Publicis Groupe – Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East was awarded the Creative Agency of the Year 2024 title at the Campaign Agency of the Year Middle East Awards.
Part of the Agency Speciality Categories, the Creative Agency of the Year award celebrates agencies excelling in creativity while showcasing outstanding business growth, a strong workplace culture, effective leadership, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion in 2024.
Ramzi Sleiman, Regional Managing Director, Sebastien Boutebel, Chief Creative Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East, and Nathalie Gevresse, CEO, Publicis Communications UAE shared their reflections post their award win.
How does this award reflect the culmination of your efforts in 2024?
Ramzi Sleiman, Regional Managing Director, Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East: The past few years have been about planting the right seeds – talent that thrives, client relationships that last, and a culture that puts people first. But it’s not just about planting; it’s about showing up every day, turning a growth mindset into muscle memory. That’s how you build something real.
As you soak in the win, what top learnings from 2024 will you take into the year ahead?
Sebastien Boutebel, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East: Brands should matter in culture – or why bother? Whether it’s challenging the status quo, sparking controversy for the greater good, or diving into cultural niches, brands need to stand for something. As a creative agency, our job is to build real connections between brands and people, finding bold, unexpected ways to make brands part of everyday life.
What do you think the industry needs to change or fix on priority in the months ahead?
Boutebel: The industry needs to stop settling for “good enough.” Too much of the work out there feels like filler – safe, formulaic, forgettable. Creativity has been commoditised, and agencies are playing it small, pandering to procurement rather than pushing for bold ideas that make people care. What needs to change? We need to stop treating creativity as a line item and start putting it back where it belongs: at the centre of everything. It’s time to break out of our comfort zones, challenge the formulas, and create work that demands attention. Clients don’t need more mediocrity – they need ambition, originality, and work that’s worthy of people’s time.
How has the balance between purpose and profits contributed to your successes over the past 12 months?
Nathalie Gevresse, CEO, Publicis Communications UAE: In our industry, money still sounds like a terrible word. But profit and purpose are not mutually exclusive; they are complementary. Purpose or passion defines our reason to exist – what we want to be and bring to the world. Profit defines what we do and what we want to achieve together.
At Saatchi & Saatchi, we constantly strive to balance these inseparable and sometimes contradictory opposites by aligning business objectives with our creative values. Purpose engages consumers to care about and associate themselves with the brand, and once that connection is built, profits naturally follow. We foster
a culture that nurtures personal development and innovation while staying financially sustainable and generating growth.
Purpose also applies to the agency itself. Our purpose is to grow talent and work toward a common goal of creative excellence and effectiveness – it’s our North Star.
This commitment to purpose drives us to develop transformative creative ideas that reshape our clients’ businesses, brands, and reputations – and our clients have recognised this. We foster creativity and innovation in an environment aligned with shared values: freedom, bravery, and agility. Not only does this allow us to attract and retain the best talent both globally and regionally, but it also ensures that passion fuels creativity without compromising profit-driven goals.
In your opinion, what do consumers really want, and how can agencies help brands meet this need?
Boutebel: Consumers want to feel seen, not sold to. They crave authenticity, solutions, and brands that get them. Agencies win by turning insights into stories that hit home – bold, human, unforgettable, at times, controversial. It’s not just about selling; it’s about making brands impossible to ignore.
What are the key facets to securing client wins and sustaining client retention?
Sleiman: Winning clients is about clarity, chemistry, and conviction. Retaining them? That’s all about delivering impact, staying indispensable, and always thinking one step ahead. Be a partner, not a vendor. Solve problems they didn’t know they had. And most importantly, make the brand ethos the true hero.
