The Dubai Lynx Awards are right around the corner, and after last year’s ghost-ad-haunted show, which saw FP7’s entire network banned from competing this year, on top of a credit crunch, many predict that change is afoot. We spoke to regional agencies about what work they are entering, where else they think winners will come from, and what it takes to win awards. Some agencies declined to comment; either they are playing their cards close to their chest or, after we reminded them, are scrabbling to get their entries in. Those who answered said it’s important to think global. And don’t cheat.
LEO BURNETT
Malek Ghorayeb, executive regional creative director
- On entries
We are submitting 100 entries between Dubai, Beirut and Cairo. They include Melody Aflam from Cairo; Fatafeat and Always from Beirut; and Emirates’ “Meet Dubai” campaign, GM Chevrolet’s “Hiroshi & Osamu,” and Starcom MediaVest group from Dubai. The categories we are entering are mostly Television, Integrated, and Print.
- On other work
Team Y&R Dubai have very good campaigns for Harvey Nichols and Land Rover. Also, JWT Dubai and Memac Ogilvy have done great work. JWT Beirut’s Le Mall campaign is very good, while JWT Dubai has a Kit Kat campaign that might score. TBWA/Raad has good work for Nissan and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, but I’m not sure how the international jury will react to a local campaign.
- On winning
To win, it takes good work and a lot of luck. A lot of times you have consensus on a lot of campaigns that win everywhere, but sometimes a very good campaign can win somewhere and not even be shortlisted somewhere else.
The question everybody is asking is what the Lynx will look like because of restrictions and worries [after last year’s cheating]. There won’t be any ghost ads, so we’re really wondering what kind of work we’re going to see up there. Also, due to the recession and budget restrictions, I don’t know if agencies will have a lot to submit. I’ve only entered what I think might have a chance, and I think a lot of agencies are doing the same.

MEMAC OGILVY
Edmond Moutran, chairman and CEO
I hope the jury will spend a bit more time investigating the entries – which is part of the organizers’ responsibilities – to make sure the entries aren’t cheats. Last year we found out some were cheating 24 hours after they won; why couldn’t we find out 24 hours before they won? Every entry that is shortlisted should be investigated.
The organizers should be a lot fiercer about the punishment. When you waste the jury’s time by submitting false entries, you should be banned for three years, or five years. Why not. If you’re honest, you couldn’t care less if the punishment is 10 years. I don’t believe in soft answers, I’m a hard man, l grew up the hard way and I believe in hard punishments. They’re talking about banning cheats for a year? No, ban them forever.
Till Hohmann, executive creative director, GCC
- On entries
The majority of our entries will be from the Dubai office, but there are also a few promising entries from Bahrain and Tunisia, and there will be about 80 to 90 entries regionally. We have stringent controls here, so we need to have full approvals, and make absolutely sure that whatever we enter is 100 percent safe and sound, because we don’t want any weird discussions happening.
What is a bit peculiar from a Dubai point of view is that we only have one Television entry. A lot of our entries are multi-category entries, meaning the work can fit into the Direct, Media, Integrated or Digital categories. We have campaigns that are spread across different categories, such as our Volvo seat belt campaign, which I find is a testament to what we keep talking about: integrated communications and 360 solutions.
- On other work
In the Television category, it’s got to be the Melody Aflam ads by Leo Burnett Cairo. Also, the GM Chevrolet “Hiroshi & Osamu” by Leo Burnett Dubai is kind of nice; I like the idea more than the actual execution, but maybe the judges in certain categories will be open to that because of their approach.
I’ve been saying this for the past few years: It’s so difficult to really see the work from other agencies and gauge it, simply because we don’t know too much of it. Is it because there are too many television channels that we don’t end up seeing big campaigns? Being an expat, we watch satellite channels and not local television. It’s the same phenomenon with print.
- On winning
It takes a whole lot of work to win awards. Advertising work these days has to be very much dialogue-oriented; we have to gauge audiences and create more communication value. Having said that, once you do that kind of work, in order to win an award, there’s a lot of additional work; you have to create an explanation for your work, so the judges – who have limited time – can understand why you’re using this strategy, and why it’s worth winning an award.
Also, the benchmark for work that we enter in awards is exceedingly global. We cannot say that we are an international hub here and participate in globalization and still say the work we enter for the Lynx is “OK for the region.” The work has to be of global standards.

MEDIAEDGE CIA
Yves-Michel Gabay, general manager, MENA headquarters
- On entries
I don’t want to reveal too much, but we are entering a few things for Sony Ericsson because we did really good work for them.
Last year we didn’t enter any awards ceremonies on purpose, because of the economic crisis. We preferred to keep the money for the people we are working with. But we’re entering the Lynx this year because the Lynx is generally good for media agencies. We are only entering a few campaigns, six or seven, because what I’ve seen in the past is agencies coming in with 70 entries that are just not good enough to be entered in any kind of awards. We think what we are presenting is really relevant. If none of the ones we present takes anything, then something is wrong and we won’t enter again, because what we are entering is really, really high-quality stuff.
My main reward is when the clients are happy because they are getting good results. It means nothing to me to compete in awards like last year, with people cheating and creating special ads only for awards; I was just laughing last year.
- On winning
Juries look for something really strategic, not just creative. So I’d say it takes three things to win: creativity, strategy, and relevance.

WUNDERMAN
Pooja Chandani, associate creative director
- On entries
We’re putting in around 40 entries in all, as we usually enter every year.
- On other work
Winners will come from Dubai, of course, and Cairo.
- On winning
If you can strike a midpoint between creativity and effectiveness, you have a winner.

IMPACT BBDO
Walid Kanaan, executive creative director, Beirut
- On other work
Beirut, Cairo and the UAE will maintain their creative leadership in any regional award show; those markets have consolidated their position on that front in various disciplines.
- On winning
It’s a simple formula: a big idea, plus a client that believes in it, plus a proper production/exposure. But at the end of the day, it all starts with a big idea.

MINDSHARE
Elie Haber, managing director, UAE
We are submitting 18 entries. This is the first time we have entered the Lynx. Before, we didn’t feel comfortable and weren’t convinced, so this is a test; if we feel it’s fishy then it will be the last time.
It is important to have transparency; those responsible for the Lynx have to double-check if the info they have is true or not. The jury should also be mixed; an international jury doesn’t understand the culture and the material from here. The whole jury should be marketers and creative people.