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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.

Secret Squirrel wins Ultimate Blogger Award

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Karen McLean, aka The Secret Squirrel, won the Ultimate Blogger Award at the Cosmopolitan Middle East 2015 Fabulous Female Awards, held on June, 9, 2015, for her blog, www.secretsquirrelfood.com. The Awards were presented at a ceremony held at The Act, in the Shangri-La hotel, Dubai.

The blog, which launched in July, 2013, is based on Karen’s love for simple, natural and healthy food, and her philosophy that healthy food can be made fun. Karen acts as the creative mind, photographer and chef behind the blog and is currently based in Dubai.

“I’m super excited and so honoured to win the Cosmopolitan 2015 Fabulous Female Award for the Ultimate Blogger,” says Karen. “It always puts a smile on my face that I can inspire people to live a happier and healthier life every day. It feels so nice to be recognised for all my hard work and to be surrounded by such an inspiring group of women. I’m so happy to be given this amazing opportunity and I will continue to do what I love.”

For further information, contact Karen McLean at info@secretsquirrelfood.com / +971 (0)56 614 8840

TRACCS honoured by The Holmes Report

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TRACCS, the largest home-grown public relations network in the Middle East & North Africa, has been named ‘Best Consultancy to Work for’ in Continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa by The Holmes Report. This is the first time a regional agency has won the accolade.

Recognition from The Holmes Report is determined by a comprehensive survey of agency employees from around 40 PR firms throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The process solicits employee views on a wide range of issues, from the integrity of senior management and the quality of professional development to empowerment, risk-taking and compensation.

“This recognition is a huge vote of confidence in our approach to hiring and training Arab PR practitioners and our unwavering belief that a professional and sustainable communications industry needs to be built from the ground up, without relying overly on imported talent,” says Mohammed Al Ayed, Chief Executive Officer, TRACCS. “TRACCS is deeply committed to transforming itself from an ‘executing’ organisation to a ‘thinking and learning organisation’. This is a painstaking process that requires coaching, mentoring and integrating new talent with the core teams of the network.”

Sakshi honoured by HH Sheikh Mansoor

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Sakshi Advertising & PR was presented a Certificate of Honour by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, on behalf of Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs, at a ceremony held on 17 May, 2015. Sakshi has strategised and executed PR activities for the centre and maximised its exposure across the region.

“We at Sakshi have always believed that with social responsibility, you gain back what you put in,” says Atul Dhawan, CEO, Sakshi Advertising & PR. “I thank Al Noor, my team and our clients for their love and continuous support.”

Leo Burnett wins at ADC Awards

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Leo Burnett was the most awarded agency at the 94th Art Directors Club (ADC) of New York Awards in Miami last night. The agency won a total of 32 awards including: The Tomorrow Award, The Designism Cube, 10 Silver, two Bronze and six Merit awards for its work from its global network of offices. Notably, Leo Burnett won the Network of the Year award, with Leo Burnett Dubai being named Agency of the Year, making it the first agency in the MENA region to have claimed the honour.

Leo Burnett Dubai was also presented with the prestigious Black Cube for Advertising, the best in show award, for it’s ‘Two for one’ campaign for du in the United Arab Emirates, headed up by Saad Yusuf, Group Communication Director, Leo Burnett, Dubai. This was the first time in the awards’ 94-year history that an agency from the region won the award, presented to entries in the Design, Digital and Advertising categories at the discretion of an unanimous jury.

“The ADC awards not only represent a great achievement for us but also represents many ‘firsts’ for us” says Saad. “The UAE’s first home-grown creative campaign, ‘du Tuesday’s’ global recognition over the past two years at international awards shows is reflective of a maturing UAE creative industry. These accolades couldn’t have been possible without the partnership of du, Ali Ali, Maged Nassar, DejaVu and our team at Leo Burnett Dubai.”

Noura Al Kaabi named fifth most influential Arab

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Noura Al Kaabi, CEO of Media Zone Authority and twofour54, Abu Dhabi, has been named the fifth most influential Arab under the age of 40 by Arabian Business Magazine. Noura is the most influential Arab in Media according to the list, which is the magazine’s guide to young Arabs with global influence.

