of large agency networks, with
their ability to leverage network
investments in artificial intelligence and
advanced technology, position them as
natural partners for smart clients.
Shared and owned, with earned media at
the core
Coronavirus has destroyed vast swathes
of the economy. Alongside tourism,
hospitality and aviation, the traditional
media sector is fighting for survival. In an
amazingly short time, a handful of media
outlets and tech platforms have become
the dominant players in the world of
editorial. Earned media just became way
harder, and way more specialised.
Communications is now shaped as much
by shared media driven by content and
influencer marketing, and owned media
driven by web assets. But earned media
will always remain at the core of PR
campaigns.
The PR agency business is no longer a
numbers-game. It is no longer about how
big your revenue is or the number of
offices and people you have. It is about
how relevant you are to meet the
revolution in your clients’ needs.
Despite all these headwinds, I am
optimistic and hopeful that PR will
continue to remain in high demand by
clients who need support to keep
their brands meaningful and their
reputations resilient.
We now live in a world where we work
from both our offices and homes; we will
seldom fly out for business meetings; we
educate our kids differently and shop
online for all our needs. In this world
where governments and businesses are
desperately looking to keep the virus at
bay and also stimulate the economy, PR
provides real value helping get ready for
the rebound. Our work matters the most
during these times.
9/24/20 3:41 PM
 10 September 27, 2020

CAM283_P10-11_c2comms_.indd 10 9/24/20 9:58 AM

 September 27, 2020 11

CAM283_P10-11_c2comms_.indd 11 9/24/20 9:59 AM


THE WAY
W
FORWARD TO
e have always heard, “it’s a
fast-moving world”, but now it
seems as though the luxury of
time has completely
disappeared. There’s no denying the fact
that the Covid-19 pandemic has altered
our lives, our mindsets, our routines, and
THE NEXT
might have altered our behaviour for
many more years to come.
Businesses that used to map their
overall strategy for months to a year
maximum are now racing against time to
plan and execute new initiatives within a
NORMAL
few days or weeks.
The hastening of this process has been
evident across all sectors. Be it healthcare
providers moving into telemedicine,
restaurants being propelled to offer
contactless deliveries, supermarket giants
acquainting their client base with online
ordering or educational institutions
pivoting towards e-learning, the list is
endless and has been a thorough learning
process for one and all.
Every crisis plays out over three
timeframes: Respond, Recover and
Thrive. We currently are in the middle of
the Recover-Thrive loop. While all
organisations and brands are striving to
Recover (to learn and emerge stronger),
Thrive is where we will prepare and
shape-up for the ‘next normal’.
A T
Operating in the advertising and
marketing industries these days has
become a tough affair owing to the
constant uncertainties and vulnerabilities
R
within the market, ranging through
behaviour of the consumer, the client’s
J
H M TC
business model, economic fluctuations,
and so on. Most importantly, our
D
D
ways of working had been totally
disrupted. Today, we stand at a truly
F
unique position.
As agencies, it has become imperative
to rethink how to operate and service
clients in order to avoid sliding downhill
in the year to come. A new modus
operandi for the ‘next normal’ is the
necessity of the hour, and this re-
modelling should be done following a few
key mandates as the baseline.
FOLLOW THE CUSTOMER TRAIL
As the world joins forces to contain the
current Covid crisis, all businesses are
concerned only with consumer optimism.
Two foundations of customer loyalty are
trust and confidence, and by putting your
brand’s customer interests first, this can
be the time for your brand to lead.
The new digital consumer is constantly
connected, app-native and ever-
demanding. Agencies must be able to
enable their brands to be perspicacious
and light-footed to be able to scale,
innovate and stay engaged with their
customers. Needs as well as the means to
achieve those needs have evolved and are
changing rapidly; a deep-rooted
understanding of the consumer journey,
identifying content that resonates with
CAM283_PE20_P13_Fusion 5.indd 13
September 27, 2020 13
modelling capabilities, better data
interoperability and greater availability of
tools and computing infrastructure are
closing the chasm between the physical
and digital worlds. Using data as a
pathway to the consumer’s mindset as
well as to access the brand-related
conversations will be the enabler to a
successful marketing campaign. Jump on
the bandwagon, if you haven’t already.
