Cannes Lions

Cannes Lions launch 'Branded Content & Entertainment' category

editor — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:29:23 -0800

Setting the benchmark for creative excellence in communications, the International Festival of Creativity – Cannes Lions – will reward creativity in branded content & entertainment, defined as the creation of, or natural integration into, original content by a brand. Avi Savar, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Big Fuel, a full-service global social media marketing and communications company based in New York that takes brands from content to commerce, will chair the inaugural Branded Content & Entertainment Lions jury.

The purpose of branded content and entertainment is to deliver marketing messages by engaging consumers via relevant content platforms rather than traditional advertising methods.

Entrants to the Branded Content & Entertainment Lions category will demonstrate how a brand has successfully worked independently or in association with a content producer or publisher to develop and create or co-create entertaining and engaging content for their audience. This could be either by creating original content or programming for a brand or by naturally integrating a brand into existing formats by partnering with a publisher or media partner.

Entries should demonstrate how consumer insight successfully integrated into original content drives audience engagement and creates synergy across paid, owned and earned media.

Entries to Branded Content & Entertainment Lions might leverage a single media channel, such as web video or broadcast, but may also use multiple platforms to deliver content to audiences across various channels, including: radio, magazines, books, gaming, music, video, mobile, social, community, blogs, experiential events, and more.

Since the use of branded content & entertainment differs from one country to another, entrants will be required to describe the current situation around branded content & entertainment in their country or the region where the campaign appeared, including any restrictions or regulations imposed by TV stations, broadcasting companies, government or other regulating body.

The first Branded Content & Entertainment Lions jury will be chaired by Avi Savar, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Big Fuel, who will lead nine branded content & entertainment experts from around the world. Avi launched Big Fuel, a pure-play social media agency designed for the needs of large brands, in 2004. What started as a one-man “branded content studio” has today grown into the largest social media agency in the world – with clients that include: T-Mobile, Sherton, Westin, Starwood Preferred Guest, The Children’s Place, Nurtisystem, Bacardi, Gore-Tex, Citi, Clorox, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Philips. In June 2011, Avi led Big Fuel to a successful acquisition by French media giant Publicis Groupe thus giving Big Fuel a global footprint and making it the most dominant social media agency worldwide.

Avi Savar has spent his professional career connecting with and motivating audiences through content. He has created highly stylised programming for companies such as USA Networks, Fox, USA, Columbia Tri-Star, and Showtime Networks. Prior to launching Big Fuel, Avi served as a Producer for ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ before being tapped to create and develop breakthrough entertainment-based programming for both MTV Networks and VH1.

"The International Festival of Creativity at Cannes is the premier advertising award show. I'm honoured and excited to participate and look forward to the celebration of branded content & entertainment as part of it," said Avi upon his appointment. "As Jury President I hope to guide the process in a way that will inspire people to create innovative and immersive content."

Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions commented, "Branded content & entertainment has become key to brand communication that creatively engages with consumers. Therefore to include it in Cannes Lions is important not only for the continued development of the Festival as a global celebration of creativity in communications, but to also give due recognition of the convergence of marketing and entertainment."

"We are delighted to count on the expertise of Avi Savar, an innovator whose work continues to influence the shape of brand communications, media and customer engagement, to guide and set the standard of this new category in its inaugural year," he continued.

The Branded Content & Entertainment Lions winners will be announced on Saturday 23 June, in Cannes, alongside the Film, Craft, Titanium and Integrated winners. Additional information on Branded Content & Entertainment Lions will be available when entries open on 26 January.

Branded Content & Entertainment, together with the already announced new Mobile Lions section, brings the total number of Cannes Lions awards categories to 15.

Cannes Lions announces Tham Khai Meng as 2012 film and press jury president

editor — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:23:22 -0800

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is pleased to announce that Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy & Mather, will head up both the Film and Press Juries at the 59th Festival, taking place in Cannes, France, 17-23 June 2012.

As stated by Advertising Age, Tham Khai Meng is considered 'one of the world's most influential people in the communications business'.

