TAREK CHEMALY – Beirut NTSC
[www.beirutntsc.blogspot.com]
How would you describe the evolution of your blog?
Oddly it has not evolved, I am still with the "Poptimism, Popaganda, and POP culture from Beirut, Lebanon" still the same focus, same mission after all those years.
How did you first decide to launch?
Frankly, there was a syndrome in the ad business, we would launch an ad, then in the press release say how wonderful it is and believe our own story - so the time came for me to step in and end the fallacy and review ads as impartially as possible based on my experience and archive.
What makes your content unique in your opinion?
I think the fact that I am independent from agencies with very little presence in events gives me the outsider aura that distinguishes the blog. Agencies know they cannot sway me, I write what I firmly believe in about the campaigns not caring about egos.
What motivates you to keep going with your blogging after all this time?
Launched in 2007 it is still going strong. I still get the kick from a good campaign, I still love to give constructive criticism about campaigns which did not hit the mark, and of course, a stolen campaign exposed is worth all the effort.
If you were to pick just one word to represent your blog, what would it be?
I still go for ‘blogoically’ - fusion between blog and logic. There is a lot of unbiased analysis in what I write. A lot of strategic thinking.
Tell us briefly about your future plans.
I think things will continue as is, "if it aint' broke don't fix it" - people keep coming back by the thousands because of the unapologetic tone so why stop it?