BE PROACTIVE, RATHER THAN REACTIVE
There is no better time to be proactive,
and to put that into real action, than now.
Only considering the media consumption
of a specific target group or consolidating
a 360-degree mix for your brand are
old-age phenomena now. It’s imperative
to wear the ‘Client Hat’ to find unique
growth opportunities for your client’s
business and constantly keep identifying
By Avni Ved how you can employ innovative media
Media Manager, Fusion 5 solutions to tackle these opportunities
and win within the marketplace. As an
agency, we need to be a one-stop shop for
our clients’ dilemmas, be they business
growth, boosting sales figures or decoding
V M
a market-entry problem. Being proactive
will enable one to retain that client’s
J
F
H
O AN
business to thrive in the upcoming times.
K IY F We must ensure we constantly monitor
E the fluctuations within the market space,
T
I
be it consumer behaviour, competitive
C B activity or market regulations. With that
A research-oriented mindset, coupled with
A
creative leadership and agile innovative
R
solutions, you surely will add value to
your clients’ business, making them
B
always come back to you for more.
That we fail to adapt until the need is
critical is as old as humanity. But now
G that need is upon us, and it is providing
Z the strongest incentive possible to change
our brand strategies, our risk perceptions
and our fundamental ways of working.
Covid-19 has provided an unprecedented
learning opportunity, and it might be a
fleeting one. Don’t let businesses tell you
what they need. Take up the mantle, get
ahead of this rapidly shifting landscape
and tell them what they will need to be
better equipped for the post-crisis
recovery and the next crisis (God forbid
there never is one).
‘‘AS AN AGENCY,
WE NEED TO BE
A ONE-STOP
SHOP FOR OUR
CLIENTS’
DILEMMAS.”
9/24/20 3:42 PM

I BELIEVE;
THEREFORE,
I BUY
W
e lived in this all-important
bubble called marketing, where
we prided ourselves on being in
the driver’s seat of aspirations
and experiences that consumers could
achieve. We dictated what and how people
would buy. As brands we were channels for
people to get access to worlds that were
usually assumed to be beyond their reach.
We created and told stories, and consumers
were part of these narratives.
But today, when I look back, every
fundamental I knew and learned in
marketing has been turned on its head. The
only thing that remains constant is its
purpose: to influence the buying decision
of consumers. What changed? A simple
fact: people. And they aren’t interested in
being part of a brand’s world.
We now have to ask to be part of theirs.
People reside in a new world, where they
create and narrate the stories and they
decide the role a brand has to play. And it’s
not always the hero; sometimes it’s a little
less significant than their pets.
We referred to them as consumers
because it highlighted our importance as
marketers in their lives. But today ‘people’
are consumers of content, of life, of changes
in the world, of global crises and not just
brands. That’s our playing field.
In the new rulebook, the two
fundamentals that brands relied on –
relevancy and loyalty – now need to be
looked at from a whole new perspective.
Let’s start with building relevance, which
has been core to a brand’s need to
differentiate or even exist. Something
which was traditionally understood as
creating functional and emotional
resonance or defining a brand’s reason to
buy. But relevance in today’s world is based
on one single button – ‘Like’. A feature that
slipped into our lives and changed the
mechanism of how the internet operates.
Every platform, be it Instagram, Twitter or
even Amazon, has a variation of it.
CAM283_PE20_P15_Rain.indd 15
September 27, 2020
A J
CB O V
E
K
K S
Q I
R
J MG
Z H
D
F
It started as a simple button to support
others, but today ‘Like’ represents
validation. It is a measure of how important
people’s thoughts and ideas are to others. It
showcases their interest or the lack of it. It
is a tool to belong and it defines who people
choose to include in their world. It’s no
surprise that ideas, movements and brands
sink or swim thanks to their likes tally
This button introduced a new measure
for a brand’s relevance: how much it is
liked. Today’s consumers can choose to
express their interest in what brands are
selling through this one button. ‘Like’
defines relevancy.