Through her work with the Media Zone Authority, Noura oversees its industry-building initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, the Abu Dhabi Film Commission and the Abu Dhabi Media Summit. Noura also heads up twofour54, a free zone that provides production facilities, training and business support services to Abu Dhabi’s growing media industry. She is also a member of the UAE’s Federal National Council and the Economic Development Committee.

“I am truly honored to have been selected as one of this year’s 100 most powerful Arabs under 40 by Arabian Business Magazine,” says Noura. “It gives me great pride to be in the company of other Arabs who play a vital role in shaping our culture and our successes in the Middle East. The list is a collective achievement because it reflects an image of excellence and showcases the capabilities of Arabs across the region.”

Mindshare Dubai ranked #1 MENA Media Agency

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Mindshare Dubai, part of WPP, has been ranked number one media agency in MENA by the Effie Effectiveness Index 2015, an annual ranking of the marketing and communications industries’ most effective agencies, advertisers, and brands.

This is the third year in a row that Mindshare Dubai has been selected as the number one media agency in MENA. It scored 66 points on the index, also making it the most effective office in the Mindshare global network. In order to be ranked, Mindshare Dubai’s campaign effectiveness was thoroughly evaluated by a panel of respected industry professionals using data provided by Effie’s global partners to distribute points amongst outstanding agencies.

“Our passion for innovation in our marketing campaigns is at the core of what drives us, but ensuring that our creative campaigns produce outstanding results is critical,” says Samir Ayoub, CEO, Mindshare MENA. “It’s not enough to introduce new ideas – they have to exceed the project’s objectives and produce quantifiably successful outcomes that give our clients the competitive edge.”

Tala Samman wins Best Blogger Award

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Tala Samman of London/Dubai-based blog Myfashdiary.com won Best Blogger at The Middle East Fashion Awards 2015. Having graduated from London College of Fashion in Fashion Media and Communications, Tala has worked as a Fashion Editor for Style.com Arabia as well as a PR Intern for Halston and Tom Ford. She began Myfashdiary in 2009, as a way of showcasing her love of fashion, beauty, travel and food. In 2012, Tala won Fashion Personality of the Year at the Grazia Middle East Awards.

“I’ve been in the blogging world for over 5 years, and I am always incredibly honoured when I gain recognition from the industry,” says Tala. “I’m proud of my blog, and how consistently it is evolving.”

Kat Lebrasse wins Grazia blogger of the year

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Dubai-based blogger Kat Lebrasse has won Grazia blogger of the year at the 2015 Grazia Style Awards. Kat has a background in retail fashion and has worked with publications such as Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Emirates Woman and Grazia Middle East. Her blog – lebrasse.com – focusses on Kats personal style, as well as her style inspirations and various other interests which include health, beauty and travel.

“I feel so grateful and excited to be awarded blogger of the year,” says Kat. “I’m so proud of my blog and what I’ve achieved over the last 2 years and it’s the most amazing feeling to know that my hard work is also appreciated and acknowledged by the industry. I’m on top of the world right now and I can’t wait to see what the future brings!”

Henkel named Advertiser of the Year at Dubai Lynx

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The 2015 Dubai Lynx Advertiser of the Year has been awarded to Henkel, the owner of household brands such as Persil, Fa and Pril, as the advertising festival’s award ceremony got underway at the Madinat Jumeirah Arena last night. The title is given to a MENA advertiser that has demonstrated inspiring innovative marketing for its brands and embraced creativity from its agencies.

“Achieving success through business results is motivating and inspiring,” says Mohamed Siam, Regional Marketing Director, Henkel. “However, what makes it even better is when we can turn our trademark into a love mark with consumers. This can only be done through creative communications that build a bridge between the brand strategy and the consumer needs in the most entertaining way. This award is proof to us that we are moving in the right direction. We will continue to excel in our communications and commit to consistent development. It will be an honour to add more prestigious trophies to our collection in the near future.”

Philip Thomas, CEO of Lions Festivals adds, “Henkel are worthy recipients of this award due to their phenomenal marketing efforts, which have resulted in creative advertising that proves itself to be innovative and inspirational time and time again.”