Creator marketing in the Middle East is entering a more demanding phase. The conversation is no longer only about reach, visibility or the number of followers a creator can bring to a campaign.

Senior marketers, agency leaders and creators are now asking sharper questions such as: Which creator partnerships genuinely shift consumer behaviour? How should creator contribution be measured? How can brands protect their reputation without coercing creators into boxes that mute their voices?

The creator economy has matured quickly, but the working model behind many brand-creator partnerships has not always kept pace. Too many collaborations are still built around short-term execution, late-stage briefing, over-controlled messaging and reporting systems that reward scale over substance.

Leaders tell Campaign Middle East that the next phase of creator marketing needs stronger partner selection, clearer briefs, earlier collaboration, better measurement and a more serious understanding of how trust in creators and their communities translate into business value.

From transactions to transparency and trust

The first issue is how partnerships are set up. When creators are treated as execution channels rather than strategic collaborators, both sides lose. Brands get weaker content and creators risk damaging the trust they have built with their audiences.

Dima Mousseli, a content creator, says: “Personally, I’ve gone through experiences where I lost trust in certain brands after working with them, and I think this happens because many partnerships are approached in a transactional rather than strategic way.

“Trust is not built instantly in any partnership. It develops over time, but the initial decision to collaborate should already be based on strong indicators: the creators’ values, audiences, credibility, past work, personality and whether they genuinely align with the brand’s identity and objectives.”

Content creator Hadeel Marei adds that both sides are to blame. Marketers worry about staying true to brand and ensuring return on investment, while creators worry about being reduced to a tool with little room for their tone of voice.

“The trust gap between brands and creators is very real and it runs both ways,” Marei says. “Marketers worry about brand safety and return on investment (ROI), while creators fear being reduced to a logo placement with no authentic voice. The gap widens when brands treat creators as media channels rather than partners.”

For marketers, this puts greater pressure on the selection process. The right creator is not always the one with the largest audience, but the one whose community, tone and behaviour fit the brand’s purpose.

Murat Gebeceli, Marketing Director, Sony Middle East and Africa, says, “From our experience, the most effective collaborations are those built on shared values, audience relevance and long-term alignment. The gap is bridged by working with creators and communities that genuinely connect with the brand and its wider purpose rather than only focusing on visibility.”

Building on this discussion, Luanne D’Souza, Influencer Relations Director, Current Global MENAT, says many collaborations fail because they are designed for quick exposure rather than sustained influence.

Her point is that credibility cannot be manufactured through a one-off campaign or post; it is built through consistent interaction between brands, creators and their communities.

“I think it comes down to how a lot of collaborations are still structured,” D’Souza says. “Most of them are built around one-off campaigns but real influence is built over time, not in a single post. The focus is usually on instant metrics and creative control, instead of credibility and community trust that is built over time – something many of today’s leading creators have mastered.”

Control versus creative freedom

Once the right partner has been chosen, the next challenge is the balance between control and creative freedom. Contributors agree that brands need clear boundaries, but warn that excessive control can make creator content feel forced.

Senior brand marketing leader Aishwarya Nambiar says brands need to involve creators earlier and help them understand business goals, brand limits and non-negotiables before content is developed.

“There is a trust gap as brands seek control over the narrative, while creators prioritise authenticity,” Nambiar says. “Overly scripted content often leads to inauthentic storytelling, reducing trust on both sides. Bridging this gap requires a fundamental shift in mindset. Brands need to build a core group of creators who act as ambassadors or long-term partners.”

For Nambiar, brand safety and creative freedom do not need to be treated as opposing forces. The answer lies in being clear about where control is necessary, then resisting the urge to dictate every detail.

She adds, “Brands must clearly define guardrails – values, tone, cultural sensitivities, and other non-negotiables while resisting the urge to over-direct execution.”

Marei makes the same point from the creator’s vantage point. If a brand scripts every line, the work risks losing the very quality audiences respond to.

“The most effective partnerships I’ve seen set clear guardrails around what the brand stands for, then step back and let the creator do what they do best,” she says. “Audiences can detect inauthenticity instantly. Nothing damages a brand’s reputation faster than content that feels forced or performative.”

