MIDDLE EAST
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
www.mediaw.mediaweeeekme.ceekmekmmee..cocoomm Issue 003030
UNSUNG HEROES BE PREPBE PREPARED ARED WHEN MUM’S
OF THE MEDIA FOR EXPOR EXPANSIONANSION THE WORD
From billboard fixers to Why BE International’Why BE International’s A look at how adverts
newspaper delivery staff, Shadi Bteddini will be hadi Bteddini will be exploit the fact that it’s
we meet the industry’s spending even more pending even more the mothers who hold
front-line workers time travelling me travelling the purse strings
PRAY IT’S NOT p12 p16p16 p18
High hopes
for JWT boss
SUMMER ALREADY
New managing director Rabi’ Sweidan says he has been
appointed to grow business, not wield the axe
By PAUL McLENNAN office is looking in good shape. when there’s not much in the
DUBAI Rabi’ Sweidan, the “We are in a very healthy situ- way of growth. Before it was WITH TEMPERATURES nudging 42 degrees last weekend,
newly appointed managing ation and our organisation is easy, but growing in times such
director of JWT Dubai, says he quite lean,” he says. “We will as these will be challenging. We
has been brought in to grow have to expand the business but cannot afford to do what people
the business—not to oversee how do you do that in the curPUT CO- did before, which was to go rVERun-
rounds of redundancies. rent crisis? It could mean open- ning after everything. Instead
Speaking exclusively to Me- ing a new office, and when the we must be more choosy about newcomers from cooler climbs would think it’s not so much
dia Week, the former worldwide opportunity comes then that how we focus our growth.”
account director of Saatchi and will happen, but at this stage it’s The overall goal for Sweidan
Saatchi Paris says, “I’ve not sustainable growth we are look- is to raise the level of creativity
been made the axe man. I’ve ing at. I’m talking about grow- and competitiveness at JWT, so
been brought in to improve the ing what we offer to clients.” that the agency stands out from summer as the first circle of Hell. One such person may be Rabi
quality of our offering and I will Prior to joining JWT as man- the others within the region.
do whatever it takes to make aging director, Sweidan spent “This is about taking JWT to
that happen.” 17 years with Saatchi & Saatchi where we want to be,” he says.
Sweidan says a number of in cities across the globe, in- “Rather than just the region, we
redundancies—some volun- cluding Paris, Frankfurt and want to be competing with the Sweidan, moving here from Paris to join JWT Dubai (see cover
tary—were recently made as Sydney. “This is my first assign- world and with the kind of work
part of a “mild reorganisation”. ment outside Saatchi,” he says. you see coming out of Latin
And now, the Beirut-born Aus- “The biggest challenge will be America and Asia. Our bench-
tralian believes JWT’s Dubai managing an agency in a time mark will be higher.”
story). We welcome him to this unusual city and wish him all the
Hohmann named the ‘Big Won’ in awards rankings
MIDDLE EAST Memac Ogilvy director, although organisers emony organised by The One York, the event had only one
Dubai’s Till Hohmann (pictured) were last week deciding wheth- Club in New York. The agency UAE finalist, JWT Dubai, which
has been ranked the world’s er to demote him following the picked up the gong for its Yel- was nominated for its Nicola Fi- best (wait until July—that’s hot.)
number one executive creative ‘fake ads’ controversy at this low Pages “Colours of Life” ads. netti print campaign.
director by The Big Won, which year’s Dubai Lynx Awards. The One Club also organises
lists agencies on the number of Meanwhile, Grey Dubai The One Show international
awards they have won. clinched Silver in the Outdoor ad awards bash—renowned
FP7 Doha’s Fadi Yaish was Campaign category at One as having tougher criteria than We’re glad it’s not yet summer as the peak months of heat see
ranked number one creative Show Design, an awards cer- Cannes Lions. Also held in New
business cool off to a trickle. For the time being, business is being
www.flipcorp.com
done, so for the feature this week (p.12) we focus on those people
who keep the media industry rolling—the foot soldiers who drive
vans, put up posters and complete the thousands of tasks that
Publisher Ashley Rees
ensure your clients’ customers receive clear signals, notice new
ashley.rees@engworldwide.com ads, interact with ambient campaigns and hear as much about
Ashley Rees, publisher
MIDDLE EAST
your clients as possible.
Editorial
Editor
Dubai, as most of us know, has taken a thrashing in the
Ben Flanagan
ben.flanagan@engworldwide.com
international press. This week 7DAYS chief operating officer
News editor Paul McLennan Steve Lee tells us why Dubai has had the spotlight turned on
paul.mclennan@engworldwide.com
it (Opinion, p.11). We all have our views on this, of course, but
News writer Charlie Neyra
charlie.neyra@engworldwide.com
many see the city as a temporary home and disregard the bad PR
Senior sub-editor Sarah Harvey
in much the same way as they would poor advertising.
sarah.harvey@engworldwide.com
If you’re one of those people, and you have your job, then your
Sub-editor Chloe Barrow
chloe.barrow@engworldwide.com
concerns are few, but we can still help improve your time—head
to Digital Week (p.21) to find gadgets and a viral that will keep
Creative you amused all through the coming quiet months. Horticultural
Head of design Roy Cruz
perfection is not normally a Media Week topic, but trust me, it
Senior designer Freddie Colinares
was worth the wait.
Designer Sherwin Darilag
Designer Ali Arellano
Designer Maricel Poso
Head of photography Mosh Lafuente
Production
Production manager Maher Mahbouby
maher.mahbouby@engworldwide.com
Senior production executive Issam Ghanem
issam.ghanem@engworldwide.com
Production executive Sadish Kottodi
p04 p09 p11
sadish.kottodi@engworldwide.com
Circulation
Circulation manager John Jose
john.jose@engworldwide.com
Marketing
Marketing manager Shaik Shibli
shaik.shibli@engworldwide.com
Advertising & Sales
Commercial manager Tanya Sharp
tanya.sharp@engworldwide.com
+971 50 633 6284
Management
p12 p20
Group editor Graham Stacey
Publishing director Mike Orlov
Managing director Neil Petch
Group CEO Rehan Merchant
Chairman Hanif Merchant
p18
The Publisher does not accept any liability for errors or
inaccuracies contained in this publication, however caused. p21
The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those
of the Publisher. Information contained in this publication
is intended for general use and readers are advised to seek
specialist information before acting upon any information
enclosed herein. No part of this publication or any part of
its contents may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form,
without the express permission of the Publisher in writing.
The only exemption to this is for extracts used for the
purpose of fair review.
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part of ENG Media, a division of
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p25
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© 2009
Registered in Creative City, operated by Fujairah Media
NEWS 04 MARKETING WEEK 20
Controlled Distribution Blue Truck
Printed by Al Ghurair Printing Press
OPINION 11 DIGITAL WEEK 21
BPA Applied for September 2008
FEATURE 12 MEDIA WEEK 23
PROFILE 16 SHOWCASE 25
THE NINE 18 THE BLOTTER 30
10 MAY 2009 / 03
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