INTRODUCTION

So 2018 is over, and here we are another year older, another year wiser.

In Campaign Middle East’s case, we are 10 years old, an anniversary we celebrated in print in October, and with a party in December. Campaign as a global brand is a full 50 years old this year, and I’m proud to say that at all levels we are still going strong.

That party came the evening after we hosted our second Marcomms360 event, which was a resounding success. The calibre of speakers was matched only by the quality of attendees, and there was a tangible feeling of progress as the industry gathered to debate change (“The State of Change” was our theme this year) and find ways to tackle the challenges we face.

Marcomms360 may have been our biggest event of the year, but it was not our only one. 2018 saw the launch of a programme of breakfast briefings that we plan to carry into next year and beyond. The format is simple but effective: one topic, with a keynote and a couple of panel discussions. Interesting speakers, an engaged audience, free coffee and back to the office before lunch.

This year’s topics included ad tech, video, millennials and outdoor. The breakfast briefings are supported by sponsorship, so if you would like to get involved by supporting us and helping lead the conversation, get in touch.

On page 5 you can read our in- a- nutshell review of the year. It’s totally subjective, of course, but for me the things that stood out were the consolidation of agencies within holding groups ( especially WPP) and a maturing of the digital market in the region, in terms of ad tech and influencer regulation.

Read on and you will find our Top 10s of the year. For lists such as Top 10 News Stories and Top 10 Media Milestones, we have tried to pick the events and changes that have caused the biggest stirs in the industry, the announcements that you will remember for years to come.

To rank the top 10 campaigns across categories, we have used a combination of how our Private View reviewers reacted to the year’s work, how Team Campaign felt about it, and what the industry has been saying. If your campaign or job change or news story isn’t there, rest assured it was at number 11; it only missed out by a hair’s breadth, honest!

I predict that next year we will see more agencies merging, and holding groups starting to act more like giant agencies themselves. We will see more successful digital businesses in the region combine to become more powerful together. And we will see more great work from every type of agency, and from clients themselves.

And Campaign will record, critique and analyse it all. In print, online and through our events.

You are, as always, invited along for the ride. We are all in this together. Austyn Allison Editor, Campaign Middle East