So, the choice is simple: Do you want to
be a brand that sells to people or are you a
brand that is people’s choice? The latter
automatically means brands have to work
relentlessly and be committed to align to
people’s idea of being liked and, therefore,
relevant. Two of the biggest audience
groups today, millennials and Gen Z, have
clear definitions of what that is. These two
generations have been shaped by crisis, and
now a major pandemic. They are ‘woke’
and, with their unique ability to sift through
BS, they demand honesty – to focus on
purpose more than profits. Their values will
continue to evolve to reflect a desire of
optimisation of self and the community.
With the focus on joy and greater good, they
expect brands to align and create meaning.
Earlier, brand loyalty was defined
through the lens of long-term association.
This is outdated and old-fashioned today.
The choice-rich world has redefined loyalty,
the basis of which is a solid relationship.
This relationship has put brands and
people on a level platform. Brands can
definitely sell, but they first have to align
with people on the nature of the
relationship. In today’s world it is
authenticity.
In recent times the one example that
sticks is the open letter that Levi’s wrote in
the wake of ‘Black Lives Matter’. Here is a
15
R
D
I F
Y
P TI
R
T
A
brand that openly acknowledged the black
representation among the corporate staff
was less than 5 per cent and decided to
change immediately and made its
measures public. It also set the ball rolling
on a perspective – it’s OK for brands to
admit to shortcomings because it goes a
long way to cement authenticity with
people. So, when a relationship decides
loyalty, there is no telling what it can open
up – something far greater than just
convincing people to buy.
It may seem like things are changing too
fast and we may have to unlearn and
relearn. Yet there is a fundamental truth
that defines us , as observed by Mlambo-
Ngcuka, executive director of UN Women,
at Cannes Lion Live: “This is an industry
that knows how to influence people’s
thinking and choices.” It’s how we use this
strength that will define our success in the
new world. Will we continue to arrogantly
believe that people need brands, or will we
partner brands to use their power of
influence to end divisions, to be more
authentic, to be liked? Because this, today,
is a prerequisite to buy.
‘‘DO YOU WANT TO
BE A BRAND THAT
SELLS TO PEOPLE
OR ARE YOU A
BRAND THAT IS
PEOPLE’S CHOICE? ”
By Kavita Ramrakhiani, Rain
9/24/20 3:43 PM
 16 September 27, 2020
ARE WE FUTURE READY?
I
admit, it hasn’t been easy. It still isn’t.
We started the year with hopes that
the economic situation in the region
would pick up; especially that
Christmas was coming early this year
with Expo 2020, G20 and other
international events we were so eager to
host. Instead, the world had different
plans – ones that made us relook at every
aspect of our business, reconsider some of
the practices we once believed were
sustainable and confirm that being an
agile organisation is key to managing
surprises. This disruption further
emphasised the importance of tackling
the never-ending question of what the
ideal “agency of the future” looks like. In
other words, directing all questions to
one: Are we future-ready?
To answer this, we need to establish a
fact: We are as future-ready as the
solutions we offer our clients. So, the
question should be: Are we gearing
brands to be ready for the future?
Acknowledge change and act now
The world is moving at an
unprecedented speed. At the turn of the
21st century, Kurzweil’s Law of
Accelerating Returns stated that over the
next 100 years we will witness 20,000
years’ worth of progress. That’s an
average rate of 200 years of innovation
and change every year. At this pace,
businesses that were slow to catch on to
changes in the market would face
J T
extinction. Fast forward 20 years, and the
U
Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced the
message, with a twist. For some brands,
near-term survival has been the only
R predicting the future of what consumers
agenda item. But from now on, adapting
J M
HB
to change will not be enough to guarantee
a brand’s success. Despite the fog of
uncertainty ahead, the brands that will
emerge stronger are the ones that are not
D G
simply looking to ‘return to normal’, but
F
rather trying to anticipate ‘the new
normal’. Agile adaptation has brought us
this far, but it is a continuous forward-
looking vision that will ensure a brand’s
success in the long run. And no matter
where a brand is on that journey to the
future, there is no time like the present to
take the first step.