The case for a better brief

The practical solution is not a vague brief, but a better one. Brands need to be precise about priorities, sensitivities and expected outcomes, while still allowing creators to shape the delivery.

Gebeceli says, “Balancing brand safety with creative freedom starts with a strong brief, one that clearly defines brand priorities, key messages and expected outcomes while still giving creators the space to tell stories authentically.”

D’Souza adds that risk should be managed through preparation, not creative restriction. In culturally varied markets, where language and community context matter, creators often understand audience nuance better than the brand team.

“It all comes down to trust and clarity upfront,” she says. “Brand safety shouldn’t come from controlling the creative process; it should come from good vetting, clear and structured briefs, alignment on values and goals, and having proper escalation guidance if something does go off track. Creators know their audience best so if you take away their creative freedom, you’re basically removing the personality and uniqueness that makes their content work.”

From any audience perspective, Mousseli adds that consumers can quickly identify when a post does not match a creator’s usual tone. That disconnect affects both engagement and credibility.

“Today’s audiences are extremely smart,” she says. “They can immediately tell when content feels forced, overly scripted or disconnected from a creator’s natural voice. The moment authenticity is lost, engagement, credibility, and impact are also lost.”

Rethinking performance

Measurement remains one of the biggest pressure points. The industry has often relied on follower counts, views and final-click reporting because they are easy to present. Leaders argue that these numbers do not fully capture what creators contribute across the consumer journey.

Nambiar says, “Engagement should never have been secondary to followers and it certainly shouldn’t be now. Higher engagement and audience trust are far more meaningful indicators of influence than just scale. Reach and impressions fail to capture the full-funnel impact that creators drive, particularly in driving consideration
and conversions.”

She adds that creators need to be better integrated into performance frameworks through trackable links, promo codes and clearer attribution. The aim, she says, should be to move from paying for visibility to rewarding impact.

D’Souza says this has become more urgent as social content and commerce move closer together in the region. A large following may still have value, but only if the audience is relevant and active.

“A million followers can look great in a deck,” she says, “but what really matters is whether that audience is relevant, whether they engage, and whether the content drives behaviour beyond just likes. Does it generate interest, clicks, saves and conversations?”

On the other hand, creators also call for a fairer approach to attribution. A post may introduce a product, create interest and stay in someone’s mind, even if the eventual purchase is credited to another channel.

Mousseli says: “Brands also need to move beyond outdated attribution models like last-touch attribution (LTA). Consumer behaviour today is far more complex than a single click or final action.”

Marei adds, “A creator with deeply engaged followers in a community will consistently outperform a mega influencer whose audience is passive. Last-touch attribution erases the role creators play in building awareness, consideration and trust long before a purchase happens. We need multi-touch models that reflect the actual consumer journey,” she adds.

For marketers, this requires stronger reporting systems and a wider view of influence.

At Sony, Gebeceli says the brand looks beyond scale to engagement quality, regional relevance, content credibility and community interaction.

He adds that stronger attribution tools are becoming more important in understanding where traffic, engagement and leads are coming from.

Levelling up the creator economy model

The consensus arising from brand-creator conversation is that marketing models must move away from isolated posts and towards more structured partnerships.

For agencies and brands, the challenge is to stop treating creators as the final step in a campaign. Bringing them in after the idea has already been decided limits their ability to contribute.

Marei says: “The solution is earlier collaboration, bringing creators into the campaign ideation phase rather than handing them a finalised brief. When creators have ownership over the narrative, they protect the brand naturally, because their credibility is on the line too.”

Creator marketing is most effective when creators are viewed as people rather than as commodities expected to drive conversions.

Mousseli says, “Influencers are not just marketing tools – they are people. Strong partnerships are built like real relationships, and time is one of the biggest factors in determining success. Long-term partnerships create stronger credibility, deeper audience trust, and ultimately much better ROI and purchasing impact.”

The creator economy does not need another vanity metric, another over-curated brief or another campaign that treats creators like a tap to be turned on and off. It needs to grow up.

Brands can no longer hire creators as human billboards and then wonder why the work feels hollow. If creators are the bridge to communities, then brands must stop laying down toll booths at every step of the journey.

