Standard Chartered Bank Corporate Ad

Standard Chartered’s corporate ad has an interesting visual…could it have been more dramatic?

Dan the Gardener gets topical

Dan the Gardener ads have been regular on Dubai’s free newspaper 7Days.ae. You might like it or hate it but it’s there…so do tell us what you think of them?

Illume Light Bulbs - An ecological proposition

In these days of global environment deterioration, I think energy conservation in an y form is welcome. I hope these Illume bulbs live up to their stylish advertisements:

Dubai Lynx Awards - One of the Juror's experience

http://thebigwon.com/2008/04/10/a-million-fakes-and-a-couple-of-genuine-winners/

10 April 2008
A million fakes and a couple of genuine winners

Dave King, Executive Creative Director at AIM Proximity Auckland, describes his time as a juror at the 2008 Dubai Lynx Awards.

A million fake watches, a bar full of dodgy women and some very nice ideas. Definitely not what I expected to find at this year’s Dubai Lynx advertising festival.

To be honest, when Terry Savage, Chairman of Cannes Lions asked me if I wanted to judge Cannes’ sister show, the Lynx Awards, I had to admit I’d never heard of ‘em. “The major show for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) mate. It’s a cracker!” he said. And after guaranteeing he’d show me a great time, I eagerly agreed. Thank God I did.

Judging international shows is always rewarding. As well as getting you thinking about what it is that differentiates really good work from great work, it also gets you debating the same with a bunch of world class creatives. And, I have to say, the interactive and direct panel I was on was one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of being with, not only while judging, but also while enjoying the many delights of Dubai. Being the perfect size, just 9 people, our panel debated and argued and discussed but always respected what the others had to say. More importantly, we were also able to be flexible and widen the goal posts when we needed to. Let me explain.

Read the rest here

See the Dubai Lynx 2008 Award winning works online!

Dubai Lynx 2008 Winners

Emirates Environmental Group & on Pro Bono work

I picked up a copy of 'Signature' - the Diners Club mag from the post office (a lot of magazines, newsletters, trade journals are discarded here)...I just pick up what interests me, being a bit of an info freak:)

Found some interesting environment conservation ads from the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG).

Back in 1998, when I had arrived in Dubai and was working in the advertising division of a company, we had paid a visit the EEG office in the Crown Plaza building on Shk. Zayed Road. We offered our services to Ms. Habiba Al Marashi , the founder and chairperson of the group. Quite a nice lady doing voluntary work. She told us how she had started and was quite impressed with our portfolio and asked us to drop by often and help out in the projects Those were their still growing days..now I think they are a big organisation.

When applying for a job in the creative department of an ad agency, normally social service ads that you might have created (pro bono work) is not a yardstick by which your talent is measured. Your idea generating capabilities for actual products provide a better clue on whether you'll make a good art director or copywriter. I think I read this in "Squeeze this, Mr. Whipple!". Correct me if I'm wrong!

I won my first ad contest in school by directing a social advertisement "Change the World", enacted to the background score of "Where Eagles Dare"...more about this in a separate post on my personal portfolio blog.

4th Dubai International Film Festival

Creative visual idea - film industry tools forming the Burj Al Arab - Dubai's landmark 7-star luxury icon.



Emirates Today, 30 Oct 2007

Teaser - Sawaeed Employment

Hmmm...

Print Campaign - Barclays Bank

In an earlier post, I had mentioned how advertsing textbooks cite animals as attention catching devices...Barclays Bank follows the text-book route.

Print Campaign - Arwa Bottled Drinking Water

A daily dose of laughter
And lotsa bottles of water
Will make you healthy, wealthy and smarter!

Print Campaign - Monster.com

Job seekers are in a predicament
They shake their heads in bewilderment
Is the answer 'online recruitment'?

Print Campaign - TheOne Home Furnishing

Neo asked the Oracle, Am I TheOne?
Said the Oracle to Neo, Sorry son...
It can only be Thomas Lundgren.