Plan both short- and long-term growth
With the constant pressure of delivering
on sales and business KPIs, brands find
themselves focusing their efforts on
short-term gains. With performance media
constantly showing attribution accuracy, it
was only normal for advertising
investments to pour into it. While this does
drive lower-funnel metrics, it took the
focus away from what matters in the long
run: brand equity. As a matter of fact, a
study by WARC shows that 70 per cent of
CAM283_PE20_P16_UM.indd 16
By Jad Chababi
General Manager – UM UAE
brands have over-invested in short-term contribution as a result of shifting the
performance at the expense of longer-term needle on key brand health metrics –
brand-effectiveness. For this reason, hence really making every dollar count.
balancing investments across different This further solidifies our role as
parts of the marketing funnel will help agencies in providing the right guidance
achieve both business and brand to brands on where and how to invest
objectives. And it is possible. We have done their funds. Such a mindset shift,
it. We developed a methodology to however, is necessary from both
measure the full-funnel impact of media. advertiser and agency; it’s the type of
Through advanced modelling, we can skillset businesses should have in their
attribute not just the direct impact of organisations and should affect the
media on sales, but also the indirect priority they place on investing in tools
and research. In short, a transformation
where we focus on how to build more
‘‘70 PER CENT OF
digitally mature brands that can – I stress
again – balance between short-term
BRANDS HAVE
efficiency and long-term effectiveness.
Understand people, not targets
Amidst all that transformation, it is
OVER-INVESTED IN imperative we never lose sight of what
matters most: our consumers.
PERFORMANCE AT Continuously seeking better ways of
understanding them will separate those
THE EXPENSE OF who become commoditised from those
who gain prominence as consultative
BRAND- partners. For instance, as the pandemic
spread around the world and advertisers
EFFECTIVENESS.” halted their budgets, our analysts were
able to build a model that predicted the
direction of search trends as a proxy for
A
consumer demand for an upcoming
F M window of six weeks. This offered our
K H J O D
clients a clearer vision of what the future
IY F
looks like, allowing us to plan with better
E A confidence when we should get back on air
to capture recovering consumer demand.
C This abundance of real-time data is
B C what allows us to become better at
A
want and need. With the next disruption
TI
expected with the death of the cookie, we
must build relationships by capturing
B better first-party data about our
consumers. Knowing them up-close and
S
personal will allow brands to prioritise
Z which are our highest-value audiences;
those who will help grow the business
now, and in the future.
Plan for the next, now
Consumers’ appetite to connect
through media is showing no signs of
waning. But they are becoming much
more selective and sensitive to how
brands are engaging with them. There has
never been a better time for all
stakeholders in the industry – advertisers,
agencies and platforms – to join efforts to
deliver a better experience for these
consumers, as they will be the drivers of
brand growth now and in the future. It
will never be easy, but brands that are
agile and consumer-centric will be able to
grow sustainably, regardless of
disruptions. This is what it takes to be
future-ready.
9/24/20 3:44 PM

By Alex Jena
Business Director – Carat MENA
L R
et’s cut down the obvious intro:
The new normal was
approaching, but the last six to
eight months just got us there
faster. Whether you’re working in a
company that’s now thriving,
surviving or adapting, we will soon be
able to look back at 2020 and give
thanks to our belief in experience
design, obsession for performance
data and ability to embrace agile
working. This trifecta served as the
industry’s triple vaccine to a virus of
human disconnection and complex
user journeys that had become
inherent in our field for many years.
Data, attribution, KPIs… these now
all take more of a front-and-centre
stage within marketing organisations,
and the once-feared 150-slide report
is now accompanied with popcorn
and PJs over Zoom. So where does
that leave the emotionally charged
and inspirational side of our craft that
we’re equally obsessed with? What
happens when people haven’t flicked
on their ‘active consideration’ switch?
DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE IN THE
ERA OF CULTURAL MARKETING
When we’re out of category we’re very
much into culture and more of us
have an expectation that brands
should play a more meaningful role in
society than they currently are
(certainly a nuance of GenZ, but that’s
a different essay).
To quote a fellow adland shepherd,
good brands appreciate the culture of
their audience, better brands aim to
mirror it in their marketing efforts,
but great brands aim to shape it.
Media’s influence over the sphere of
cultural marketing is rapidly
multiplying as our ability to truly
understand people and bring them
closer to brands evolves. The most
consumed platforms also serve as the
canvas for where people’s passions are
played out – don’t make ads, make
TikToks, right?
For us, designing a
communications experience for
people is inherent in our planning
DNA and it commands an
understanding of human behaviour
and cultural context to deliver a better
and more impactful experience.