Making his mark at Leo Burnett London, he then progressed to Batey Ads where his work as creative director for Singapore Airlines is still regarded as a textbook case on brand building. He joined Ogilvy & Mather in 2000 as Regional Creative Director and Co-Chairman of its Asia Pacific network. The creative transformation he instituted led him to be named 'Creative Director of the Year' for seven years running by Campaign Brief Asia. Khai was inducted into the Campaign Brief Hall of Fame in 2008.

In 2009, Khai moved to New York to assume the duties of Worldwide Chief Creative Officer and Chairman of the Worldwide Creative Council at Ogilvy & Mather.

Khai has won every major advertising award, and the roster of accounts he has worked on represents a catalogue of the world's greatest brands, including American Express, Cadbury's, Coca-Cola, China Mobile, H. J. Heinz, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Kraft Foods, Mercedes-Benz, McDonald's, Toyota, The Economist, Unilever Dove and United Nations, among others.

Khai has chaired many jury panels including serving as a Cannes Lions juror on the Press and Outdoor Lions in 2003, the Press Lions in 2007, the Titanium & Integrated Lions in 2010, and as President of the Film, Print, Outdoor, Radio and Integrated juries for the Dubai International Advertising Festival in 2009. He has won countless awards and grands prix over the years from every major show including Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, the Clio Awards and London International Awards.

More recently, Khai’s counsel has been sought outside the industry. He has addressed the World Economic Forum (WEF), worked with the UN Secretary-General, and served on the Singapore Prime Minister's Economic Review Committee. He is a faculty member at Steinbeis University, Berlin, and a board member of Agencies in Action, a non-profit organisation that helps feed the hungry in New York City.

Commenting on his appointment Khai said, “Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is the preeminent standard bearer for creative distinction in our industry. I am deeply honoured to be invited to chair the Film and Press juries and I look forward to working with some of the world's foremost creatives. Our role is not only to champion industry ideals, but to celebrate the brave ones who have deployed the highest creativity in the service of business."

Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions, added, “Khai has been a big part of Cannes for a number of years now. Whether as a jury member, a speaker or simply picking up numerous Lions, his stature within the industry is undisputed. Chairing two juries is no easy task but Khai's dedication and experience will be invaluable in both leading the juries and finding the winners. We are delighted to welcome him on board again.”

Eurobest 2011 announces final juries: Craft and Integrated

editor — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:27:45 -0800

The Eurobest Advertising Festival, taking place from 28-30 November, has announced the last of its eight juries; Craft and Integrated. The jury members will come together in Lisbon to judge the best of European creativity and award the sought after Eurobest trophies.

The Craft Jury, made up of nine members, will be chaired by Daniel Bergmann, Managing Director of Stink UK. The Integrated Jury, which combines jury presidents and selected jury members from other categories, will see the president of the Film, Press, Outdoor and Radio Jury, Sergio Valente, President and Chief Executive Officer of DDB Brasil, heading it up.

Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions, organisers of Eurobest, commented, "We are delighted to welcome these final jury members on board who complete an already exceptional line-up of creative talent. We look forward to meeting them in Lisbon and setting to work on defining the best in European creative communications."

CRAFT JURY

Daniel Bergmann, Managing Director, Stink, UK – JURY PRESIDENT

Mitchel Elsen, Managing Partner, TRS, Belgium

Rogier Hesp, Director, Caviar, The Netherlands

Espen Horn, Executive Producer & Managing Director, Motion Blur, Norway

Gustav Johansson, Director, Camp David Film, Sweden

Celine Lescure, Senior Copywriter, Herezie Paris, France

Berna Parlak, Executive Producer, Zihin Açikliği Films, Turkey

Ole Peters, Creative Director & Partner, Sehsucht, Germany

Leonel Vieira, Director & Producer, StopLine Films, Portugal

INTEGRATED JURY

Sergio Valente, President & Chief Executive Officer, DDB Brasil, Brazil – JURY PRESIDENT

Dagan Cohen, Executive Creative Director, Draftfcb, The Netherlands

Tom Eslinger, Worldwide Digital Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi, Global

David Gallagher, President Europe, Ketchum Pleon, Europe

Tim Greenhalgh, Chief Creative Officer, FITCH, UK

Marco Rimini, Worldwide Head of Communications Planning, Mindshare, Global

Adrian Botan, Creative Partner, McCann Erickson, Romania

Roy Cohen, Executive Creative Director, Shalmor Avnon Amichay/Y&R, Israel

Mick Mahoney, Executive Creative Director, Euro RSCG London, UK

Andreas Ullenius, Executive Creative Director, Åkestam Holst, Sweden

The full Festival Programme is now online at www.eurobest.com where further information about the Festival, Awards and dedicated networking events along with details of how to attend as a delegate can also be found.

