Lowe walks off with Burger King account

Fast food giant Burger King has awarded its regional advertising account to Lowe MENA following a competitive pitch.

An unknown number of agencies had been involved in the review, which was called in April this year and had included Dubai-based incumbent Tonic Communications.

Lowe’s task will be to bring “fresh and insightful stories to consumers in the region”, providing innovative and original campaigns that will resonate with the public at large.

Derek Keith Fulbrook, general manager at Burger King Middle East, said: “Our decision stems from the need to relook at our creative strategy against the ever- changing Middle East landscape and ongoing brand development. The quality of work, innovation and depth of capabilities made Lowe MENA our first choice among the agencies that participated in the pitch.We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with the agency.”

Lowe’s CEO, Mounir Harfouche, added: “We believe in delivering populist creativity that has the ability to transform a brand into a culture.An iconic brand like Burger King has all the right ingredients for this transition in the region. It’s only natural for an ambitious brand like Burger King to team up with an agency that has the same creative ambition and positive spirit to drive success.”

The Burger King brand in the Middle East and North Africa is managed by HANA International. HANA International operates more than 250 restaurants around the region through local franchisees in the Gulf, Egypt, Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. The company is part of the Saudi Arabia-based Olayan Group.

Lowe is part of the MCN Group, which operates several agency brands across the region, including UM, Initiative, FP7 and Weber Shandwick.