The next level of creator marketing will belong to brands that have the discipline to choose better, brief better, measure better and trust better. Reach may fill the room, but relevance holds the conversation. A creator’s real value does not lie in the size of his or her audience, but in the permission earned to be heard by it. Brands that understand this will build influence that compounds over time; those that do not will keep buying noise and calling it impact.

Dani Richa will transition to Non-Executive Chairman from his previous role as Group Chairman and CEO of IMPACT BBDO, supporting the agency’s long-term strategic direction and continuing to champion its creative legacy across the region.

As part of this transition, IMPACT BBDO will align more closely with Omnicom Advertising’s connected regional and global structure, giving clients greater access to end-to-end capabilities across creativity, media, data and commerce.

Dani Richa said, “Impact BBDO has always evolved to meet the changing needs of our clients and our people. As the agency integrates more deeply within Omnicom’s connected model, I have decided this is the right moment to step back from an executive role while continuing to support the business as Non-Executive Chairman.”

Richa added, “I am immensely proud of what we have built together over the years, and I have never been more confident in the future of this group.”

Country CEOs across Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will now report directly to Cem Topcuoglu, CEO of Omnicom Advertising CEE & AME, reinforcing a more unified and connected regional operating model.

Under Richa’s leadership, IMPACT BBDO has become one of the region’s most awarded and respected agency networks, expanding its multidisciplinary capabilities and strengthening its presence across key markets.

Cem Topcuoglu, CEO of Omnicom Advertising CEE and AME, said: “This evolution reflects our commitment to building a more connected organization across the region. By further aligning Impact BBDO within our structure, we make it easier than ever for our clients to access truly integrated, end-to-end solutions at scale.”

Topcuoglu added, “I’m grateful to Dani for providing continuity in his ongoing role as Non-Executive Chairman, and I want to take this moment to recognize everything he has built. Impact BBDO is a leading agency group today because of his vision, his standards, and his people.”

IMPACT BBDO will continue to operate under its established brand as part of Omnicom Advertising, combining strong local leadership with the full force of a global network.

Last June, I wrote a piece on artificial intelligence (AI) that caused what can only be described as a collective aneurysm in the creative industry. Ad people. Copywriters. Creative directors. Agency founders. They all came for me with a level of fury usually reserved for people who put pineapple on pizza.

It sparked a number of counter-pieces. LinkedIn lit up. Someone – and I’m paraphrasing here – told me my muscle mass and bank account joke was proof AI had already lobotomised me. A copywriter who’d clearly had a long day informed me he’d cancelled his GymNation membership and was sleeping better than ever.

Here’s the thing though. A year on, I wasn’t just right about AI in creative. I didn’t go far enough.

Let’s start with the numbers, since everyone loves numbers

88 per cent of marketers are now using AI daily. 93 per cent say they create content faster with it. Not experimenting with it. Not running a “pilot.” Daily. Fast.

But here’s the stat that will make every agency finance director choke on their coffee: 39 per cent of CMOs plan to cut agency budgets in the next cycle. Not some. Not a few curious ones. Nearly half the marketing leaders in the room. And the average payback on AI investment is now 4.2 months, down from 7.8 months in 2024.

For context, I have never, in 20 years of briefing agencies, seen a retained agency deliver positive ROI within four months of engagement. You’re lucky if you’ve found your font preferences by then.

What we’ve actually built with AI

When I wrote the original article, the honest criticism was that I was talking in abstractions. Bold claims, cute examples, not much substance.

So let me be specific. Just not too specific as I’m not giving away free consultancy here.

In the past twelve months at GymNation, we’ve built and deployed AI systems across nearly every marketing function that used to require an external agency relationship. On SEO, we publish content across multiple markets daily without a brief or a retainer.

On paid ads, we generate and test hundreds of creative variants simultaneously across every platform. On competitor intelligence, we know what every rival is running before their own teams do.

We have an AI press office now too. It drafts releases tailored by outlet type – the same story lands differently in a consumer title versus trade press, a broadsheet versus a tabloid. It maintains a live journalist database, tracks recent bylines, and identifies who’s actually been covering fitness or retail or whatever the angle is. Outreach goes directly from me, in my voice, referencing something specific about that journalist’s recent work.

This isn’t a creative experiment. This is infrastructure.