Eurobest announces jury line-up for Interactive, Mobile, Media and Design categories

editor — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:41:26 -0700

Eurobest, Europe’s leading awards and annual event for creative advertising and communications, has today announced the names for three out of the eight juries; Interactive and Mobile, Media and Design.

The jury members will come together in Lisbon, the host city for this year’s Festival, to debate and deliberate over the best of European advertising and communications and award deserving entries with a much sought after Eurobest trophy. Each jury will be presided over by a dedicated president: Tom Eslinger, Digital Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide will chair the Interactive and Mobile Jury; Marco Rimini, Leader, Business Planning for Mindshare Worldwide will lead the Media Jury; and heading up the Design Jury is Tim Greenhalgh, Chief Creative Officer of FITCH.

Commenting on the juries, Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions, organisers of Eurobest, said, "At a time when the industry in Europe is having to hold its own against emerging regions and countries, it's crucial that Eurobest stands as a testament to European creativity by awarding work that is genuinely deserving. These jury members have all proved themselves to be of award-winning calibre and will now use their knowledge and skills to decipher which entries stand out enough to walk away with a trophy. It is great to have them all on board."

INTERACTIVE AND MOBILE JURY

Tom Eslinger, Worldwide Digital Creative Director, Saatchi and Saatchi, Global – JURY PRESIDENT

Antonia Tritthart, Chief Creative Officer, Traktor, Austria

Xavier Bouillon, Creative Director, Emakina Brussels, Belgium

Balder Olrik, Inventor, Inventors Of, Denmark

Christophe Clapier, Creative Director, BETC Euro RSCG, France

Carsten Bolk, Executive Creative Director, BBDO Proximity, Germany

Nick Bailey, Executive Creative Director, AKQA Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Rui Vieira, Creative Director, Fullsix, Portugal

Grigoriy Sorokin, Interactive Creative Director, Leo Burnett Moscow, Russia

Pablo Dachefsky, Creative Director, Nurun, Spain

Adam Ulvegärde, Creative Director, Forsman & Bodenfors, Sweden

Laura Jordan Bambach, Executive Creative Director, LBi, UK

MEDIA JURY

Marco Rimini, Worldwide Head of Communications Planning, Mindshare, Global – JURY PRESIDENT

Hugues Rey, Chief Operating Officer, Havas Media, Belgium

Philippe Lasne, Managing Director, PHD, France

Reiner Schmitt, Managing Director, MediaCom, Germany

Ilana Monka Goldstein, Vice President, Union Media, Israel

Luis Mergulhão, Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Media Group, Portugal

Susana Coma, Managing Director, Optimedia Barcelona, Spain

Helena Westin, Director & Partner, Tre Kronor Media & Advertising, Sweden

Simone Doehring, Managing Director, Vizeum, Switzerland

Nathalie Peters, Managing Director, Mediabrands, The Netherlands

Ben Collins, Digital Media Director G14, Initiative, UK

DESIGN JURY

Tim Greenhalgh, Chief Creative Officer, FITCH, UK – JURY PRESIDENT

Francesco Bestagno, Creative Director, Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann, Austria

Franck Sarfati, Creative Director, Sign*, Belgium

Jakob Blom, Founder, Allright Agency, Denmark

Anu Igoni, Creative Director & Partner, Bob Helsinki, Finland

Olivier Dognon, Creative Director, Team Creatif, France

Florian Grimm, Creative Director, Grimm, Gallun, Holtappels, Germany

Richard Gorodecky, Executive Creative Director, Amsterdam World, The Netherlands

Pedro Albuquerque, Designer & Partner, Albuquerque Design, Portugal

Nina Granath, Graphic Designer/Art Director, Stockholm Design Lab, Sweden

Cannes Lions withdraws two lions won by Moma Propaganda Brazil

editor — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:54:58 -0700

Following discussions between the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Moma Propaganda São Paulo, Brazil, the organisers of the Festival are withdrawing both the Silver Lion won in the Press category and the Bronze Lion won in Outdoor awarded for the Kia Motors air conditioning dual zone campaign ‘Teacher’ and ‘Princess’.

