Campaign Middle East features a Private View section with a range of insights and viewpoints from industry experts, revealing the intricate world of marketing and advertising campaigns.
This month’s review is by Mohamed Felfel, Senior Manager – Marketing at a leading retail company in the region.
Volkswagen Middle East: A Different Kind of Love
A nice campaign with an emotional link that feels very relatable while still staying on brief to showcase the cars and the brand. People truly spend a big part of their lives inside their cars – from laughs and arguments to first rides with a newborn.
For me, a car is both a space for shared memories and a private escape. Making it less promotional and more emotional was a great strategic choice, with potential for even more stories tied to features.
McDonald’s Bahrain: Buy the Dip
Catchy, clever, and built on a strong local insight. Linking stock market ‘dips’ with McDonald’s dip sauces is such a smart play, and lines like ‘not all dips are bad news’ and ‘the market dips, and so do we’ made it even more memorable.
The billboard creatives were sharp, fun, and perfectly on-brand, showing how you can join a serious conversation with humour while still staying relevant and engaging.
RAKTDA: RAK Summer. Unscripted.
A bold and unconventional idea that stands out with its humour. I like the playfulness of showing imperfect, unpolished content – it brings a sense of authenticity and relatability. That said, I’m not fully sure the concept will resonate with everyone, or land as clearly as intended.
For a tourism campaign, the essence should still highlight the beauty of the destination, and perhaps a different execution could have balanced both better.
ADCB x VISA: Egyptian Generosity Levels Up
My favourite piece of work. It ticked all the boxes: funny, engaging, scalable, informative – but above all, super relatable.
As an Arab, I instantly connected with the insight. That playful fight over who pays the bill is something every cashier or waiter has seen, and turning it into the core of the story was brilliant.
It captured culture with humour while keeping the product message clear and memorable.
Lebanon has been living through endless debates and election conversations, so it was smart for the brand to enter that space with a debate of its own – OLX vs. dubizzle. What made it even bolder was turning brand identity into a public vote.
The strongest part is giving people ownership over the brand – that’s how you build both relevance and trust in a market that thrives on community and dialogue. The social-first communication plan was a key to the success of this campaign.
By Mohamed Felfel, Senior Manager – Marketing at a leading retail company in the region.
