SHOWCASING THE BEST GLOBAL Campaigns

The 70th edition of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity saw a number of firsts. It also saw a lot more campaigns using artificial intelligence (AI). And a handful of them scooped top honours at this year's awards. As always, social causes domninated the main winners, covering topics such as climate change and domestic abuse.

Cub Scouts

Winners of the UAE Young Lions PR competition Viviana Villasmil and Angelina Hedra, from Weber shandwick, travelled to Cannes to see what it was all about. Here’s what they found out

The New National

As the Abu Dhabi daily relaunches, Austyn Allison speaks to editor in chief Mina al-Oraibi about its move from ADM to IMI and her vision for the brand

Six Of The Best

YouTube’s Debbie Weinstein tells Austyn Allison about the video streaming site’s new bumper ad format

Hanover Middle East Agrees To Buy Pottinger Middle East

Hanover Middle East has agreed to buy Bell Pottinger Middle East (BPME) in Dubai and its operating licence in Abu Dhabi. BPME is a subsidiary of UK-based Bell Pottinger PR agency, and the Abu Dhabi office is a branch office.

Driving Principles

Getting the most mileage out of automotive journalism means being prepared to shift gears fast and steer a course between the legacy of Top Gear and the age of the influencer. Motoring Middle East’s Shahzad Sheikh and Imthishan Giado talk to Austyn Allison

Struggling To Adapt

Most marketers believe media agencies have not taken to programmatic. 

Conversion Factor

Branded copy has a positive impact on ad performance, says NetElixer. But which phrases work best? By Babar Khan.

Technical Differences

Marketing and advertising’s tech landscape is certainly complex, but it needn’t be too confusing, writes Wazeem Afzal, general manager of Transact, OMD’s e-commerce arm

DDB and Horizon FCB win Danone contracts

DDB Dubai has been appointed as the lead agency for Al Safi Danone, covering GCC markets, and Horizon FCB Dubai has been announced the lead creative agency for two Danone Nutricia baby care products in the Middle East. 

What's In A Name?

Despite its impact on business success, brand owners still face challenges when demonstrating the importance of brand in the boardroom, says Siegel + Gale’s Ben Osborne

Listen Up

Elie Abou Saleh, commercial director of music streaming service Anghami, says if brands can forge a sound solid identity they can reach their customers’ hearts through their ears.

Mum's The Word

The communications industry makes it hard for mothers to come back to work after having babies. This isn’t just bad for women, it’s holding back our business too, writes Helen McGuire.

Looking Up

Leo Burnett’s Ahmad Abu Zannad argues that purposeful advertising can benefit the whole human race

Hope Is Not A Strategy

Times are changing and the industry cannot resign itself to fate. It must learn to be less precious and speed up, writes Memac Ogilvy’s Paul Shearer

18 12 For '18

Disruption, digital duo and data: the Ds transforming our industry

Guaranteed Returns

David Goddard, BBC Advertising’s global head of programmatic, tells Austyn Allison how new technology is helping premium sites win the trust of users and advertisers alike 

Good Health

Healthcare communication, the newest category at Dubai Lynx, can fix real-world problems, writes festival director Thea Skelton

Thinking Inside The Box

Brands are recognising the power of immersive art to create worlds that bring their products to life while entertaining consumers in engaging and provoking spaces, writes Immersive Art Gallery’s Grant Dudson

Burn Your Ipad - [2017 Is The Year Of Voice ]

But beware: voice-activated tech could cause headaches for brands.

New Top Team At Impact BBDO As Paul Shearer Becomes CCO

Impact BBDO Dubai has confirmed that Paul Shearer will be joining the agency as chief creative officer from February 1, 2018. Shearer, who was previously group chief creative officer at Memac Ogilvy, is recognised as one of the best creatives globally.

Humanising Campaigns

Marketers Should Be Aiming for 'Return on Emotions' Rather Than Simply Return on Investment, Says Serviceplan's Moe Jawhar

Who's Counting?

As another UAE publisher withdraws from print auditing, are advertisers being taken for a ride? By Austyn Allison

Moving From 'How Many?' To 'why?'

AT THE CORE of communications work is the objective of driving individuals to action. With audience attention increasingly fractured across multiple channels, communicators are faced with a daunting task: they must find their audiences and quickly connect with them in ways that compel them to take action. The right measurement strategy can help communicators identify what specific factors motivate an audience to act, increasing the success rate of a programme.

Don't Just Collect Data, Connect Data

With a purely digital research solution in the MENA region, youGov CEO Stephan Shakespeare unveils the reasons why online research is leading the transformation of market research in the Arab world

Making The Most Of Media Intelligence

Constant monitoring and reacting to data are key to making the most of modern channels, writes BPG Cohn & Wolfe’s Hameed Yousuf.

Sex, Space And Saudi Arabia

JWT has released its latest trends report for the MENA region. We highlight seven areas to watch

Maxus-MEC Merger Will Take "Many Months"In Middle East

Group M is merging the global operations and teams of its agencies MEC and Maxus into a new agency. 

Digital Republic Wins RAK TDA Digital Brief

Digital Republic linked by Isobar, the Dentsu Aegis Network digital creative agency based in Cairo and Dubai, has been awarded the digital creative, strategy and social media activation duties for Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAK TDA).

Back To The Future

History has taught us to expect some regressive steps from the latest technologies before a quantum leap.