The teaser, which featured a Bastet-like feline roaming Cairo before transforming into the PUMA icon, kicked off a story built on movement, mythology, and modern identity. The buzz led seamlessly into a one-night-only reveal event at Townhall by Kamelizer, District 5, where local tastemakers, artists, athletes, and media gathered to experience the Speedcat up close.

Guests stepped into a world inspired by the spirit of the SPEEDCAT: minimalist yet bold, grounded in performance yet made for the street. The evening’s centerpiece was the reveal of the sneaker itself — sleek, refined, and ready to hit Cairo’s pavement.

Backed by Intertex, PUMA’s main distribution partner in Egypt, the launch helped bring the SPEEDCAT to market while shaping the brand’s local presence, setting the stage for a bold reveal.

From the cinematic CGI teaser to the high-impact launch night, the SPEEDCAT’s arrival has been a cultural moment in motion. It’s not just about sneakers, it’s about connecting legacy to local relevance.

The Cairo office will serve as a regional hub, enabling Platformance to offer deeper local insight, faster response times, and closer access to clients, partners, and talent. The new location adds to existing operations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, strengthening Platformance’s presence in key digital economies.

Waseem Afzal, is the Founder and CEO of Platformance, and the office will be led by Hamza Madi, General Manager for Emerging Markets. Madi will oversee Platformance’s operations in Egypt, Kuwait, and Qatar.

Platformance currently supports clients in sectors such as ecommerce, Teclo, Banking, FMCG, Auto, Fintech, Retail, and Mobility. The Cairo team will offer local delivery support, market insight, and access to Platformance’s proprietary tools.

Jaffar, as CEO, will harness his extensive experience and strategic insights to spearhead innovation, enhance the company's culture of excellence, and shape the future for its clients, staff, and the market. Collaborating closely with the board of directors and the executive team, he will set the company's strategic direction, ensuring it remains at the forefront of media advancements.

“In the past 18 months alone, OMD Egypt was awarded Agency of the Year, picked up two Effie Awards, and was recently named the number one agency in New Business by COMvergence. These achievements would not have been possible without Tarek’s skill in navigating economic pressures, his dedication to clients’ success, and his ability to foster the right culture within his team,” commented Saleh Ghazal, CEO of OMD MENA.

“In a market as exciting as Egypt, we’ve had numerous opportunities to innovate and exceed expectations. What’s even more thrilling is that there’s much more we can and will do to elevate everyone’s game—our teams, our clients, our business partners,” added Tarek Jaffar, CEO of OMD Egypt. “Whether it’s data, tech, creativity, content, or AI, we will leave no stone unturned to achieve the highest levels of performance and impact. The best part is we know we can.”

"Of course, there’s a song to it," said one of the jurors while reviewing an Egyptian campaign entry. I vividly remember this jury session because of how buzzing it was. Thanks to Egypt, they managed to make everyone in the room swing to the beats or just tune in – even if the piece of work made no sense to the category presented.

Over the last decade, Egyptian advertising has evolved remarkably. From dragging gender stereotypes onto billboards and television commercials, to tapping into brand storytelling and portraying men and women in a more realistic context, Egyptian advertising has undergone a significant transformation. This shift reflects broader societal changes and a growing awareness of the importance of authentic representation. Music, with its deep cultural roots and emotional resonance, has become a critical element in this evolution.

By early 2014, the entire Arab world had tuned into the Egyptian-born modern techno, hip-hop subgenre of music – Mahraganat. Derived from the Arabic word – Mahragan, literally translating to "festival" in Egyptian Arabic, Mahraganat quickly became an expression of freedom and patriotism for the youth in the country, while also attracting fame and controversy across the region. As authorities tightened their reins on artists the popularity of the genre only seemed to grow. It’s raw, unfiltered lyrics and energetic beats resonated deeply with the youth, reflecting their aspirations, frustrations, and everyday realities. Despite the crackdown, or perhaps because of it, the genre became a form of rebellion and resistance, giving voice to those who felt marginalized and unheard.

This movement has had a significant impact on advertising and marketing in Egypt. Brands seeking to connect with the youth demographic have increasingly incorporated elements of Mahraganat into their campaigns, recognizing its power to capture attention and convey authenticity.

