Amsterdam’s Nomads opens Dubai office

Amsterdam-based agency Nomads is to open an office in Dubai just two months after its creation.

The agency, formed by management from StrawberryFrog Amsterdam and MediaCatalyst, has Emirates as one of its founding clients. Its new office will be located in Dubai Media City and will provide strategic and creative support to Emirates, as well as other clients across the Middle East and Africa.

The agency was created after a parting of ways between Hans Howarth, the founder of MediaCatalyst and chief executive of StrawberryFrog Amsterdam, and Scott Goodson, the worldwide chairman of StrawberryFrog and co-founder of its Amsterdam operation. Howarth now leads Nomads as CEO, while Goodson remains in the global StrawberryFrog role.

Detria Williamson will lead the Dubai office as head of strategy MENA, with strategists and creative talent to be recruited locally.

“We’re big believers in the local talent over here and our approach ties in with Nomads’ belief that to create truly borderless ideas that drive global transformation, we need to be in tune with cultural expectations in all the regions in which we operate,” said Williamson.

Prior to joining Nomads, Williamson held a number of positions in the region, including head of marketing and communications for Jumeirah’s Burj Al Arab and marketing director for Abu Dhabi’s twofour54.

Howarth added: “The opening in Dubai marks our commitment to the region – and our ambition to give marketers in the Middle East best in breed thinking that breaks down the borders between products, services, marketing and technology. This thinking is sculpted against universal human truths to create ideas that move people.  Ideas they share. Ideas that travel. I’m excited to build a team of highly skilled, multi-disciplinary talent in Dubai who will apply our borderless thinking to brand transformation for clients, regardless of where they are in the region.”