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RBBi secures three awards at MENA Search Awards 

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Digital marketing agency, Red Blue Blur Ideas (RBBi) has received three awards at the MENA Search Awards that took place on September 20, 2018 at Madinat Jumeirah Resort, Dubai. The agency was shortlisted in 10 categories within 14 entries and has become the most shortlisted agency with their projects throughout the year. The agency secured Best Use of Search in the Finance sector, Best Use of Search in the Leisure sector and Best small SEO agency.

“We are honoured to be recognised by the MENA Search Awards for two years in a row,” says Caroline Dickin, CEO, RBBi. “These awards reaffirm that we have the best strategists and practitioners as well as first-rate proprietary tools and technologies to provide a digital experience to our clients, which is not only aesthetically superior but is also sustainable and functional.”

Hadeel Mansour promoted at markettiers 

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Broadcast PR specialists, markettiers has promoted Hadeel Mansour to the role of Senior Account Executive. With a wealth of experience in PR, Hadeel most recently held the role of Account Executive, where she supported the team with creative consultancy and worked with agencies and clients across key projects.

In her new role, she will manage the production and delivery of content and undertake targeted media relations while ensuring the campaigns deliver for both clients, brands and media owners.

“I’m very pleased with the experience I’ve gained working at markettiers MENA over the past year,” says Hadeel. “The team has been extremely supportive and helpful and it’s truly been a wonderful journey.  I’m excited to keep growing in the business and I look forward to the new challenges that this will bring.”

Cheryl King, Managing Director, markettiers continues, “Hadeel has had an incredible first year with us and has been instrumental in the ongoing growth of the business – bringing in new clients, growing relationships and leading on multiple projects. Hadeel’s enthusiasm and passion for what we do has been great to see, and she’s always impressed by going above and beyond.”

GQ Middle East launches inaugural issue

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GQ Middle East’s debut issue hits newsstands on 4th October, marking the 21st global edition of the brand. The October issue launches together with its bilingual online platform gqmiddleeast.com, and will offer a fresh and dynamic take on fashion, style and features that GQ is famed for in a new region, The Arabian Gulf. GQ Middle East will be published by Condé Nast International, under licence agreement with ITP Media Group.

The dual-cover launch edition features Emmy-Award winning Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek, who plays the iconic Freddie Mercury in the upcoming Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody,and is recognised for his role on Mr. Robot. The cover story was shot by former creative director of American GQ Jim Moore and world-renowned photographer Peggy Sirota, and is accompanied by a full inside feature.

Abu Dhabi-born, Adam Baidawi will oversee the editorial direction of GQ Middle East as the youngest Editor-in-Chief of the brand. Baidawi commented, “Our vision for this GQ is to bring the world to the Middle East and the Middle East to the world. We’re exploring this region with fresh eyes to both inspire and reflect our reader: the modern, accomplished man.”

The launch issue is full of original editorial content, including a previously unseen photo essay from 1960s Afghanistan, a fashion shoot with Saudi film producer Mohammed Al Turki, essays from across the Arab world, a guest fashion column from Tan France, and an expansive interview with award-winning Lebanese director Nadine Labaki.

Baidawi continued, “The multimedia content created for GQ Middle East reflects the region itself: smart, stylish, challenging, familiar and always, always evolving.”

The launch will be accompanied by a 12-week series of experiential events covering the key pillars of the brand – style, watches, sports, culture and fine dining.  As part of the celebrations, GQ Middle East will host a launch event on 17th October as well as an exclusive dinner at a secret location on a private island off the coast of Dubai.

Karina Dobrotvorskaya, Executive Director Editorial Development at Condé Nast International remarked, “Condé Nast International is thrilled about the launch of a new GQ. As one of our leading brands, GQ helps define the role of a modern man in a fast-changing world. The Middle East is an incredibly dynamic and vibrant region, full of passion, curiosity and an appetite for fashion and luxury, but also full of different lifestyle standards. GQ Middle East will combine international fashion and publishing expertise with the local tastes and aspirations.”

GQ Middle East is the twenty-first edition of the multimedia brand worldwide.  GQ is published in the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, South Africa, Russia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Mexico & Latin America, India, Korea, Brazil, Australia, Portugal, Turkey and Thailand.

GQ Middle East will be available to purchase on newsstands on 4th October in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Lebanon.

Chalk Media Group relaunches L’Officiel in Middle East

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Jalou Media Group is excited to announce the international digital launch of lofficielarabia.com in October 2018, and the relaunch of the print edition, L’Officiel Arabia, in spring 2019.

One of the leading French luxury fashion titles for over 100 years, the L’Officiel brand is owned by Jalou Media Group, a family-owned business based in Paris and led by CEO, Benjamin Eymere. The relaunched Middle Eastern incarnation of the title will be published by Dubai-based agency, Chalk Media, headed by Managing Director, Sidharth Saigal.