Sondos Effat, Managing Director at FP7 McCann Egypt cites how the Egyptian consumer is no average consumer. “Egypt's advertising market is highly developed, and the consumer is not easy to please. This is why global brands often create Egypt-specific campaigns instead of relying on globally adapted versions used in other markets. The advertising scene in Egypt is so cluttered that consumers are unlikely to notice anything that doesn't speak to them directly.”

In image above: Sondos Effat, Managing Director at FP7 McCann Egypt

With that being said, it's worth noting how the industry has consistently gained international recognition at various platforms, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, and the Effie Awards. As the country continues to position itself on the global map, advertisers increasingly find music to be the most relevant connection between their products and their audience in their efforts to attract and retain the Egyptian consumer.

“I remember my favorite song, launched during a Ramadan campaign for the local telecom provider, Orange, hit the charts,” reminisces Effat. “It came right after the Egyptian revolution and called for nationwide solidarity. The song took the brand to new heights; brand love was at its peak for Orange.”

“More campaigns like this followed. One notable example, which I remember working on also, was Etisalat’s Akwa Kart f Masr, another smash hit among consumers. The song was played at parties and weddings, and it significantly boosted the brand’s product outreach.”

Rasha Hamzeh, Managing Director of The Inhouse Agency, further emphasizes the importance of integrating music into marketing strategies. She explains, "Brands are increasingly integrating music into their marketing strategies because of the profound impact it has on emotion and memory. It enhances brand recall and emotional connection, all while quickly grabbing the consumer’s attention, and making communication more intuitive and emotional. Today, digital investments are predominantly channeled towards video content, underscoring the continuing significance of audiovisual media. This trend highlights the enduring effectiveness of audio and visual stimuli in capturing consumer attention and fostering a deep, emotive connection with brands."

In image above: Rasha Hamzeh, Managing Director of The Inhouse Agency

In contrast, Effat takes a more cautious approach. While she acknowledges the potential benefits of integrating local music and artists into marketing campaigns, she worries brands might be neglecting core brand values in the process. "Embedding music in advertising started on a very insightful, consumer-centric, and effective note… And then, POOF, every other brand started doing the same!" she says.

In her most honest critique, Effat doesn’t think it’s working anymore. “It was effective when one or two songs appeared in a 10-spot commercial break. But now, with 20 spots and 18 of them being songs, the other two are more like breathers.”

“I specifically recall Ramadan 2023 being the worst. There was a point where we couldn’t tell which brand was advertising, which song was playing, or even understand the lyrics. You could literally cut and edit between different ads, and no one would notice. It’s reached a point where it’s very difficult to stand out with a song unless you spend a fortune on media—which only telecom brands can afford.”

Brands and advertisers are in a constant dilemma—whether to take the guaranteed route to success or take a risk by trying something new. This uncertainty can make it overwhelming to lay the foundation for understanding what the consumer expects from a brand. Recent data shows how Egypt's advertising market is experiencing a surge in digital ad spending, reflecting a shift towards online platforms to reach a tech-savvy population. In the country, 78% of total ad spending is expected to come from digital advertising by 2029. Meanwhile, search advertising has emerged as the leader with a market value of $666m. Brands that prioritize search optimization and invest in targeted online ads are likely to see higher engagement and conversion rates. But what does it take to strike the right balance in building a brand that’s culturally appropriate but also meets its business KPIs?

Effat’s observations highlight the challenge of standing out in a cluttered advertising landscape. While music can be a powerful tool, it requires strategic use to maintain its effectiveness. Hamzeh adds that the key lies in measuring success through media, marketing, and business metrics.

“Media metrics such as engagement rates, views, shares, and social media interactions provide immediate feedback on the campaign's reach and audience interaction. These metrics help gauge how effectively the campaign is capturing attention and resonating with the target audience,” explains Hamzeh. “Marketing KPIs such as sentiment analysis, brand awareness, and recall rates offer insights into the emotional and cognitive impact of the music on the audience, reflecting how well the campaign strengthens brand identity. And finally, business KPIs such as sales volume or market share directly link the campaign’s effectiveness to tangible business outcomes, demonstrating its ultimate value in driving commercial success. Together, these metrics provide a comprehensive view of a campaign's performance from initial engagement to bottom-line results.”