And no, not every agency is this replaceable. But most of the agencies most companies are using? Absolutely they are. 53 per cent of agency owners now agree that AI poses a credible threat to their business model, up from 44 per cent just a year earlier. That’s the industry talking about itself. I didn’t make that up.

On the backlash

“You had the wrong agencies, mate.”

Maybe. Probably, even, in some cases. But that’s rather the point, isn’t it? The agency market is enormous and largely undifferentiated, and the probability of landing the exceptional one versus the expensive-but-mediocre one has always been low. AI doesn’t require you to get lucky.

“AI is trained on stolen creative work.”

This is a legitimate ethical debate and I’m not going to dismiss it. But it is a separate conversation from whether AI is effective. The two things are not mutually exclusive positions, and conflating them doesn’t make either argument stronger.

“What about the strategic stuff AI can’t do?”

Fair. I’ve always said this. The original article said this. AI provides the starting point. The fast, broad, often surprisingly clever starting point. The human – ideally a senior, experienced one, not a room full of account managers – refines, elevates, and makes it sing. What AI has killed is not creativity. It’s the billable hours wrapped around creativity that were never really about creativity.

“AI-generated creative gets down ranked on Meta and TikTok now.”

Meta, TikTok, and Google have quietly down-ranked obvious AI creative in their 2026 ranking updates. This is real, and it matters. Which is exactly why we use AI to generate the volume and humans to curate, adapt, and elevate what goes live. The answer to AI creative being detectable is not to abandon AI – it’s to use it better.

The part nobody wants to admit

When I wrote the first article, I was talking about replacing a creative agency. One relationship. One function.
I was thinking too small.

The past year has shown that what’s actually changing is the entire agency model. Not just creative. PR. Paid media. SEO. Research. Analytics. Competitor intelligence. Content. Each of these had a corresponding agency or consultancy relationship. Each of them has been partially or substantially replaced – not with lower quality, but with higher speed, higher volume, and radically lower cost.

Marketers now save an average of 6.1 hours per week using AI, with senior practitioners saving 8–10 hours. That’s not efficiency. That’s a structural change in what a small, senior marketing team can output.

So, what did I get wrong about AI?

One thing.

I probably underestimated how much the transition requires investment – in time, in learning, in building systems that actually work. The agencies who’ve survived this year are the ones who adopted a hybrid model: AI handles research, synthesis, and formatting while humans focus on original analysis and brand voice.

The ones who pretended it wasn’t happening lost clients and staff simultaneously.

The same is true on the client side. You can’t just subscribe to ChatGPT, prompt it like a magic wand, and declare victory. My AI stack took months to build properly. The briefs, the workflows, the automations, the quality control – all of it required real senior thinking. It’s ongoing and still does.

AI doesn’t replace good judgment. It makes good judgment considerably more leveraged.

The bottom line

A year ago I asked a question and took some flak for it: do you actually need an expensive retained agency, or have you just never seriously questioned the model?

The data says the answer is increasingly no. The CMOs agree. The agencies themselves are nervous. The tools are better than they were. The playbook exists.

I’m still sleeping fine. I’m sleeping better, actually. The Oura ring agrees.

By Rory McEntee, Chief Marketing Officer, GymNation. 

ICOM, the global network of independent marketing and communications agencies, has elected three new members to its Board of Directors.

Amongst the newly elected, sweetwater’s Founder and CEO Steven Hetzer takes the helm as ICOM’s Regional Director for MENA. In this role, he will focus on growing ICOM’s presence across one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-evolving marketing markets.

“The MENA region is still largely shaped by the big network agencies, and that’s something I’d love to help change,” said Hetzer.

“ICOM has the credibility, the case studies and the proof that independents can deliver outstanding, ambitious work for global clients. What’s amazing is the breadth of expertise sitting inside the ICOM network—agencies across categories and geographies who can become real,” he added.

Hetzer joined ICOM in 2025 and quickly established himself as one of the network’s most engaged and committed members.

Brenda Moller, and Gustavo Quiroga were also approved by ICOM members and took up their roles with immediate effect. Moller is the CEO of Provoking, a leading independent agency based in Mexico City and Quiroga is the Founder and CEO of Agencia Quiroga, the largest independent media agency network in Latin America.

