TBWA and Rizk Group end 11-year affiliation

Global advertising network TBWA and the Rizk Group have ended their 11-year affiliation in Lebanon. The split means that TBWA\Rizk no longer exists, with the Rizk Group forming a new affiliation with the Havas Group to create Rizk Group Havas. France-based Havas is the parent company of Euro RSCG, MPG and Havas Digital and has [...]

Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam wins GE regional brief

General Electric has handed its advertising account for the Middle East and North Africa to Wieden+Kennedy. The win represents the Amsterdam office’s first foray into the region, with the agency beating a number of regional outfits to the highly sought after account. The incumbent on the business was Impact BBDO. Confirming the appointment, Rania Rostom, [...]

Impact & Echo BBDO retains Wataniya account

Impact & Echo BBDO has retained the creative account for Kuwaiti telco Wataniya following a multi-agency pitch. The review had included Leo Burnett, Raad |Afyouni, Blu Grey and Qmark. The retention of the account follows Impact & Echo BBDO’s winning of Wataniya’s digital business last year. Fouad Abou Mansour, managing director at Impact & Echo [...]

Y&R Dubai ranked world’s third most creative agency

Y&R Dubai was the world’s third most creative agency in 2011, according to the annual Big Won Report. The ranking represents the highest ever position for a Middle East agency. Y&R’s chief creative officer, Shahir Zag, is also ranked number one art director and copywriter by the independent report – the highest position ever for [...]

Qtel rolls out major Arab Games campaign

Qtel has launched the most far-reaching sponsorship campaign ever produced for a major sporting event in Qatar. The campaign, which is a celebration of athletic performance and Arab pride, is being rolled out as part of Qtel’s diamond sponsorship of the 12th Arab Games, which kick off in Doha on 9 December. Created by Leo [...]

McGovern wins Creatives Behind the Lens competition

Fifth Ring’s Gary McGovern has won the inaugural ‘Creatives Behind the Lens’ photography competition. Organised by Corbis and arabianEye and open to all non-professional photographers working in creative industries across the Middle East, the competition, which originates in France, made its regional debut last month. In second place was Samer Lahoud of Leo Burnett Dubai, [...]