Effat further explains how crucial a role social media plays in ensuring the longevity of music-driven campaigns. “If you produced a song for an ad some 15 years ago, you must’ve witnessed it losing its popularity once the airing stopped. The only way for it to survive was either on radio or TV. Today, the piece can live online forever – on music streaming platforms, and social media platforms. So unlike a non-music ad, music-backed campaigns have a longer lifespan and a chance to become part of the culture.”

Music and cultural elements offer unique opportunities for brands to connect with Egyptian consumers; however, it's essential to balance creativity with strategic execution. Brands must stay true to their values and carefully evaluate their marketing efforts to ensure authenticity and relevance. Hamzeh cites how the region is proudly fostering a stream of agencies specializing in sonic branding and audio advertising, further amplifying brands’ and their consumers’ demand in the space.

“The music scene in Egypt is relatively stronger than in the rest of the Middle East,” says Effat. “Many Lebanese, Tunisian, and even Emirati singers have flourished and gained popularity in Egypt. We have produced more singers than any other country in the region, so naturally, our consumers consider music an integral part of our culture. That said, I still believe this format would work in every other corner of the globe. Music is a universal language, so ads using music will succeed anywhere they go,” she adds.

“Music and culture-driven partnerships (in Egypt) are perceived as an acknowledgment of the community’s identity and traditions, ensuring that marketing efforts are embraced as inclusive and respectful, thereby fostering a profound and genuine connection with the audience. Music is a vital thread in the societal fabric, aligning with local artists is not just a tactic but a significant strategic move,” she adds.

She argues that brands can position themselves at the center of the community through relevant artist collaborations. “Local musicians often embody the values and cultural essence of their communities, and by partnering with them, brands can significantly enhance the authenticity and cultural resonance of their campaigns.”

While we cannot deny that music has proven to become a powerful tool in capturing consumer attention and fostering emotional connections, it's not the only element brands can focus on. Authenticity is everything to the Egyptian consumer. You can make your ad sing if you want to, but make sure your consumer gets to hear it. 

According to a recent UN study, a staggering 63% of individuals do not feel safe walking alone in their area in the dark. Further insights show that most people instinctively avoid unlit streets and prefer not to wait for their ride in such areas. International ride-hailing app inDrive was determined to tackle this problem with its “Light the Night” initiative.

In a city-wide takeover, the global mobility and urban services platform has illuminated the streets of Cairo by transforming billboards into light boxes that maximize brightness, prioritizing safety over advertising. Since April 13, inDrive has flooded 28 carefully selected locations around the city, including the darkest streets, with reassuring bright lights through billboards in a minimalistic design. The billboards feature a URL directing people to the "night light" locations, and a glow-in-the-dark map of the city as its base, ensuring the city's residents easily find these well-lit spots.

InDrive also customized and installed light boxes utilizing special LED tubes that emit 50% more light than conventional billboards, in areas that require additional lighting and have no existing billboards. 

The campaign was conceptualized and executed by Havas Middle East, with billboard production by The Film House.

“‘Light the Night’ aims to make the streets of Cairo more welcoming and reassuring. Our minimal design ensures the billboards illuminate the darkest streets, turning what once was visual noise into a source of comfort for the residents,” said Serena Abi Aad, Creative Director at Havas Creative Middle East.

“Our strategy extended beyond media. We wanted to inspire a movement toward greater safety, so we handpicked outdoor locations in the darkest streets and built our own custom outdoor structures illuminating darker spots,” said Lama Al Khawaja, Business Unit Director at Havas Media Middle East.

“A city is inDrive’s natural habitat. Being an important part of the urban environment is valuable for us. We are seeking to make a positive impact on Cairo as this is the largest city in the region. We would like to incorporate our projects into real city life, to make them visible and useful for Cairo and other urban settlements,” said Vlad Revenko, Global Head of Special Projects at inDrive.

"We are pleased to partner with YouTube to promote a safer environment for Egyptian women on the platform, especially in light of what women suffer from exposure to various types of cyber violence via social media that have become an open space for people to engage in violence against [them]," Dr. Maya Morsy, President of the National Council for Women, said in a statement.

Morsy explained that the Egyptian state has been keen in recent years to ensure the protection of women against all forms of violence, and to raise awareness around their rights, especially when they are exposed to cyber violence. She said, "We are proud to encourage more women content creators and support them to develop their skills, to further understand women issues, and [to] promote meaningful and useful content."