A combined English & Arabic title, with 10 issues per year, L’Officiel Arabia will be distributed throughout the Middle East on an initial print run of 37,000 copies, and comprises an editorial mix of locally-produced and international content from more than 30 international L’Officiel editions.

With the debut of the digital platform in both Arabic and English, lofficielarabia.com is a fully-integrated digital newsroom offering consumers both local and international coverage of high fashion, beauty, accessories, art, travel and lifestyle, and joins the L’Officiel digital network, reaching millions of consumers across the globe.

“In the last 30 months, we have transformed a 100-year old media company into a digital lifestyle hub”, says Benjamin Eymere, CEO of Jalou Media Group. “We are reaching an audience of millions of people across the world by connecting curated lifestyle content from our presence in 30 international markets, making L’Officiel truly a global platform.”

Published in partnership with Chalk Media, the L’Officiel Arabia team will be led by Editor-in-Chief,Boba Stanic, who boasts a 15-year career in arts, culture and fashion in the Netherlands and the UAE. A highly regarded architect, with a successful design business in Amsterdam, Boba  has collaborated with a variety of international designers, studios and museums throughout his multi-faceted career, and frequently speaks on a variety of art and culture seminars and workshops across the globe.

Joining him is Lucy Wildman, who will take on the role of L’Officiel Arabia’s Deputy Editor and Fashion Director. With a 20-year journalistic career in both the UK and the UAE, Lucy brings a wealth of experience in fashion, beauty, lifestyle and celebrity journalism to the title, having previously worked on some of the biggest weekly and monthly publications in the region, including Ahlan!, Architectural Digest, Conde Nast Traveller, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Hello! Middle East, OK! Middle East, The Rake, Revolution and Scene.

“We are extremely excited about our association with Jalou Media Group and with the digital launch of lofficielarabia.com, followed by the print edition early next year”, said Chalk Media’s Managing Director, Sidharth Saigal. “L’Officiel Arabia is set to provide the Middle East’s digital consumer with an unrivalled insight into the latest regional and international luxury fashion and lifestyle news and features, as well as access to the global L’Officiel brand through it’s unique ‘cloud’ feature format available in both Arabic and English.”

Ampersand celebrates first anniversary 

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Global marketing and talent consultancy, Ampersand is celebrating its first anniversary in the Middle East. In the first year, Ampersand has been successful in winning, developing, designing and implementing international projects for a variety of clients including Aston Martin Lagonda, Johnson & Johnson, Travelex and Unimoni. Its approach is to change the rules of training while developing and delivering engaging and stimulating experience to maximise the transfer of knowledge and return on investment.

“We believe that the Ampersand ethos of Creative Learning has been central to our success in securing so many fabulous projects from some of the world’s highest profile brands from a standing start in less than 12 months and the future looks bright too with more projects from existing clients and new clients in Dubai, Hong Kong, London, and Singapore,” says Nick Clemets, CEO, Ampersand.

Starcom makes new appointment 

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Starcom, part of Publicis Media, has appointed Racha Makarem to the role of Regional CEO. With over 15 years of experience in the agency, Racha previously worked as Head of the Analytics and Insights Practice and most recently held the role of Managing Director of the Data Science Practice. In her new role, she will elevate the passion and collaborative spirit of Stardom to drive change while also continuing to build the agency’s deliverables against the increasing demand for data.

“Over the past 15 years, my expertise has been in helping our clients solve complex business problems from the lens of the consumer, mining data and delivering actionable insights,” says Racha. “Previously, as the head of the Publicis Media Data & Science Practice, my role was to build this expertise across our network and client teams, fueling marketing transformation in an age where data is prevalent.  In my role as CEO, I will accelerate this momentum, ensuring that we continue to shape the industry.  My priorities, leading Starcom, the Human Experience Company are; to work closely with our clients to create real solutions that accelerate their growth, to leverage actionable data and technology to deliver marketing transformation, and to invest in our people who will drive the capabilities around data, technology and performance to propel the growth of our clients business in today’s digital economy. We have never faced a more dynamic time to be in our business and I’m excited to be at the helm of Starcom, leading into tomorrow.”

Memac Ogilvy welcomes new Managing Director 

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Memac Ogilvy has appointed Philippe Berthelot to the role of Managing Director. With a wealth of experience in delivering award-winning creative campaigns globally, Philippe most recently worked with brands such as Pepsi, Lays, Google and France 24. In his new role, Philippe will lead the agency’s operations and focus on delivering modern marketing solutions to help increase awareness of its brands.

“I’ve always been an experience junkie, always needed a challenge, and always needed to grow in my career – that’s what’s led me across the world from the creative to the account side,” says Philippe Berthelot, Managing Director, Memac Ogilvy UAE. “The truth is, consumers have changed as well. They seem to care less about brands today. That’s why our goal is to create purposeful work that makes brands matter in peoples’ lives. It’s as simple as that.”