Leo Burnett’s operation in Jordan has won the advertising account for Iraqi telco Asiacell.
The appointment, which covers Asiacell’s advertising needs within the entire Iraqi market, is designed to add value to the company’s brand positioning in the country, although the appointment does not terminate Asiacell’s existing advertising and promotions agreement with Wunderman. It is understood that creative work will be distributed between the two agencies on a project-by-project basis.
Diar Ahmed, CEO of Asiacell, said: “We hope that this agreement will be a launching pad to a very successful partnership between Asiacell and Leo Burnett, and we look forward to seeing its positive results on the ground in the near future. We have full confidence in Leo Burnett’s management and creative team’s ability in adding value to our brand positioning in the Iraqi market.”
He added: “The Iraqi market is a promising environment for the advertising industry, as advertising is an integral and indispensible tool for all sectors and is necessary for their continued success. We aim through this partnership to maintain our ongoing engagement with our subscribers and the Iraqi public, which reflects the transparency and integrity we adopt in all that we do.”
The account will be handled out of Leo Burnett’s Amman office, which is headed by Joëlle Jammal, managing director of Leo Burnett Jordan.
Kamil Kuran, managing director of Leo Burnett Levant, would not disclose whether the agency would be expanding into Iraq, saying only that the ad shop was looking to increase its business interests in the country. “We are very excited to earn the trust of Asiacell with respect to handling the communication assignment of their brand. Asiacell is one of the most prominent brands in Iraq, and we feel that it adds diversity to the brands that we handle across the region. We are also keen on developing our business in Iraq as the country is ripe for business growth.”
Asiacell was established in Sulaimaniyah in 1999. It is the largest private company in Iraq and the first and only mobile company to provide coverage for all of Iraq. It has more than 7.4 million subscribers around the country.