As part of this collaboration, a series of workshops will be organized throughout the year to help more women content creators benefit from available resources to grow their channels, learn about the different tools and features to stay safe online, create content that is sensitive to women’s needs, and raise awareness on women empowerment and how to stay safe from cyber violence against women and girls. The workshops will also include #IamRemarkable sessions, Google’s initiative aiming at empowering women and celebrating their achievements.

The National Council for Women will also be the first entity in Egypt to enroll in YouTube’s Trusted Flagger program, which allows for direct reporting of content that violates policies and which will consequently be prioritized by the YouTube Team.

Tarek Amin, Director of YouTube Partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa, said, “We are pleased to collaborate this year with the National Council for Women in Egypt. Together, we aim to continue developing a safe experience for women creators in Egypt by equipping them with the skills needed and inviting them to join a wider support circle of other content creators and experts of the platform.”

"The YouTube Trusted Flagger program is part of an ongoing collaboration between YouTube and the National Council for Women, which will include a series of workshops that will be organized throughout the year to support more women creators in Egypt,” added Hisham El Nazer, Google’s Country Manager in Egypt.

Ad Awareness asks consumers if they have seen an advertisement for a brand in the previous two weeks, and the difference between low and high scores for the month determines our Advertisers of the Month.

HOHOs introduced a new product called HOHOs Mix for which it recently released an ad. The video has garnered more than nine million views on YouTube. YouGov BrandIndex shows HOHOs Ad Awareness metric rose by 10 percentage points from 15.6% on October 26 to 25.6% on November 24.  

Jumia.com, which is number two on our list, saw a rise of 9.7 percentage points from 35.4% on October 26 to 45.1% on November 23. Often dubbed as the ‘Amazon of Africa’, this e-commerce giant recently appointed a new management board. Jumia.com also announced that it generated over $50 million in revenue in Q3, up by 18% since last year. The brand recently launched its Black Friday campaign encouraging people to spend affordably reflecting Egypt’s current economic challenges.

Ranking third on our list is Spotify which rose 5.9 percentage points from 16.3% on October 26 to 22.2% on November 23. The brand launched video podcasting in Egypt which allows podcasters to freely switch between active watching (with the video in the foreground) and passive listening (with the video in the background) through its video background-play feature.

Methodology 
YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. A brand’s Ad Awareness score is based on the question: “Which of the following consumer brands have you seen an advertisement for in the past two weeks?” Data from surveys of adults aged 18 years and above residing in Egypt from 26 October to 24 November 2022. Ad Awareness scores are based on a four-week moving average. The change in scores for each brand is calculated by taking the difference between the highest and lowest scoring days within the period. Learn more about BrandIndex.  

Most people know Egypt for its ancient pyramids, but it has another major draw: it’s one of the sunniest countries on the planet. Egypt’s bustling market city of Aswan, for example, enjoys about 3,863 hours — or 160 days — of sunshine every year. That’s more than double the amount that some cities in the U.K. see.

With a directive to increase travel interest to Egypt earlier this year, the Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) turned to the country’s sunny disposition for inspiration.

“Egypt’s abundant sunshine is something not every country is lucky enough to have, so we wanted to make it the star of the show,” Amr El-Kady, chief executive officer of ETA, says. “But for our campaign to be impactful, it had to do more than just showcase why ‘sunny Egypt’ is the perfect destination for U.K. audiences to visit. It had to also reflect the British traveler’s real-world experience in a relatable way.”

The weather and creative automation under one umbrella

Working in partnership with Google and Universal Media Cairo (UM), the ETA team decided to pair an unlikely couple for their campaign: the weather and video.  They kicked off by conceptualizing a set of video creatives that showcased the weather in March and April in six U.K. cities: Birmingham, London, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Manchester. They then developed five unique weather conditions, or ‘ad groups’ — cloudy, rain, thunder, snow, and drizzle — with each city getting one. Next, the Google Technical Services (gTech) team used OpenWeatherMap — an open-source online service that provides global weather data via an application programming interface (API) — to personalize ads in real time.

“We activated the API at the campaign level, allowing it to detect live weather,” explains Ahmad Khwileh, a Google technical architect working on ads and data science. “Ad groups were then automatically enabled or disabled in line with the current weather condition in the specified city.”
So, for example, if it was snowing in London, that specific ad group was automatically enabled to show only ads referring to snow. The U.K. weather content in each ad was offset by visuals of Egypt’s sunny skies and historical sights, inspiring travelers to ‘follow the sun' and explore a warm escape to the country.

