Leo Burnett Agency of the Year at MENA Cristal Awards 2008

Creative agency - Leo Burnett MENA has triumphed as Agency of the Year at the third edition of the MENA Cristal Awards, 2008.

In addition to the highly sought after title, the agency scooped a total of 12 major awards across its various regional offices as well as 3 Grand Prix, demonstrating Leo Burnett MENA’s internationally recognized creative edge and network-wide pursuit of excellence.

The winners were announced during the regional festival, held at Beirut’s InterContinental Mzaar Hotel, with Leo Burnett Beirut earning seven awards, LB Cairo three and LB Dubai two. Furthermore, LB MENA scooped three Grand Prix for the Melody Tunes TV campaign, P&G’s Head & Shoulders integrated campaign and P&G’s Koleston outdoor campaign, firmly establishing the agency as the most awarded in the region.

Entries across all media categories were submitted by agencies throughout the region and submissions were reviewed by an international jury led by Olivier Altmann, Co-President and Executive Creative Director and Chairman of the Worldwide Creative Board of Publicis Conseil.

Farid Chehab, Chief Creative Officer for Leo Burnett Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa said during the ceremony; ‘I congratulate the entire LB team whose recent work has expertly reflected the agency’s image and has proved once again that Leo Burnett passionately leads the way when it comes to creativity and innovation.’

Leo Burnett Mediterranean’s Chief Executive Officer, Raja Trad added; ‘Our continuous commitment to creatively building and refreshing our clients’ brands has been deservedly recognized, and we look forward to applying the special Leo Burnett mix of world-class creative expertise, enthusiasm and a progressive drive for brand excellence - throughout a productive and successful 2008.’

In addition to the awards ceremony, the festival hosted a number of creative workshops and conferences, one of which was led by Farid Chehab.

The festival, dedicated solely to the celebration of creativity in the Middle East and North Africa region in the French, Arabic and English languages, was created by the Méribel Ad Festival, itself one of the most prestigious award ceremonies in the world.

The Awards round off a successful year for the entire Leo Burnett network - an agency where big ideas are always pushed further and where exceptional brand building creative work is celebrated.

Tags: Leo Burnett, MENA Cristal Awards, Raja Trad

JWT most awarded network agency at this year’s MENA Cristals

JWT MENA network have sped away with 12 out of 20 advertising awards up for grabs at this year’s prestigious MENA Cristal Awards held in Faraya, Lebanon this month.
The Awards saw those at the top of their game throughout the Middle East and North Africa gather to hear who came out tops across advertising platforms including Film, Magazine, Daily Press, Radio, Marketing Services, Integrated Campaigns, Outdoor, Cyber and the best Communication Tool category.

Chief Creative Officer for JWT Middle East and North Africa, Ramsey Naja says, ‘There’s joy here. This agency never takes itself too seriously. It puts its heart and soul into enjoying what it does and having fun doing it. Usually it pays off. We were going to have a party regardless of the results.’

Naja continues that unlike any other agency, JWT were awarded across the creative map including the usual suspects - Dubai, Cairo and Beirut - but also those further flung regions like Tunisia. Casablanca. Kuwait. ‘We’re a nimble agency, which I prefer to refer to as one office with very long corridors, as apposed to the traditional ‘network’.

Vatche Keverian, JWT CEO for the Gulf says ‘Awards are emotional rewards, in recognition of great ideas and the hard work people put into this industry day in day out. It makes those sleepless nights worthwhile’.

Chafic Haddad, JWT Dubai Creative Director, and the team, who clocked up the lion’s share of the awards adds, ‘Get the environment right and the great work will come by itself’.

Client campaign wins across the JWT MENA network this year include AIG insurance; Nestle KitKat and Lion Bar; Cadbury; Unilever, Lipton Green Tea; HSBC; Kraft Foods; DTC; Vodaphone; Peta; City Of Hope; Unilever; Safedriver , Bookworld; Anjar Industries, Vimto; Dubai Autism Centre and Reckitt Benckiser.

Running since 2005, the competition recompenses the best advertising work from the Middle East and North Africa, following similar rules to the Meribel Ad Festival and the Central Europe Cristal Awards, which are organized by the same company.

Also part of the WPP Group Mediainsight UAE walked away with a Grand Cristal for their Nestle Coffee Mate campaign and Mindshare won a Cristal for their Nando’s ‘Run for your Peri-Peri’ services campaign in Lebanon.

Tags: JWT, MENA Cristal Awards, Ramsey Naja, Vatche Keverian