Digital agency Blue Barracuda has launched an operation in the Middle East.
The London-headquartered outfit was acquired by Draftfcb in April, meaning it will now offer its full-service digital offering in the Middle East to Horizon Draftfcb’s portfolio of regional clients from its Dubai office. The agency will fall under the umbrella of the Horizon Group in the Middle East and North Africa. Blue Barracuda Dubai’s inaugural general manager is Lee Brett, previously of Atom and Impact Proximity.
Speaking at the agency’s launch, Laurence Boschetto, worldwide CEO and president of Draftfcb, said: “Blue Barracuda is a perfect match for Horizon Draftfcb, both culturally and in terms of its capabilities and the expertise it provides. Its talented staff shares our fundamental belief that our clients and their customers’ needs have to be central regardless of the channel”.
Blue Barracuda was founded in 2002 and its client portfolio has included the UK Film Council, Hyundai, Beiersdorf, and Roche Pharmaceuticals. It also has an office in Estonia.
“The introduction of Blue Barracuda in the Middle East adds immense value to Horizon Group’s strategic capabilities and effectively positions us as an integrated advertising and marketing solutions agency in the region,” said Rafic Saadeh, chairman of Horizon Holdings. “With Blue Barracuda’s proven track record at developing innovative, media-agnostic solutions for a rapidly changing digital communications landscape, we are confident that our clients across the Middle East will significantly benefit with the addition of their capabilities into our portfolio”.
The Horizon Group includes PR agency GolinHarris and Brand Connection.
