Campaign Middle East‘s latest magazine spotlights the glitz, glam and glory of Cannes Lions 2025 while unpacking the raison d’etre of advertising.
Packed with top learnings and recaps from industry-leaders in the region who attended the 72nd Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the July edition of Campaign Middle East is one you can’t miss.
One of the key out-takes from Cannes was whether marketers are meant to solve consumer problems, sell products to drive business outcomes or save the world from the troubles plaguing it? Solve, sell or save – and whether these three are mutually exclusive.
Under the spotlight this month is an in-depth look into all the heated debates, interesting insights and top takeaways from Cannes Lions 2025.
In the edition’s cover feature, Campaign Middle East, recounts every single major topic of conversation at Cannes Lions 2025, which cemented one – or more – of the six foundational pillars holding up the current marketing edifice. These include:
- Creativity – originally human and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted,
- Technology – updates on generative AI, algorithms, platforms and social media,
- Outcomes – building brand equity and bringing in financial returns,
- Social impact – purpose-driven ‘marketing for good’ to heal a polarised planet,
- Co-creation, culture and context – collaborating with a creator economy,
- Education – the final piece that glues all the above together.
The cover story includes on-ground quotes from the likes of:
- Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS
- Aude Gandon, Global CMO, Nestlé
- Tor Myhren, VP of Marketing, Apple
- Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority
- Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, UAE Government Media Office
- Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman, VaynerX and CEO, VaynerMedia
- Siddarth Sivaprakash, Head of Brand & Marketing, Landmark Group
- Josefien Olij, Senior Director of Marketing Communications, Philips
- Reda Raad, Group CEO, TBWA\Raad
- Tarek Miknas, CEO, FP7 McCann MENAT
- Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer, IMPACT BBDO
- Fabio Silveira, MD, Havas Creative Network – Middle East
- Melissa Nikolic, Director of Product Management, YouTube
UK Advertising’s Aisling Conlon shares a thought-provoking round up of the round table discussion, held in partnership with Athar Festival on the side lines of Cannes Lions 2025.
Also contributing their thoughts on the Festival are jury members, client-side marketers and creatives, including:
- DCT Abu Dhabi’s Nada Assaf,
- Déjà Vu’s Manasvi Gosalia,
- Serviceplan Group Middle East’s Natalie Shardan and
- Livingroom Dubai’s Seyoan Vela.
Additionally, the magazine also features all the winning campaigns from the MENA region, as well as the Grands Prix winning campaigns from across the globe.
In line with the “Do-Good” focus in July 2025, senior marketers and advertisers have poured their concerns into the pages of this issue to make the case for better advancements in ethical and sustainable media and marketing practices.
Al Masaood’s Marwa Kaabour reflects on how ethical leadership weaves sustainability, inclusion and governance into the fabric of business. C2 Comms’ Roy Aftimos echoes this and attributes his agency’s success to prioritising people and purpose.
Unilever’s Manan Gupta adds to the discussions with a take on why the retail shelf is one of the biggest missed opportunities in consumer sustainability, while Warner Bros. Discovery’s Monika Oomen shares how brands can inspire ec-action in young audiences through kids’ media and entertainment.
Contributors to Campaign Middle East‘s annual ‘Do-Good’ issue also include Conscious Media’s Andy Powell, WonderEight’s Karim Abou Rizk, The Vantage’s Robin Phillips, and Motivate Val Morgan’s Sahal Valliyot.
This month’s Brand Focus section hears from Modon Holding’s Dina Jreissati, who writes that brands that nudge societal conversations end up on top.
Amjad Puliyali contributes to the month’s Saudi Focus, and explains how Saudi Arabia’s investments in artificial intelligence position the Kingdom as a leader in technological advancements.
From recaps from the shores of the south of France to discourse on how the industry can be better and do better, Campaign Middle East’s Cannes Lions 2025 and Do-Good magazine holds a mirror to the industry’s wins and areas of improvement.
Read more in the full issue below or click here.
