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Creativity and advertising in the UAE - The important role young creatives play May 25, 2007

Posted by Farrukh Naeem at copywriterjournalist.com in : AGA, Advertising, Advertising Awards, Advertising in Dubai, Advertising in the UAE, Apple, Arabian Gulf Advertising, Bilal Kerbaj, Cannes Lions 2008, Copywriting, Farrukh Naeem, International Advertising Association (IAA), Journalism, Keshav Naidu, Marketing, Sheetal Rajan, Shiva Kumar Thekkepat, Team Y&R , 4 comments

Keeping you posted on the latest advertising, marketing and creativity trends in the UAE and worldwide, I’d like to recommend today’s Gulf News Friday article by the senior journalist Shiva Kumar Thekkepat.

The report is in the light of the recently concluded Cannes Lions Young Creatives 2007 competition, which pits the wits of young agency creatives under 28 years for a chance to represent their agency and country at the global level.

The global Gold winners will enjoy a full delegate registration to Cannes Lions 2008, including hotel accommodation courtesy of the Festival, and many other goodies, like an Apple iPod!

The winning work is made available to a real client, usually a non-profit/charity organisation.

In the Gulf News article, Shiva talks to Sheetal Rajan and Bilal Kerbaj of Arabian Gulf Advertising (AGA) Dubai who won Gold and Keshav Naidu and Umran Shaikh of Team Y&R, Dubai who won Silver.

And a little surprise - you’d see your favourite ad blogger in the feature too. I shared views on the importance of encouraging young talent. And the days when agencies here in the UAE insisted on only talking to people with ‘minimum 10 years of experience’. And what global creative bigwigs who were here during Dubai Lynx said about our standards of creativity.

Also, why I respect creative people in the Middle East because I believe we try harder (think the legendary ‘We Try Harder‘ campaign). Like when we get a brief to promote skin care without showing any skin. And sell lingerie but stay clear of any product shot. Well, you get the picture ;-)
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Farrukh Naeem, copywriter and journalist, talks to Shiva Kumar Thekkepat of Gulf News on advertising and creativity in the UAETechnorati Tags:
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Apple Macintosh’s legendary ‘Think Different’ campaign by TBWA Chiat/Day: A dream ad for any creative copywriter

Posted by Farrukh Naeem at copywriterjournalist.com in : Advertising, Advertising Awards, Apple, Apple Advertising, Copywriting, Farrukh Naeem, Freelance Journalist, Jennifer Golub, Jessica Schulman, Lee Clow, Marketing, Richard Branson, TBWA, TBWA\Chiat\Day, TV commercial , 10 comments

For me as an advertising copywriter in Dubai, UAE, it’s good to benchmark with ads that have made a global impact. What is the stuff that memorable ads are made of?

One campaign that remains etched in my memory and gives me the I-wish-I’d-done-that feeling is Apple Macintosh’s ‘Think Different‘.

The personalities that the campaign featured were the ‘crazy ones’, who zigged when others zagged. The campaign theme ‘Think Different’ itself is a rule-breaker, as my fellow copywriters will notice. Here’s what the script of Apple’s legendary ad spot said…

Here’s to the crazy ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.


They’re not fond of rules.

And they have no respect for the status quo.


You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.

They push the human race forward.And while some see them as the crazy ones,
  we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think
that they can change the world… are the ones who do.

The ‘Think Different’ campaign featured many people whose lives and thoughts I find inspiring - Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Mohammed Ali and Richard Branson whose autobiography I am reading these days.

This is what I am talking about:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KreJkItCk4E] 

Some of the people from TBWA\Chiat\Day who made this award-winning ad campaign happen - Lee Clow, Chief Creative Officer, Jennifer Golub, Executive Producer, Jessica Schulman, Art Director - share their experience in ‘The Making of Think Different’ on YouTube.

Which one is your favourite legendary ad? An ad made you wish you were in advertising when you were a kid? Let me know and maybe we could share it here on this blog…

Your comments are welcome and appreciated - click here to -> ’add your comment‘.

Useful Links:
1. Electric Escape reproduces an article by Stuart Elliott of the New York Times with an interview of TBWA Chiat/Day’s Lee Clow, Jessica Schulman, Jennifer Golub and Dan Bootzin
2. Detailed info by canadian-helper-ga on Google Answers about the background, credits and awards won by the ‘Think Different’ campaign
3. Wikipedia entry for the ‘Think Different’ campaign (yeah, it’s that legendary!)

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Xing and Maktoob Business networking event in UAE: The Dubai copywriter gets invited May 19, 2007

Posted by Farrukh Naeem at copywriterjournalist.com in : Farrukh Naeem , 17 comments

The networking site Xing and Maktoob Business organised ‘The Networking Hotspot’ on 16 May at Munchi Thai Restaurant at the Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa Hotel in Dubai. I was invited to experience some live networking by my friend Nelly Liebrecht, who is a prolific networker, marketing professional and Xing’s regional manager in Dubai.

Here are a few pictures from the event… and if you are a Xing member visiting for the first time to check these pictures out, welcome to the blog. I look forward to your continued interest. On to the photos now…

I crossed the poolside to get to the venue to be greeted by Xing and Maktoob Business banners. The pool in the summer evening was tempting. If only I had come in my shorts (sigh). (more…)