SMG Beirut ranked in Directory Big Won Rankings

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Starcom Mediavest Group (SMG) Beirut has ranked the third media agency globally in the 2015 Directory Big Won Rankings. The Directory Big Won is one of the most extensive awards ranking reports in the world, compiled from 7,194 awards, 3,406 pieces of work by 1,443 agencies and it has been tracking media networks since 2003.

“This ranking is an aggregate of our company’s stellar performance at awards shows in 2015, and a further testament to the creative talent we have in Beirut and in the region,” says Wilson Issa, Managing Director, SMG Beirut. “This accolade is driven not only by our people, but also by our clients, who continue to support our drive to innovate and transform their businesses.”

PHD start new year on a high

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PHD has been named Global Media Network of the Year 2015 by Campaign MENA. The title was awarded to the company in the same year that it celebrated 25 years in media and has won clients including Unilever, GSK, SC Johnson, Ferrero and Bayer. PHD currently operates as a global network, with over 3,000 staff in more than 80 offices worldwide.

“PHD’s challenger positioning and focus on strategic comms planning and creative thinking has really set us apart this year,” says Mike Cooper, Worldwide CEO, PHD. “This point of difference is now starting to have the same draw globally as it has done in the UK over the last decade. Big brands are seeing the value in our global communications planning expertise and our success in that has led to us winning global buying assignments. 2015 should be remembered as the tipping point when buying-focused clients bought planning.”

MEPRA AWARDS 2015 – Winners Announced

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The Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) held its annual gala dinner last night in celebration of the most exciting communicators of 2015. Highlights of the evening included Memac Ogilvy Public Relations – Dubai, sweeping the floor of the Consumer Goods category for their work on “Innovation that Excites”, “Labels are for cans, Not People” and “#AmexExplorer: The Card That Takes You Places”.

Hill+Knowlton Strategies took gold in the Consumer Services category for their work on Flash Entertainment’s “YASALAM”, while in Healthcare & Services Memac Ogilvy Public Relations – Lebanon, impressed judges with its “Breast Cancer Awareness” campaign. House of Comms was awarded gold for its work on “JIM Will Fix It Nepal Relief” which fell under the Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental PR category, and APCO Worldwide was recognised for its work for Noor Bank in the Financial PR sector.

The Dave Robinson Award for Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year (agency-side) went to Four Communications’ Mohanned Lafi with Ooredoo Kuwait’s Yasser Mohammad picking up the same for Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year (in-house). The Chairman’s Award was presented to Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ Sconaid McGeachin and Four Communications Group scooped Agency of the Year.

Emirates NBD named Advertiser of the Year

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The Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity will honour Emirates NBD as Advertiser of the Year at the 10th edition of Dubai Lynx in March 2016. Having received 15 trophies over the last three years at Dubai Lynx, Emirates NBD is the first bank in the last ten years to be named Advertiser of the year and received a Grand Prix at the Dubai Lynx 2015 with the ‘Hey Future Me…’ campaign created by FP7/DXB for Children’s Savings Plans.

“Every year as organisers we choose the brand that has truly stood out as being creatively brave and willing to take risks,” says Terry Savage, Chairman, Lions Festivals. “Dubai Lynx believes that the more creative a business, the better return they will see, and we are delighted to honour Emirates NBD with this in 2016.”

Vikram Krishna, Head – Group Marketing & Customer Experience, Emirates NBD adds, “We are delighted to be the first ever bank to be named Advertiser of the Year. Over the years, Emirates NBD has created marketing campaigns that engage with customers in ever more creative ways. As with our products and services, Emirates NBD’s advertising campaigns are about challenging the status quo and breaking new ground.”

The Dubai Lynx Festival takes place from March 6 – March 8, 2016, with the Awards Ceremony bringing it to a close on March 9, 2016. Entries are currently being accepted at www.dubailynx.com, where details of how to be there can also be found.

Middle East PR Awards 2015 shortlist announced

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Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) announces shortlist for the 2015 Middle East PR Awards set to take place in three weeks on December 14, 2015 at the JW Marriott Marquis. The MEPRA Awards Program is judged by peers and acknowledges the best in class in PR throughout the Middle East and is set to break records with the largest event year to date.

Entries for the awards are welcomed from businesses and individuals operating in the public relations sector across the Middle East. This year, fourteen categories are available which include; ‘Consumer Goods’, ‘Consumer Services’, ‘Healthcare & Services’, ‘Corporate Reputation & Image’, ‘Government Communications’, ‘Business to Business’, ‘Financial PR’, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental PR’, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental PR’, ‘Best Integrated campaign’, ‘Best Use of Social Media/Digital PR’, ‘Best use of Media Relations – consumer or trade’, ‘Best Employee Engagement’, ‘Best Live Event/Stunt’, ‘Agency of the Year’ and the ‘Dave Robinson Award – Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year’.

For more information and to register, visit www.mepra.org/mepra-awards/

 

Effie MENA Awards winners announced

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The seventh edition of the annual Effie MENA Awards hosted a total of 25 categories for entrants this year. There were 12 categories under ‘Product and Service,’ eight under ‘Specialty’ and a single category ‘Shopper Marketing.’ There was also a chance to win a ‘Grand Prix’ award and to have the titles ‘The Most Effective Marketing Team of the Year,’ ‘Most Effective MENA Agency Network of the Year’ and ‘Most Effective MENA Advertising Agency Office of the Year’, ‘Most Effective MENA Media Agency Office of the Year’ bestowed. To win an Effie Award, entrants need to impress the judges in four main criteria; ‘Strategic Challenge and Objectives,’ ‘Idea,’ ‘Bringing the Idea to Life’ and ‘Results.’

