By Jalaja Ramanunni
Every year, The Drum celebrates the best ads from around the world. It released its list of the 100 most-awarded ad campaigns from around the world and four of these are from the MENA region.
These four campaigns stand out for their creativity, originality and impact, and they showcase the region’s growing influence in the global advertising industry.
Here are the campaigns:
Ranking 5: The Elections Edition
Brand: An-Nahar
Agency: Impact BBDO Dubai
Lebanon is a country that has been pushed past the brink of collapse, with the currency losing 90% of its value – making the country’s inflation the highest in the world. In an attempt to obstruct the election process, current government officials have complained that the shortages of material goods, such as paper and ink, might cancel the upcoming elections. On 2nd February, Lebanese newspaper AnNahar did not print that day’s edition for the first time in its 88 years of publishing. Instead, the ink and paper intended for that day – named the Election Edition – were sent towards the printing of voting ballots for the 2022 Lebanese Election. AnNahar, the voice of the Lebanese people, decided to eliminate the government’s excuses by taking the step to donate an entire day’s worth of paper and ink.
Ranking 11: Liquid Billboard
Brand: Adidas
Agency: Havas Middle East
Only 12 per cent of women in the United Arab Emirates are completely comfortable wearing a swimsuit at a public beach or pool. Body shame and lack of privacy are the two main reasons women do not feel comfortable in their swimsuits. adidas unveiled the world’s first-ever liquid billboard in Dubai, in line with the brand’s recent debut of its Burkini Collection. The first-of-its-kind stunt celebrates adidas’ drive to offer a wider choice of technical apparel for athletes everywhere, simultaneously inspiring confidence in women and building on its commitment to making the future of sports as inclusive as possible.
Ranking 47: Despair No More
Brand: Tena – Incontinence Products
Agency: Impact BBDO Dubai
When women in the Middle East reach menopause and begin to face issues like incontinence, they are often labeled with the phrase “Age of Despair.” However, this term does not accurately capture their self-perception during this stage of life. To challenge this stereotype, Tena featured showcased confident real women to dispel that cliché.
Ranking 63: Breakchains With Blockchain
Brand: Children of Female Prisoners Association
Agency: Horizon FCB Dubai
Every year, tens of thousands of women in Egypt are incarcerated for a seemingly minor offense: being unable to repay loans taken out for a few hundred dollars. Horizon FCB Dubai created and launched ‘Breakchains with Blockchain’. Inspired by the reasons for their imprisonment, NFTs were created in collaboration with artists from around the world. Each one was designed to tell the story of why a woman was sentenced and piced at the amount it would cost to free her from their sentence and give them a second chance at life.
