TOP 10 NEWS STORIES
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In June, Impact BBDO won the MENA region’s first Cannes Lions Grand Prix with The Blank Edition for Lebanon’s An-Nahar newspaper. Overall, though, the region took home only 14 Lions, fewer than in recent years. The global industry awards show also saw seven creatives from UAE agencies selected to serve on its juries. 2
In April, Accenture bought Droga5. The New York-based agency will become part of Accenture Interactive in a bid to boost its capabilities as an experience agency able to design, build and run customer experiences that grow brands and businesses. 3
In October, Campaign Middle
East announced the Game Changers 2019. Eight marketers were selected in the first edition of an annual list that will recognise and celebrate those client-side marketing leaders whose actions and insights have made the greatest impact on their brands, their industries and the region’s marketing community. 4 Fadi Yaish, previously executive creative director of Impact BBDO, launched his own agency, And Us, in March. “I want the client to think of us as an extension of their marketing department,” said Yaish at the time. 5
In September Hug Digital announced that it would become AKQA at the start of 2020. After two years of working with Grey Group, the realignment within WPP will bring the AKQA brand to the region for the first time. 6 Loretta Ahmed, CEO of Grayling Dubai, bought the PR agency from its parent company, Huntsworth, in September. “It’s a great way to leave the group – to be able to take the team and business with me but to stay connected as a global affiliate really offers the best of both worlds,” said Ahmed. 7 This year also saw the launch of Gambit, a PR and social agency run by Jamal Al Mawed, who was previously director of communications at Dubai Properties. 8 The Dubai Lynx in March saw 14 agencies take home 19 Grands Prix. Impact BBDO, under chief creative officer Paul Shearer, was Agency of the Year, beating last year’s winner, TBWA/Raad to the top spot. 9 TBWA/Raad announced a joint venture with Egypt’s AB Group in February. The partnership gives the creative agency a presence in Egypt and the opportunity to expand in the wider North Africa region. 10
In January, Omnicom PR agency FleishmanHillard became part of the Impact BBDO MENA group of companies. Its team in the UAE moved to Emirates Towers in Dubai, where sister PR agency Impact Porter Novelli was already located.