Notably, this marks the first time LATAM & Caribbean has had two dedicated board members simultaneously — a reflection of the region’s growing strategic importance to ICOM.

“Great boards are built on trust, expertise, and a genuine desire to contribute — and that’s exactly what Steven, Brenda, and Gustavo bring,” said Emma Keenan, ICOM President & CEO.

“I’ve had the privilege of watching each of them lead their agencies through real challenges and real opportunities, and what stands out every time is the quality of their thinking and the generosity with which they show up for others,” she added. “Their appointment is good news for every ICOM member, because the stronger our board, the stronger the opportunities we can create together.”

Furthermore, Bob Morrison, ICOM Chairman and chairman of Morrison, Atlanta, USA, said: “Adding Steve Hetzer, Brenda Moller, and Gustavo Quiroga to our board reflects ICOM’s deep commitment to where this network is going. Between them, these talented agency leaders bring fresh thinking, real on-the-ground expertise, and a strong leadership presence in two of the world’s most dynamic regions – MENA, and Latin America and the Caribbean. For our members, this means a board that is more connected, more capable, and more invested in the growth of independent agencies everywhere. I couldn’t be more energized about what comes next.”

The transition also marks the departure of José-Luis Alvarez, Regional Director for LATAM & Caribbean; Hazem Hussein, Regional Director for MENA; and Patrick Walhain, Director-at-Large, who served on the ICOM board for more than 30 years.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) hasn’t made it into many boardroom conversations yet. That’s exactly the problem. While most marketing leaders are still debating whether to add AI to their workflow, a quieter shift is already underway. AI agents are beginning to talk to each other — reading live campaign data, querying audience platforms, logging decisions in real time. MCP is the protocol making this possible. It’s not here to replace your best people. It’s here to give them back the bandwidth for the work they were actually hired to do.

The dirty secret of modern media teams

Ask any senior strategist how much of their week goes toward actual strategy. The honest answer is uncomfortable.

The rest is firefighting: pulling reports, chasing approvals, reconciling data across platforms that were never designed to speak to each other. That’s not a talent problem. That’s a systems problem – and AI agents built on MCP are solving it at the infrastructure level.

Instead of a planner toggling between a DSP, a DMP, and three dashboards, an orchestrated agent handles signal-reading, cross-referencing, and pattern detection. Creative fatigue identified. Budget reallocation triggered. Audience suppression updated. All within a single loop – while the strategist focuses on decisions that require human judgement.

What leadership gets wrong about this

Most C-suite conversations about AI in advertising are framed around tools. Which platform to adopt. Which vendor to pilot. That framing misses the point entirely.

Organisations pulling ahead aren’t adding AI to existing workflows. They’re rebuilding workflows around AI. They treat MCP-enabled agents the way they once treated cloud infrastructure: not as a feature, but as a foundation.

When the machine handles what it’s built for – speed, pattern recognition, repetitive decision logic – humans get their thinking time back. That’s not an efficiency gain. That’s a fundamental shift in how strategic talent gets deployed.

What this looks like in practice

The results in early-adopter teams are hard to ignore.

Budget reallocation that ran on a weekly cycle now happens intraday. Creative testing compressed from two weeks to 48 hours. Optimisations that once consumed an analyst’s morning now surface as a briefing, ready for a human call in minutes.

The people on these teams aren’t doing less. They’re doing more — more interesting, more impactful, higher-leverage work. Without the cognitive load of tasks that were never a good use of their time to begin with.

The window is narrower than it looks

The temptation for large organisations is to wait — for the technology to mature, for standards to settle, for a cleaner ROI story. That caution made sense before. Here, it’s a strategic liability.

Teams building MCP fluency now aren’t just becoming more efficient. They’re developing compounding knowledge – learning to think alongside AI in a way that can’t be replicated by simply buying a better tool later.

The stack is getting smarter.

By Raghav Gulati, Digital Media Director, 5th Element

Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors, in partnership with Home of Performance (HOP), has unveiled the complete naming, identity, and narrative platform created for the final Jaguar F-PACE.

Created exclusively for the Saudi Arabian market, the vehicle will be known as Jaguar F-PACE Obsidian Edition, a name and visual identity developed to mark the closing chapter of one of Jaguar’s most significant modern vehicles.

