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FOUNDER
Walid S. Azzi
EDITOR
Ghada Azzi ghada@arabadmag.com
SENIOR EDITOR
Iain Akerman Iain@arabadmag.com
PR MANAGER
Rim Azzi Dickinson rim.azzi@arabadmag.com
EDITORIAL DESIGN
Marielle Haber marielle@arabadmag.com
BUSINESS DIRECTOR
Shaheen Azzi
shaheen.azzi@arabadmag.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Christina Fakhry, Roger Halaby, John Tschohl, Dolly Saidy
There is nothing typical about the times we are living in. There is nothing typical about the war on Gaza. Every war is ugly. This war is beyond ugly. There is nothing typical about 15,000 children whose death is being live streamed. And there is nothing typical about our silence. There is a popular phrase that says: ”the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Two themes, if you can call them that, run through much of this issue – Gaza and purpose. They simultaneously contradict each other.
There are those who believe that brands and their agencies should play a far greater role in society by contributing to positive social change. In other words, they should be a distinctive force for good rather than a pure generator of profit. Advertising plays a big role in this.
Moreover, in a year of fierce debates about the value of ‘purpose’ in advertising, we ought to wonder why has the industry remained shockingly silent on Gaza? Why has the promise of a just and diverse world evaporated into thin air?
Ad people have the opportunity to be the heroes of tomorrow, the heroes of the corporate world. There is no Switzerland in this. How a calling for peace can be harmful? To not support that will be a reflection of our values, and humanity. Anyone with an ounce of integrity will look at the industry and question its moral compass.
And what about the power of transformation that sits at the heart of our industry? What makes it freeze this way when it comes to voicing concern about this conflict?
The threat of retribution is real, of course. Just look at Google. Just look anywhere that people have spoken out in defense of the Palestinians. They have been fired, cancelled, gaslit. Does this mean we collectively – as an industry – sit back and watch? No. Thankfully there are those who have made a stand and continue to do so. Everyone else? Well, fear keeps them silent. But also there are those who believe that purpose is a shortcut to awards recognition, not a defining characteristic that somebody should live by.
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Talking about awards, this issue emphasises the importance of creative shows in a time where awards season is in full swing. We took a deep dive into agencies’ creative kitchen to see what is it made of, as we talked to some of the best creative leaders in the GCC on what it takes to win, their passion for creating standout work in this region, and the importance of multiculturalism in agencies. They come from diverse horizons. They trace their professional trajectory— where they grew up and how they landed in the GCC. Cultural diversity and creativity will always be intrinsically linked or so we are told: the landscape may be different but magic does happen when diversity and creativity combine.
On another front, play rewind and take a closer look at this year’s Dubai Lynx; you may also explore the manifold advertising shows shaping the global creative business.
We have it all and more in this issue and we hope you enjoy the read!
Ghada W. Azzi
