Let’s hope real, effective and transformative work wins

Last year, my Dubai Lynx predictions were catastrophically incorrect. This year is unlikely to be any different. Mainly because there is no single standout agency and, once again, entry numbers per agency have the potential to play a significant role in determining both agency and network of the year.

Overly harsh judging, a poor year in terms of overall creative quality, and a lack of any standout piece of work flattened last year’s show for me, but there are likely to be more important factors at play this year. These factors are the unknown quantities that will only become apparent once the festival has begun. The “person or thing whose nature, value, or significance cannot be determined or is not yet known”. The ‘x’ in algebra, in other words. It is possible to estimate unknown quantities via quantitative thinking and to make decisions based on inexact or undefined information, but there are arguably too many variables at play. For example, we continue to applaud work in print and outdoor that does far more for the agency than the client, whilst the plethora of unseen print and outdoor work from all quarters will only continue to undermine those categories and can be viewed as an unknown perhaps more so than ever before now that Y&R is out of the equation.

And then there are agencies such as Impact BBDO. The network has what can only be described as a considerable number of entries and is no doubt gunning for both agency and network of the year, as is Memac Ogilvy (see page 19). Yet I cannot, with any hint of certainty or authority, predict whether it will win or not, simply because I have not seen the majority of the agency’s

The ad network of the year title will be a four-horse race between Memac Ogilvy, JWT, Leo Burnett and Impact BBDO

work. Media agencies are the same. Their work rarely rises to the surface.

That said, the advertising network of the year title will be a four-horse race between Memac Ogilvy, JWT, Leo Burnett and Impact BBDO. Leo Burnett has created some solid work throughout the past 12 months, all of which is known, particularly its work for Samsung and McDonald’s. Whether it’s good enough to win network of the year is another matter. The same applies to JWT. Memac Ogilvy has also created some memorable work, most notably for UN Women (see page 20), but the firepower of its Tunis office has been greatly reduced. As for the agency and media agency of the year titles, I have no idea.

What I do hope is that great individual pieces of work are recognised. In film this includes the likes of Ali Ali and Mi7 Cairo’s ‘My line’ for Etisalat Egypt, JWT Cairo’s ‘Swimming Mango’ for Dolcea, and Leo Burnett Beirut’s work for Mashrou’ Leila.

Best of luck to you all in the coming few days, and here’s to real, effective, and transformative work being recognised.