The medium-sized agency – from a small country often subjected to turmoil – with a global creative reputation and brands’ portfolio, becomes the 4th most awarded creative agency in the world, according to the Directory Big Won Rankings 2015. As part of a vision to help the citizens better their lives, the Lebanese agency has been using creativity in local campaigns to recover civic pride, setting a new standard worldwide in brands’ creative social involvement and creating an inventive form of integration.
The Directory Big Won Rankings are to Creative Advertising what the ATP Rankings are for Tennis professional players. It is a global annual creative report, published in London, every year at the end of the month of January, that sums up all the points that stem from all the creative awards won by all advertising agencies in the 32 most important awards shows and festivals around the world during the previous year. The Big Won is most-awaited by the worldwide industry, as it ranks agencies, campaigns and creative people, according to the number of awards that they won.
In the Big Won Rankings 2015, Leo Burnett Beirut is No.4 Most Creative Agency in the World. This is the second time Leo Burnett Beirut comes in the global top 10, since it first surprised the global industry in 2012 by ranking No.6.
This year, the Lebanese agency, which is also a creative hub for several Procter & Gamble’s brands for Russia, Central & Eastern Europe, Africa, MENA and Latin America, and for the American Arab satellite provider Dish for North America, is consolidating its global creative reputation by taking it to new heights and seems to be making history for the whole Arab region: 116 prestigious international and regional awards in just one year, and two crowns of ‘Agency of the Year’ at the Dubai Lynx and at the Cristal Festival.
“Looking at the rankings, says Patrick Collister, publisher of the Directory Big Won, there is one agency that really shouldn’t be in the Top 10 for 2015. Leo Burnett Beirut.
After all, this is a small agency in a small country, which just happens to be situated in one of the most politically sensitive parts of the world. And yet, there it is.
I was fortunate enough to visit Lebanon twice in 2015 and was struck by how determined the people of that country are to live normal lives in monstrously abnormal circumstances.
The advertising community is at the forefront of this. Leo Burnett Beirut in particular is attempting to use creativity to tackle sagging morale and endemic corruption.”
Leo Burnett Beirut’s campaigns for Johnnie Walker, Sakker el Dekkene ‘Lebanon4Sale’ and KAFA (women’s rights and empowerment) that were multi-awarded, notably at the Cannes Lions, The One Show, the Facebook Awards and the Dubai Lynx, are among the 10 best in the world in several media categories.
Johnnie Walker ‘Keep the Flame Alive’ – that sets an example of innovation in the social conversation around a global brand in a local market – ranks as the 9th most awarded campaign in the world for 2015, the 5th most awarded digital campaign and the 5th most awarded integrated campaign.
According to Collister, “if their work has won many awards around the world, then the agency is probably more proud of the effects they have had on the people they live with: restoring pride, stiffening resolve, encouraging conversation.”
Leo Burnett Beirut is also No.1 agency in the world in the Media category, as a result of its experimental use of media and channels in the integration of its campaigns.
With a record number of 183 international and regional awards won in 2015, Leo Burnett MENA comes as the most awarded MENA Network in the world. This confirms the ‘Network of the Year’ crown won by the network at the Dubai Lynx, last year.
A few Leo Burnett MENA’s top creative executives are also setting new benchmarks.
According to the Big Won 2015, Bechara Mouzannar, becomes the No.1 chief creative officer in the world, Malek Ghorayeb the No.1 executive creative director, and Areej Mahmoud the No.2 creative director. And there are also twenty other people at Leo Burnett Beirut who rank among the top 10 to 30 in the world.
These global results constitute a premiere for both the Lebanese and the Arab creative advertising industries.
Last but not least, the success of Leo Burnett MENA is strengthened by the performance of Leo Burnett Dubai, which won the coveted Black Cube at the ADC awards and no less than seven Pencils at the D&AD, ranking 50th creative agency out of 1,443 agencies that won awards last year.
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