The project was commissioned by Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors with a unique challenge: create a name, icon, and story worthy of the final F-PACE ever released, while remaining true to Jaguar’s design philosophy and the significance of the Saudi market.

“The F-PACE has played an important role in Jaguar’s modern journey. With Obsidian, we wanted to honour that legacy with something meaningful for Saudi Arabia – a final expression that reflects both the significance of the vehicle and the importance of the Kingdom within Jaguar’s story,” said Abdulrahman Bamashmous, Marketing & Performance Manager, Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors.

 

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Rather than positioning the vehicle as a limited edition, HOP’s creative approach focused on finality, legacy, and resolution.

The resulting name, Obsidian, draws inspiration from a rare volcanic glass formed under extraordinary conditions. Created when molten lava cools with remarkable speed, obsidian is both powerful and refined, known for its deep black appearance, natural precision, and rarity.

“When you’re creating the final expression of an iconic vehicle, the challenge isn’t to make it louder. It’s to make it meaningful. Our goal was to create a name, identity and story that felt worthy of the F-PACE legacy and respectful of the significance of its final chapter,” said Nicole Daly, Head of Creative & Social, Home of Performance.

Available exclusively in Saudi Arabia and limited to just fifteen vehicles, the Obsidian Edition transforms the final F-PACE into a rare closing statement for one of Jaguar’s most defining modern models. That rarity became a defining part of the concept, representing the model as something finite, uncommon, and impossible to recreate.

The visual icon was created as a mark of refinement and finality, inspired by the uninterrupted forms and sharp geometry found in volcanic glass. The identity system was designed to balance precision with restraint, creating a symbol that could quietly signify the final chapter of the F-PACE without relying on traditional limited-edition cues.

“My approach to the Obsidian emblem was to keep it clean, bold and purposeful. Inspired by the sharp edges and depth of obsidian stone, I focused on creating simple forms that felt strong and intentional. The goal was to design a mark that feels confident and contemporary while carrying the sense of refinement and prestige that defines the Obsidian name,” said Simon Ronaldo, Senior Creative, Home of Performance.

As Jaguar enters a new era, the Obsidian Edition aims to be a fitting conclusion to the F-PACE story – a vehicle that helped define Jaguar’s modern identity and leaves behind a lasting legacy.

TBWA\RAAD hosted the inaugural edition of BETA, an innovation event series designed to cut through the AI noise and equip brand leaders with the frameworks, tools, and thinking they need to compete in a rapidly shifting marketing landscape.

The half-day gathering brought together CMOs, CEOs, and senior marketers from across the region alongside speakers from TBWA\RAAD, Omnicom Advertising, Google and Flywheel Commerce Network. The event explored five interconnected themes: AI and creativity, cultural strategy, YouTube effectiveness, connected marketing intelligence and the future of commerce.

The event opened with Noah Khan, Chief Innovation Officer at Omnicom Advertising CEE & AME, who delivered an overview of where the AI landscape actually stands, beyond the hype cycles and vendor pitches.

Provided by Campaignme.com 1

Khan’s session drew on data that showed that 83 per cent of ad executives now deploy AI in the creative process which has gone up from 60 per cent just a year ago, and yet 95 per cent of GenAI pilots in organisations have generated zero measurable P&L impact. He emphasised that AI adoption was now minimum requirement in the market and not a competitive advantage.

While Khan focused on the more strategic aspects of the AI, Catherine Bannister, Chief Strategy Officer, and Astha Sirpaul, Head of Strategy at TBWA\RAAD took a look at the more creative usage and the more human aspect of AI.

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They shared that AI become a deeply personal presence in daily life, with 73 per cent of AI usage now comprising personal conversations, the world is searching for evidence of aliveness, authenticity and genuine human effort. 

Ali Cheikhali, Creative Strategy and Innovation Lead at Google, opened with a big number: $47.8bn. That’s how global media efficiency is lost every year by brands failing to tailor creative for digital environments.

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His session laid out the case for creative quality and variety as the primary growth lever in an “outcome-based marketing” era where platform algorithms handle media optimisation seamlessly. Ali also emphasised on the need for different creatives and campaigns that cater to the brands’ different objectives.