There was much ado about TheOne's challenge thrown to advertising agencies in the UAE to try and win its account (the CEO wanted the agencies to pitch him through a music video). The firebrand founder and CE(motional) Officer - Thomas Lundgren wanted something 'out of this world' and finally I think it was Lowe MENA that won). The ads appear in pairs weekly once:

Print Campaign - HSBC Bank

Loans and stones
May break my bones
But your ads can't hurt me!

Teaser - Nabeel Perfumes

Some interesting print ads - Find the odd ones out;)

Du - We wait for something

A lot of smoke (and fire too) on Smoking!

Smoking is being banned in all public places by Dubai Municipality....more on that here.
And also since May 31 was World No Tobacco Day, there were a flurry of ads in UAE print. A few of them are reproduced below:

The Dubai Municipality & WHO ad:



One that takes on the Marlboro brand of advertising:




Here's one with long copy:




Here's a topsy-turvy one: 






Another one, a clever image play:

Interesting print ads

1) How SMBs become MNCs...isn't that a wrong usage of the apostrophe in the headline or am I missing something...please leave a comment.



2)




3) Schon Properties - At last a property ad that talks to the common man and his accommodation problems


4) Bur Juman Mall

Universal Studios Theme Park in Dubai!

Downtown Jebel Ali - Print Campaign

Credit Card Ads

Ikea Print campaign

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank "INsmallMENT" Print Ad

In a text book of advertising...I think it was "The Creative Connection - Advertising, Copywriting and Idea Visualization" which I had read when doing my Visual Communication degree, had outlined different categories of visuals that would trigger the first 'A' in AIDA (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action)....Babies, Animals...(for the rest of the list you'll have to get the book...my copy was borrowed and never returned).

The Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank ad below employs animal visuals to illustrate their concept of "small installments to reduce our problems".



What do you think?

Gulf News Print Campaign

I was wondering how the Gulf News ad campaign was going to extend its theme to a third ad and they've pulled it off...now waiting for the fourth, fifth and sixth :-).

Commercial Heights - Tanmiyat Properties - Print Campaign

Savana - Flavoured Mineral Water Print campaign

Hmm...at first glance I mistook this for a desginer wear ad...then I saw their tagline "The coolest water".

Interesting print ads for magazines

Interesting May print ads

1) DHL



2) Sahara Mall, Sharjah

Interesting ads from the Friday magazine

Friday mag, Gulf News, May 4

Brands - Teaser Print campaign

Du Discount for Business Print Campaign

Interesting visual theme.

Arab Bank Print Campaign

Full Page ads. Usual corporatese...design/visual wise.

Gulf News Print Campaign - 'Makes you think"

Visual twist complemented by a straight line 'Makes you think'.

May 4, GN


May 5, GN

Madinat Jumeirah & Mastercard

Interesting visual twist.

[UAE Creative Blog] Yvan C Goudard

We had earlier posted about creative Yvan who was a UAE newbie after a stint in Jeddah. He has got back recently about the progress he has made in the UAE. Some of his work done here is dsplayed below. His blog has been added to our UAE Creatives blogroll.

1) Burger King - The longest burger



2) National Bank of Dubai Credit Cards - Free MP3 player with NBD credit card




3) Gulf News - Could our love for sport go ever too far?




4) Ski Dubai - Leave it all behind

Iris Developers Corporate Campaign - What do they deliver?

7Days, 3 April 07


7Days, 3 April 07


7Days, 3 April 07

Mashreq Bank - Corporate Print Campaign

Mashreq Bank tries the testimonial approach to bag more corporate business:

Gulf News, 27 March 2007

IDAMA Property Management - Print Campaign

So what do you do when you have invested in properties in the UAE? You'll need a property management services and here is one and their corporate campaign.

Emirates Today, 27 March 2007


Emirates Today, 29 March 2007

Dubai Lagoons

Getting tired of all those 'run-of-the-mill' property and real estate advertisements riding the construction and real estate boom in the UAE? Here's a campaign from Dubai Lagoons that tries a more down-to-earth communication route and rationale.

7 Days, 1 Apr 07


7Days, 29 Mar 07


7Days, 27 Mar 07