Q. Kindly give us an introduction about yourself (your experience) and your agency.

A. I have been working in the advertising industry for 11 years during which I had the opportunity to handle many local, regional and multinational blue-chip accounts. I spent the biggest part of my career working in Lebanon. However, working on a regional level has always been fascinating to me. Therefore, when the opportunity arouse I joined Promoseven Beirut, where I was heading a regional creative hub catering for GCC and especially for the Saudi market.

Recently, DDB appointed me in the capacity of a Creative Director responsible for Syria and Jordan along with Houssam Al Aich, Client Services Director at Publivision DDB Syria. With extensive years of experience to draw upon in creative and client management, our appointment aims to inject new blood in the agency and meet the needs of such fast growing market.

We at Publivision DDB, are an integrated pool of young and dynamic individuals who share an absolute common thing; obsessive passion for advertising.

DDB is an integral part of Omnicom group, one of the top five communications groups in the world with a handful of advertising and communications agencies like BBDO, TBWA and many others.
 

Q. Syria is an evolving advertising market. Are there big spending clients? Are there several network agencies now present? And how has all this affected the market?

A. As an emerging market, advertising spending in Syria is small compared to other markets in the region. However the arrival of new multinational accounts will oblige the  local brands to advertise in order to survive and compete in the market. As a result, advertising spending will definitely pick up in the coming period.

Many network agencies are present in Syria as virtual agencies or representative offices with full back up from other network offices. Lately, and in order to meet the demands of a growing Syrian market, several network agencies are consolidating their presence through full-fledged offices.

Q. Has creativity in Syria improved in the past couple of years and how does it compare to Jordan, for example? Do you have any comments on creative levels in the Levant, in general?

A. Creativity in Syria compared to other Levant countries still has a long way to go. You can notice this by simply walking down the street or by flipping through any magazine. Due to the changes the Syrian market is going through, clients and agencies are exposed more and more to the advertising scene outside Syria and this will improve the advertising industry in general and creativity in specific.

Creativity in the Levant area varies from one country to another, it is no secret if we say that Lebanon is leading the way followed by Jordan, which in my opinion, had made a huge leap in the last couple of years. Now it is worth mentioning that some agencies in the Levant are putting serious effort to enhance their creative output.

Q. Can you tell us more about the creative team in Syria and can you draw a comparison with other teams you have already worked with in the region?

A. Our creative team in Syria is a young group of Syrian creative talents. They are dedicated individuals with a burning passion for what they do. They are eager to learn, have a great potential and willing to do what ever it takes to move to the next level.

As compared to other teams I worked with in the region, I can say the Syrian team lacks experience. Having this in mind, I started working on the basics since day one, proper brainstorming to generate the big idea and come out with the right solution, drawing sketches instead of wasting time in front of the computer screen waiting for inspiration, rationalization of each creative output and finally the Work itself.

Now after 6 months I can notice the evolution in the way they think, work and pitch their ideas. I admit we still have a long way to go but at least now we are on the right track.   


Q. As a creative director, do you feel that clients obstruct the creative process, or don't accept new or daring ideas?

A. At Publivision DDB we are trying as much as possible to educate our clients by sharing with them our tools and thinking process that eventually lead to any creative solution.

Sure there are some clients that still obstruct the creative process and consider you as an in house department whereby they can dictate what they want and you have to follow exactly their instructions.

On the other hand some clients are giving us room to be creative and they are willing to go the extra mile, after all they say it takes two to tango, with such clients we‘re being able to tango till dawn and it is paying off for both parties.  

Q. What's your view regarding advertising blogs and forums, the creative work that is uploaded and the commentary that follows?

A. Advertising blogs and forums are becoming our daily bread. They give us access to the work that is done globally and regionally. We are seeing the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I believe that everyone has the right to post his work and visitors have the right to comment on the work posted, obviously this is what blogs and forums are all about. But in some cases comments lead to unnecessary fights that is hurting the reputation of our industry.