Provided by Campaignme.com 1

Further on, Rony Skaf, Head of Digital and Innovation at TBWA\RAAD, and Sirpaul presented a demonstration of OMNI, Omnicom’s proprietary intelligent growth platform. 

The morning closed out with insights from Sulagna Kapoor, Senior Director at Flywheel Commerce Network, who mapped the convergence of media, retail, and performance marketing into what the industry is calling Connected Commerce. Kapoor presented case studies featuring Pepsi demonstrating how integrated full-funnel commerce strategies combining retail media, audience intelligence, digital shelf management and AI-enabled optimisation are delivering measurable sales results.

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The event ended with a performance from Zaki, TBWA\RAAD’s AI-powered robot, who served as the event’s host throoughout the day – introducing presenters, guiding sessions and setting the tone of future for the event. 

According to the agency, the name of the event BETA is rooted in its belief that the most resilient brands and agencies are never finished, always iterating, always reinventing, never too comfortable with the status quo to ask what comes next.

“We say we are always in BETA”, said Reda Raad, Group CEO of TBWA\RAAD. “That is not a metaphor. It is how we work. This event is an extension of that mindset, a space where we bring our clients into the process of thinking, questioning, and building what’s next together. The brands that will win are the ones who treat today as a permanent prototype.”

The agency said that they would return with further editions of the event in the future. 

StickyGinger has secured the PR retainer for McLaren Middle East, Africa and India following a competitive pitch process. This marks a continued expansion in the agency’s luxury and automotive portfolio.

The agency will lead on PR strategy, media relations, influencer engagement, events, and regional campaigns. The partnership aims to further elevate McLaren’s presence across key MEAI markets, supporting brand visibility and engagement with both existing and new audiences.

“We are thrilled to appoint StickyGinger as our PR partner in the Middle East, Africa & India,” said Lauren Dowdy, Regional Marketing Manager – Middle East, Africa & India at McLaren Automotive. “As an agency that is known to operate at the forefront of the regional communications landscape, paired with an unmatched track record across both luxury and automotive, StickyGinger gave us the ultimate confidence in selecting them as our strategic partner.”

StickyGinger will work closely with McLaren Middle East, Africa & India to support upcoming launches, drive awareness around key milestones, and deliver campaigns that reflect the brand’s pioneering spirit.

The focus will be on strengthening McLaren’s positioning in the region through strategic storytelling, high-impact activations, and consistent engagement across media and influencer platforms.

“We’re incredibly proud to have earned McLaren’s trust,” said Heba Hemdan, Head of PR at StickyGinger. “McLaren is a brand built on performance, precision and pushing boundaries, qualities we also hold in as priorities within our team. Our focus will be on delivering communications and connections that command attention, create meaningful conversations and strengthen the brand’s presence across the region – and we’re excited to help drive the next phase of McLaren’s growth across Middle East, Africa & India.”

The win aims to reflect the agency’s experience in positioning luxury brands within the region’s cultural landscape, with a clear understanding of UHNWI audiences and the moments that shape influence, conversation, and automotive brand relevance across MEAI.

Building on strong momentum and a growing roster of high-profile clients, StickyGinger is set to bring its communications expertise to one of the world’s most iconic automotive brands, delivering impactful storytelling and culturally relevant campaigns tailored to the region.

Play971, the UAE’s first and only licensed sports wagering and gaming platform, has welcomed global cricket icon Brett Lee as its first official brand ambassador.

The partnership comes at a time when cricket continues to strengthen its presence across the UAE, supported by a passionate fan base, a large South Asian community, and the continued success of local T10 and T20 competitions.

Having made the UAE his home, Lee brings a unique combination of global sporting stature and local relevance, making him a natural choice to help Play971 create new and engaging ways for fans to connect with the sports they love.

Recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in cricket history, Brett Lee embodies Play971’s core values of integrity, performance excellence, and responsible play.

Beyond his achievements on the field, Lee is widely admired for his approachable personality and enduring passion for the game, showcasing qualities that reflect the shared enthusiasm Play971 aims to foster across its community of sports fans.