This year’s Grand Prix winner was Impact BBDO Cairo and OMD – Media Direction for the Sting Launch Campaign. Advertising agency FP7 received a double win and was awarded most effective agency office of the year and most effective agency network of the year. OMD Dubai won the title of most effective media office of the year.

“The high standard of entries combined with the rigorous and stringent evaluation procedures mean that it was a very tough competition indeed this year,” says Alexandre Hawari, Co-COE of Mediaquest Corp. “As organisers of the annual Effie MENA Awards, we are both honoured and delighted to have such a range of distinguished figures participating as judges in this year’s programme.”

Those who excelled as being the most influential entities in the region’s marketing sector for the past 12 months and who celebrated with a gold Effie MENA Award this year were:

–       Smartlife – FP7/DXB

–       Dominos – JWT KSA

–       Sony Mobile Communications – FP7/DXB

–       Chrysler ME – Publicis ME

–       Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) – Geometry Global

–       Emirates NBD – FP7/DXB

–       touch – JWT Beirut

–       Coca-Cola ME – FP7 DXB and Memac Ogilvy & Mather Dubai

–       Rani Float – Mindshare MENA

–       Quaker – DDB

–       Infiniti ME – TBWA/RAAD & Mindshare MENA

–       Sting – Impact BBDO Cairo & OMD- Media Direction

–       UN Women – Impact BBDO Dubai

–       Coca-Cola ME – FP7/DXB & Memac Ogilvy & Mather

–       Smartlife – Capital Group & FP7/DXB

–       Chipsy – Impact BBDO Cairo & OMD – Media Direction- Abla Fahita – JWT Entertainment & JWT

–       Fanta – FP7/DXB

–       Fanta – FP7/DXB & Power League Gaming

–       7UP – Impact BBDO Dubai & OMD

 

Insignia recognised for Gulf Capital SME Awards

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Insignia Worldwide has been recognised as a finalist in two categories of the Gulf Capital SME Awards 2015. The brand communications and design firms Founder, Gaurav Sinha has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Business Leader of the Year category, and the firm is a finalist in the MasterCard Small Business of the Year category. Finalists for the awards, organised by MEED, will deliver face to face presentations to a panel of judges before winners are announced as part of an awards ceremony taking place on October 28, 2015, at the Westin Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina in Dubai.

“I do not compromise on quality and expect the highest standards reflected in all we do and this is a core value for us at Insignia,” says Gaurav. “Within this paradigm everyone is empowered and encouraged to innovate, experiment and take calculated risks. To be recognised by MEED for the Gulf Capital SME Awards is a testament to this model and to the hard work of each and every team member.”

Memac Ogilvy Dubai wins Gold

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Memac Oglivy Dubai has won Gold at Cannes Lion for the project Geometry Global, The Lucky Iron Fish, in the PR category. The Lucky Iron Fish is an innovative campaign about one little fish that makes a difference in the world by addressing the issue of high anemia levels throughout the globe.

People who use the smiling iron fish, which provides 75% of an adult’s daily recommended intake of iron, in their cooking saw a massive decrease in the levels of iron deficiency. The campaign, which attracted over 2.6 million impressions, struck a nerve with the public who spread the message of how a small iron fish is saving lives in Cambodia and around the world. The Cannes jury awarded The Lucky Iron Fish project a Gold Lion in the PR Category.

For further information, contact Sophie Wordley at sophie.wordley@ogilvy.com / +971 (0)4 305 0309

Shane Mcginley wins Journalistic Excellence Award

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Shane McGinley, Executive Editor, Arabian Business has been selected as one of 22 global recipients of the Citi Journalistic Excellence Award, 2015. This is the first time journalists from the Middle East have competed for the award, and Shane represented the UAE along with Triska Hamid, a London-based freelancer who contributes to Abu Dhabi-based Newspaper, The National. The Citi Journalistic Excellent Award is sponsored by Citigroup, and judged by a professional jury of experts in finance, economics and business journalism. Each recipient of the award was chosen from hundreds of international journalists, invited to apply and partake in a competition and selection process, with those who were successful being invited to attend the International Journalists Seminar at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.

“It was an amazing experience to be able to attend the Columbia University campus, even just for 10 days,” says Shane. “With journalists from all over the world, it was great to hear their stories and experiences as well as the different challenges journalists face each day.”

For further information, contact Shane McGinley at shane.mcginley@itp.com / +971 (0)4 444 3631

Leo Burnett Beirut wins three Facebook Awards

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Leo Burnett Beirut represented their region as the only Middle Eastern company to receive Facebook Awards in 2015. The agency won both Gold (New Frontier) and Silver (Facebook for Good) awards for their work with non-governmental women’s rights organisation, KAFA, as well as a second Silver (New Frontier) award for their ‘Keep Walking Lebanon’ campaign for Johnny Walker. Other international recipients of the Facebook Awards included Droga5, McCann Lima and LA RED.

The Facebook Awards were established to celebrate the best creative work on Facebook, as chosen by leading creatives in the industry. They recognise excellence in campaign execution, as well as creative growth and evolution on Facebook, with judges looking for inspired work that challenges industry attitudes towards content publishing. A party will be held on June 24, 2015 in Cannes to celebrate the winners of this year’s awards.