Commenting on the withdrawal, Philip Thomas, Festival CEO said: "The Cannes Lions rules state clearly that if requested, proof must be provided that campaigns ran and were legitimately created for a fee-paying client. Despite many conversations, Moma Propaganda have not provided the proof we require and therefore the Lions have been withdrawn."

"In addition, as stated in our terms and conditions, we reserve the right to take further action against individuals listed on the credits who cannot prove the veracity of the entries to our satisfaction. On this occasion, a decision has been made to ban any work created by those credited on the entry for one year. Therefore entries will not be accepted from these individuals for the 2012 Cannes Lions Festival," added Philip Thomas.

Brand Protection Group | FAKE IT ALL

editor — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:31:29 -0700

Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett Beirut
Chief Creative Officer: Bechara Mouzannar
Deputy Managing Director: Nada Abi Saleh

read more

Cannes Creative Leaders Programme achieves notable success

editor — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:54:02 -0700

The Cannes Creative Leaders Programme will once again take place in June following the success of last year’s programme and participants’ triumphant achievements.

"Our first-ever Cannes Creative Leaders Program in 2010 was not only a success in Berlin and Cannes for those who came, it was a success afterwards for the participants too," says Clark Parsons, Managing Director of the Berlin School.

"One participant used the strategy he developed in the program to merge three companies and form Africa's largest digital agency. Another used his improved leadership skills to head a team that won a huge new global account for his agency. And another is now a member of a Cannes Lions jury just one year later. We're excited about partnering with Cannes Lions for another year of this special program that helps develop leadership skills and strategies, and we look forward to two weeks of high-impact insights and inspiration."

During the first week, participants will be based at the Berlin School, Germany, one of the world's leading creative training institutions, which has built a global reputation with its innovative Executive MBA programme to help creative industry executives lead for excellence in their organisations. There they will engage in six days of intensive training from Berlin School professors, studying real-world aspects of current advertising and other industry leadership and organisational practice through lectures, interactive case discussions, and small group exercises.

In the second week, participants will relocate to Cannes, France, as Festival delegates where the course continues with bespoke sessions, group projects, exclusive lectures as well as the use of the Cannes Lions incredible array of workshops, master-classes and seminars. All facilities of the full week in Cannes will be available to the participants, including all Festival content, exhibitions, screenings, award shows and galas.

Three bursaries for the 2011 Cannes Creative Leaders Programme have been awarded to professionals working in the industry based in one of the 158 countries that have never previously won a Cannes Gold Lion. They have been granted to:

Anabelle Vargas (29), Account Executive, Intermedia Group BTL, Ecuador

Akinpelu "Akin" Adesola (40), Creative Director, Lowe Lintas Lagos, Nigeria

Patrick Tom (45), Executive Creative Director, TBWAVietnam, Vietnam

Selected from more than 30 applicants, Annabelle Varga, Akinpelu Adesola and Patrick Tom will enjoy a complimentary place on the 2nd Cannes Creative Leaders Programme joining fellow participants on the two-week module taking place in Berlin and Cannes in June 2011.

"Building on the successful launch of the Cannes Creative Leadership Programme last year, we are delighted to see an equally great response to both the programme and bursaries on offer this year. The successful three candidates will benefit from the unique and incredible opportunity that this two-week programme offers in taking their creative leadership skills to greater heights," comments Philip Thomas, Cannes Lions CEO.

There are a few spaces left for this year’s Cannes Creatives Leaders Programme which costs €7950, and includes all tuition fees over the two weeks, a Cannes Lions full week delegate registration and lunches. Flights, accommodation, incidentals and other meals are not included. Class size is circa 30 places.

Coca-Cola Egypt honoured with Dubai Lynx 2011 Advertiser of the Year Award

editor — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:46:00 -0700

The prestigious Dubai Lynx Advertiser of the Year Award is presented to advertisers in the MENA region who have distinguished themselves for inspiring innovative marketing of their products and who embrace and encourage the creative work produced by their agencies. This year the organisers of the Dubai International Advertising Festival are pleased to present this honour to Coca-Cola Egypt.