It starts with a brutal self-
CAM283_PE20_P17_Dentsu.indd 17
L
S
J T
K
AS Z
I
O
V
R D
Q L
assessment of the brand in question
– taking apart its purpose, its
over-arching mission, the charisma
with which it carries itself and the
positioning of key rivals. The aim of
the game here is to determine the
sweet spot and intersection between
the cultural need of an audience and
the ‘white space’ territory where the
badge has a legitimate licence to be.
This is the advertising nirvana where
value, purpose and meaning can be
found and impact delivered beyond
the conventional advertising journey.
So, who’s getting this right? Who’s
aiming to build value for an audience
beyond a click?
Chevrolet UAE – In celebrating 100
years of trucks, the brand fused
commercial thinking with storytelling
that followed the restoration of a 1967
classic (that would itself be the retail
incentive to buy). The content was
rooted in the local passion for car
restoration, which manifested in the
storyline, talents used, and all the way
down to the colour, styling and
interior stitch patterns of the car’s
fabrication.
September 27, 2020
G
Y
E
E NF
U DESIGNING A
X
A G
P INHERENT IN OUR
Stella Egypt – With an ambition to
modernise and shake off an ageing
identity, the brand needed to feel
young, progressive and contemporary.
Stella identified Mahraganat (a
rebellious hybrid music of local
chaabi and EDM) as the most exciting
genre of underground music that was
giving a voice to the youth of the
nation, especially through
challenging economic times. The
brand invested in this subculture
through partnerships with production
studios, boosting the content of the
rappers and building a full platform
supporting the scene – mass events,
guerilla placemen, street graffiti and
even its own fashion line.
PUMA ME – Staying true to its
‘Changing the game since 1948’
tagline, the iconic sneaker brand
activated the crossing of streetstyle
and creativity. The Suede Guerillas
platform is designed to both support
and co-create with DJs, producers,
photographers, artists, chefs and
other inspiring talents from the
region. The project not only turned
the spotlight on fashion and street
17
‘‘FOR US,
COMMUNICATIONS
EXPERIENCE FOR
PEOPLE IS
PLANNING DNA.”
culture movements burgeoning in the
Middle East, but allowed the brand to
actively “run the street” by launching
its new model, “Suede”, representing
the disruptive and growing youth of
the region.
Maintaining these lofty ambitions
for our efforts as we adjust to new
parameters of marketing will arguably
bring greater challenges, but it will
also bring greater rewards if we are
able to harness the gaps in our go-to
suite of real or virtual-world culture.
Perhaps in-home entertainment is
the next white-space opportunity?
You can look for inspiration outside
the region in e-sports and gaming, for
instance. Brands like Dell and
Vodafone are at the forefront of the
scene, while Ikea is teaming up with
Asus to create custom gaming
furniture. Or perhaps in the indie and
local film scene, where the injection
has ranged from partial (Piaget,
Wendy and Lucy) to full (Eurostar,
Somers Town) funding through to
IWC’s backing of film festivals and
awards for emerging filmmakers.
Particularly relevant as the Middle
East’s short film scene continues
to flourish.
So, to wrap it all up. People are in
culture when they’re not in category.
Your brand might have the ability to
make a positive impression in a part
of their life that they care about more
than advertising. Find the sweet spot,
stress-test it and scare yourself with
the possibility of how much value the
‘10’ could create on top of the ‘70’ and
the ‘20’.
Need a hand? See you on LinkedIn.
9/24/20 3:44 PM
 18 September 27, 2020
T
he idea of floating around on a
hoverboard as Michael J Fox did in
1982 in Back to the Future was
something we could never have
imagined 38 years ago. Today, now that
science fiction on our screens has become
a reality, we see Lexus today selling
hoverboards to the general public. We
sometimes have the misconception that
technology is so far away that we hear the
mantra, “It will never happen in my
lifetime.” However, as we are seeing,
nothing can be further from the truth.
Technology and Dataism is here to stay
and advancing quicker than we ever
imagined. The issue is that while it
progresses at an exponential speed, our
most basic human instincts, emotions
and behaviours stay the same. I decided I
would take a look at the most common of
human behaviours and identify what
parallels they have with the past.