Philippa Bowland, Commercial Director for iGaming at Play971, said, “We are pleased to welcome Brett Lee to Play971. Beyond his achievements in international cricket, he is respected for his composure, professionalism, and a strong sense of integrity. As someone who has chosen to make the UAE his home and has a genuine appreciation for the country’s sporting ambition and diverse communities, he is a natural fit for our brand as we continue to engage audiences across the UAE.”

Commenting on the partnership, Lee said, “I’m incredibly excited to partner with a groundbreaking brand like Play971. It’s an honour to be closely connected to the UAE and its vibrant sports community, and to play a part in its journey—a true hub of innovation where determination drives progress.

Lee added, “It’s inspiring to be associated with a brand that’s building something special in a country where there truly is no such thing as impossible. Play971 reflects the same energy, passion, and love for the game that I’ve always believed in.”

As part of the partnership, Brett Lee will feature across fan engagement initiatives and activations designed to bring audiences closer to the action.

Play971 has opened doors for UAE‑based football fans to safely and legally wager on the upcoming international football matches for the first time ever ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

This is a landmark moment in the country’s entertainment landscape, where players aged 21 and over can play on a licensed platform built for and based in the country.

The launch comes as the UAE’s regulated commercial gaming sector continues to mature under the oversight of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).

Accessible across mobile and desktop browsers at Play971.ae, the platform offers wagering opportunities for international fixtures from every major sport and league, alongside regional and local events such as UAE football and horse racing.

Together, these offerings not only cater to – but more importantly reflect – the UAE’s diverse population of international sports fans.

The platform also features a curated game portfolio of classic casino‑style games and Play971 exclusives, headlined by live dealer games streaming from the GCGRA-licensed Abu Dhabi studio.

Adpro& Group and Adpro& OMD have been appointed as the integrated creative, social and media agency partners for Ooredoo Palestine, following a competitive pitch process with agencies from across the Middle East, marking the beginning of a new chapter for one of the region’s most ambitious telecom brands.

Under the new partnership, Adpro& and Adpro& OMD will lead integrated creative, strategic, social, and media responsibilities across the business, supporting Ooredoo Palestine’s next era of growth, brand evolution, and customer engagement.

The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Ooredoo Palestine as the brand continues its transformation journey, strengthening its role as a future-facing digital enabler committed to empowering Palestinian communities through connectivity, innovation, and technology.

 

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Rana Hamarneh, CEO and Partner at Adpro& Group, called the reappointment by Ooredoo Palestine especially meaningful given a partnership spanning nearly a decade.

Hamarneh said, “In an industry obsessed with dashboards and metrics, our greatest strength remains deeply human – understanding what moves people emotionally, culturally, and socially,” Hamarneh said. “Because when you understand what moves people, you move brands forward.”

Since 2016, Adpro& Group has led some of the brand’s most significant milestones, including the rebrand from Wataniya to Ooredoo and the launch of Ooredoo Palestine’s 3G network, alongside a number of the company’s most high-profile strategic and communication projects.

Hamarneh added that the agency is committed to shaping Ooredoo Palestine’s next phase of growth through work that balances creativity with real business impact.

Sian Abu Sharar, Business Growth Director at Adpro& Group, described the partnership as one built on strategic and cultural alignment from the beginning.

“What aligned us from day one was a shared belief that modern telecom communication needs to move beyond products and promotions into building genuine cultural and emotional relevance,” Abu Sharar said. “Ooredoo Palestine is a brand with incredible momentum and ambition, and we’re excited to bring together strategy, creativity, media, and innovation to help shape a more connected and impactful future for the brand.”

 

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Ziad Nimer, Chief Commercial Officer at Ooredoo Palestine, said the company was looking for partners capable of navigating the unique complexities of the Palestinian market while delivering work that is strategically integrated and commercially effective.

“Adpro& Group and Adpro& OMD stood out through their deep understanding of the market, the diversity and fragmentation of our audiences, and their integrated capabilities across strategy, creativity, social, and media,” Nimer said.

He added, “What impressed us most was their ability to think beyond creativity for the sake of being creative, and instead deliver ideas that are scalable, executable, adaptable, and capable of driving real business impact. Their longstanding understanding of our brand and proven track record across some of our most important milestones made them the right partners for this next chapter.”