A global brand using a local voice, Coca-Cola Egypt has expertly understood and embraced the unique cultural and marketing conditions of the country, creating an alliance with its consumers.

Since the launch of Dubai Lynx, Coca-Cola Egypt has won a total of eight Dubai Lynx Awards across several categories, including two Grands Prix:

2010. Film Gold (Burger Shop, Taxi, Grocer), Film Silver (Jason, Twins, Bees), Integrated Grand Prix (89 Fans From 89)

2009. Film Grand Prix (France, Italy, German, Spain), Media Silver (A Touring Ovation), Media Bronze (A Touring Ovation)

2008. Film Gold (The Angry, The Emotional, The Pessimists, The Optimists, The Experts, The Wannabes, The Idiots, The Yuppies, Every Time We Score), Film Silver (Goatee)

“A leader in creativity, Coca-Cola Egypt has innovatively used the power of its brand across different media platforms to connect with its consumers at different levels. From its Fifa World Cup and football sponsorship, environmental related advertising such as Red Sea and Earth Hour national campaigns through to community and health initiatives, including the HIV/AIDS media awareness campaign, Coca-Cola Egypt has embraced the creative output of its agencies and is an inspiration to other brands,” says Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions who with Motivate Publishing are joint organisers of the Festival.

The award will be presented to Ahmed Nazmy, Head of Marketing and Strategy, Coca-Cola Egypt Franchise, Omar Mandour, General Manager, Coca-Cola Egypt Franchise, and Nabil Kouchouk, Colas Manager, Egypt Franchise, during the Dubai Lynx awards ceremony at The Madinat Arena, Dubai, on 30 March.

Ahmed Nazmy comments: “Creativity is a result of certain inspiration and you have 85 million consumers inspiring you every minute of the day, the results of which are exceptional. As such, we are truly delighted to be honoured with this year’s Dubai Lynx Advertiser of the Year Award.”

The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Egypt is the sole bottler for Egypt and operates nine bottling plants throughout the country, employing 11,494 staff to produce 13 brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Light, Fanta, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Dasani, Burn, Schweppes, Hi-Spot, Sport Cola, Crush and Schweppes Gold. For every job created at Coca-Cola, a further ten jobs are created in the wider Egyptian economy as a result of local sourcing as well as supply and distribution linkages.

Maintaining its commitment to building sustainable communities, Coca-Cola Egypt invests and is focused on initiatives that protect the country’s environment and enhances the development of communities by working on numerous developments to improve the wellbeing of the Egyptian people.

YouTube and Cannes Lions launch 'Good Work' to match Creatives with non-profits

editor — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 10:15:19 -0700

YouTube and the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity have today announced the launch of ‘Good Work’, a partnership designed to bring together the transformational power of creative minds, with the issues that need them most.

YouTube and Cannes Lions have collaborated with creative agency Ralph, to create a YouTube Channel designed around ‘the blank page’ concept. It showcases briefs from non-profit organisations worldwide seeking creative support to increase the public’s engagement with the critical issues they address.

Using their global reach, YouTube and Cannes Lions will now issue a call-to-arms to creatives around the world. Creative people from any industry are invited to submit a one-minute (or less) video ad to address one or more of the non-profit briefs.

A panel of expert judges, chaired by Craig Davis, Chief Creative Officer Publicis Mojo and founder of the world’s first brand-centric social media platform, Brandkarma, will shortlist the most powerful ideas, and winners will be invited to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June to meet the non-profit heads and showcase their work.

How Good Work will work:

Creatives can today access youtube.com/goodwork where they can view briefs from around the world

Creatives will have six weeks to create and upload their video ads of maximum 60 seconds duration. The deadline is 23:59 GMT on 9 May 2011

In May, the most groundbreaking videos will be shortlisted by a jury of leading creative directors

At the beginning of June, Good Work jury chair Craig Davis will review the shortlisted submissions and identify five outstanding submissions

The winners will be invited to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June 2011

The winners and Craig Davis will participate in the Good Work Seminar at the 58th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to discuss how creative minds can positively impact today’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges

Beyond the Festival, YouTube and Cannes Lions plan to establish ‘Good Work’ as a platform to connect creatives with non-profits on an ongoing basis.