History does indeed have a habit of
repeating itself
In the early 19th century, the world was in
a very similar place to where we are today.
The advent of the Industrial Revolution
marked a major turning point in history;
almost every aspect of daily life was
influenced in some way and it changed
society. People struggled to adapt to mass
manufacturing that was being
introduced. A huge urban mix of working-
class societies and socialism spread
because of this fear of change. The horse
was replaced by the car and all of a
sudden humans were having to deal with
a new reality, societal change and product
innovation, which was fundamentally
changing lives but also at the same time
developing new opportunities. Then, just
when people started to adjust… the
Spanish Flu epidemic hit.
Sounds familiar?
Today we are amidst the fourth industrial
revolution. We stand on the brink of a
technological and data revolution that
will fundamentally alter the way we live,
work and relate to one another. In its
scale, scope and complexity, the
transformation will be unlike anything
humankind has experienced before. We
do not yet know just how it will unfold,
but one thing is clear: the response to it
must be integrated and comprehensive,
involving all stakeholders of the global
polity, from the public and private sectors
to academia and civil society.
However, just as we were starting to
adapt to the fact that data is here to stay
and a source for good in the developing
world, we now realise that it should then
also be used as a check on the abuse of
power that entrenches inequality. The
recent Netflix documentary The Social
CAM283_PE20_P18_MullenLowe.indd 18
WT EG
S U
J
B
NF
T
K
M Z Y
OD
R
H E
A
V
RK U
G LJ A G
Q
L W creativity, innovation and new-found
freedom of expression always flourish.
O
Between 1916-18, more than 50 million
people died and 500 million were
infected. After two years of lockdown,
men and women took to the streets and
celebrated their new-found freedom. The
Charleston dance craze was born and a
whole new music phenomenon went
viral. Women were permitted to vote.
General Motors created the first mass-
produced affordable car and Disney was
born with a new form of entertainment
for children. Today we have the advent of
user-created content and platforms such
as TikTok, which is a proof point of
people expressing their renewed sense of
hope and freedom.
Looking back, we now understand that
none of these ideas, past and present,
1916. NOW
would ever have happened without
creativity being authentic and
collaborative. Today our passion and
capacity for collaborative creativity will
become ever more powerful because the
opportunities to engage with others in
creative interaction are expanding
through the opportunities that data
provides. The next generation will
innately grow up with these ways of
thinking and will have as their philosophy
‘‘WHAT WE ARE the Descartes quote, “I think; therefore,
I am.”
SURE TO SEE IS New creative communities post-Covid
will provide and drive individuals with
CREATIVITY GOING what they value most. In a time of crisis,
humans introspectively look at
BACK TO ITS OLD themselves to be more real, more
authentic and be of a benefit to society.
ROOTS, AUTHENTIC This pattern is repeated through history,
with people being recognised for what
AND REAL.”
they are contributing towards society and
the real value of their ideas and the skills
of their trade. What we are sure to see is
By Matthew Butterworth creativity going back to its old roots,
authentic and real, because in a time of
Managing Director, MENA,
crisis we need a touch of reality to
MullenLowe
remember what is important in life.
This brings me to my concluding point:
Real and meaningful connections are
created with authenticity at their heart,
and in a time of genuine tragedy we will
Dilemma and the Cambridge Analytica always look towards a sense of relief, fun
debacle have forced us all to rethink and and celebration, that we are alive and
evaluate what is right and wrong and well, and can still bring new meaning and
where we are being manipulated. Just as contribute positively to the world in
mass manufacturing in the 19th century which we live.
led to a rise in socialism and the rights of Our renewed creative sense of
working people to be respected and get exploration forced on to us by this
equal pay, free education for their pandemic will do just that. It will become
children and fair working hours, data and a platform to acknowledge the good in
the moral principles around its use are each of us and the fun that is meant to be
now being questioned by society in terms in the world. Sometimes we need
of ethics and fundamental human rights. something terrible and disastrous to
And like the Spanish Flu, Covid-19 has kick-start a new wave of creativity and
taught us one thing, that the human spirit innovation. Human behaviour and
is still alive and that out of any tragedy, instinct will always remain the same.
9/24/20 3:45 PM