Craig Davis, the Jury Chair of ‘Good Work’, said: “As a global creative community, some of our most potent work tackles issues that severely challenge humankind. At our best, we attract attention, shift attitudes, and motivate behavioural change; with the world facing more complex and confounding problems than ever before, there is a need for creative minds to solve them.

Congratulations to YouTube on recognising its potential as a platform for mass collaboration, and on initiating this project. I’m proud and excited to help make it happen.”

Anna Bateson, Director of YouTube Marketing, EMEA, said: “‘There are many not-for-profits lacking the resources to elevate their campaigns and reach new audiences and there are many creatives willing to dedicate their time to worthy causes without knowing where to begin. ‘Good Work’ can help bridge this gap. Using video in its many different forms is such a powerful way for non-profits to communicate. YouTube’s audience can also be a big part of the solution.”

Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions, said: “We are delighted to be joining forces again with YouTube to launch ‘Good Work’, a global competition and an exciting opportunity for creatives around the world to showcase some brilliant ideas that will benefit non-for-profit organisations. Creativity is the very essence of what the Cannes Lions Festival is all about and so to be able to offer a global creative platform for such a worthy cause is an enormous privilege.”

Chris Hassell, Creative Director of Ralph, said: "It's been a pleasure to work with the team at YouTube and Cannes Lions to develop such an exciting and inspiring project on the most far-reaching, and exciting video platform in the world. We look forward to seeing the great work from creatives and the results it achieves for the NPOs."

HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum honoured with Dubai Lynx 2011 Advertising Person of the Year Award

editor — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:55:17 -0700

The Dubai International Advertising Festival is proud to announce that His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline & Group, who has been instrumental in establishing the company as a global brand, will be presented with the prestigious 2011 Dubai Lynx Advertising Person of the Year Award.

The Advertising Person of the Year Award honours someone who by their efforts, energy and dedication, has lifted the presence and profile of the region within the international advertising, marketing and communications community. Through effective and creative marketing as well as a commitment to sporting sponsorship, Sheikh Ahmed has kept Emirates at the forefront of the airline industry.

Sheikh Ahmed embarked upon his career in the aviation industry in 1985 when he was appointed President of Dubai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), the same year that Emirates Airline was launched and he was appointed its Chairman. In September of that year, Emirates introduced its launch advertising campaign.

Under his leadership Emirates has grown from being a regional airline with just two leased aircraft and three destinations, becoming the third largest airline in the world with a fleet of 152 aircraft, flying to 111 destinations across six continents. Emirates are today the world’s fastest growing intercontinental carrier. In recent years, its ad campaigns have won three Dubai Lynx awards and three Cannes Lions, amongst many other awards. Sheikh Ahmed’s efforts towards the development and brand marketing of Emirates Airline have also greatly contributed to Dubai being the region’s top leisure destination.

“His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum is a great believer in the power of building relationships and connecting Emirates Airline with people through creative and successful marketing communications as well as through regional and international sports sponsorship,” says Philip Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the Dubai International Advertising Festival, who with Motivate Publishing are joint organisers of the festival. “Under his leadership and guidance, not only has he made Emirates into a dominant global brand, but also helped put Dubai on the map.”

“At Emirates we have always recognised the fundamental role that classic communication techniques, like advertising, play in our marketing mix. Advertising enables us to strategically target our audience based on the type of media that they consume, allowing us to isolate specific target groups for any given campaign,” comments Sheikh Ahmed.

“In addition to advertising we employ a robust mix of classic and contemporary marketing disciplines to engage our customers around the globe. Utilising these practices such as sponsorship, events, public relations and advertising we have been able to move the Emirates brand from a locally known enterprise, to an international powerhouse.

Finding the right balance of marketing techniques requires a strong and dedicated team and this award recognises the dedication of our highly skilled Corporate Communications division at Emirates.”

HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum will be honoured during the Dubai Lynx Awards Ceremony and Dinner to be held on 30 March at the Madinat Jumeirah Arena in Dubai.

Joseph Ghossoub, President and CEO of MENACOM (formally The Holding Group); Tanvir Kanji, Head of Inca Tanvir and Ramzi Raad, Chairman & CEO of TBWARAAD Middle East, have been previous recipients of this honour.