An example of ads served

To serve the 20-second video ads to the right potential travelers in each British city, ETA turned to video reach campaigns, which allow brands to choose how to reach people in their target audience. Meanwhile bumper ads — unskippable, six-second videos — helped them boost their remarketing efforts towards the end of the campaign.

“Creative automation is simple to develop, and we especially loved how British travelers related to our campaign,” El-Kady says. “The personalized creatives really helped create a strong sense of attachment to our brand.”

Showered with success

Thanks to the automated creative video campaign, Google’s Travel Analytics Center —  which deep dives into travel demand trends and tracks performance across travel search experiences —  saw a 134% year-on-year rise in British travelers searching for a holiday to Egypt.

“The campaign’s incredible success is one of the main reasons we plan on working with the same creative and media teams on another similar campaign later this year,” El-Kady says. “We can't wait to see the results."

This feature was originally written for Think with Google – MENA, a hub where advertisers and businesses can review other creative campaigns and industry learnings. 

“Aligning with Egypt’s ambitious Country Strategy 2022 to 2027 in creating an inclusive and sustainable growth trajectory and enhancing its global competitiveness, Entourage is honored to be a part of this growth story,” said Mohammed Tayem, Founder & CEO of Entourage, in a statement.

Entourage has a long-standing relationship with Egypt, having been the architects behind the "Misr Wahastoona" and "Misr Orayba" campaigns between 2014 and 2016. The objective of the campaigns was to bring back Arab tourists to the country after the 2011 revolution. Their impact led to a 72% increase in the influx of tourism in two years.

“As the market has started to recover from the pandemic and the investments in Egypt are growing at an unprecedented pace, we have seen a lot of interest and inquiries for our expertise. With an in-depth understanding of the market and having worked on projects across MENA, we have a finger on the pulse of the region. Egypt is the place to explore our creativity and expand our potential with a super young and enthusiastic audience,” continued Tayem.

Following its expansion in Saudi Arabia, Entourage, a member of TGW (a New York-based group focusing on the communication, brand experiences, and technology) has a solid experience in building media campaigns and conferences such as the Knowledge Summit UAE, the E-Commerce Forum KSA, and the Arab Media Summit Bahrain, and in taking them from the local to the global level. Entourage also has worked on the MENA region mega-events like G20 KSA, World Government Summit UAE, Pakistan pavilion Dubai Expo 2020.

Under the leadership of Creative Director Nicholas Pereira, Entourage aims to create fresh and unique concepts for the Egyptian market, apply industry best practices, and become a robust pillar of the growing Egypt economy. The Entourage team comprises of  20+ nationalities, bringing truly diversified experiences to the board.

In an exclusive interview, Mai Salama, Founding Partner of the Creative Industry Summit highlights the key takeaways of the summit held in Cairo and the expected topics of coverage for the upcoming summit to be held in KSA.

In the image above: Mai Salama, Founding Partner, Creative Industry Summit

What were the highlights of the summit that was held in Cairo?

Creative Industry Summit 2021 was our come back after COVID. We were adamant on creating our biggest festival yet, with a 4-day celebration of a variety of tracks all discussing topics related to the creative economy. From policymakers to local and regional experts. Between artists, singers, actors, rappers, and comedians, creating a fusion of talents. From startups to corporates, agencies, NGOs, and CSR; Creative Industry Summit was the hub for connecting people to a wide and never-ending horizon.

Our 12th edition highlighted our most valued and distinguishing mission, which is shaping the future of the creative economy in the MENA region. We are proud to host a creative economy dialogue, which encompasses all sectors and aspects that are combined to improve the threshold of creativity. This edition had a multitude of sections dedicated to allowing individuals to connect, network, and hold meetings throughout the summit, we even hosted exclusive music performances and exhibitions.

 Moreover, the summit portrayed more than 24 tracks featuring over 50-panel discussions and several workshops covering an abundance of subjects including sustainability, mental wellness, e-gamming, physical sports, e-commerce, technology, fashion, art, advertising, marketing, media, film, acting, women empowerment, entrepreneurship, and many more!

What topics will the summit soon happening in the KSA be covering?

Our 13^th edition will be happening in Riyadh.  It will highlight how Egypt is at the epicenter of creative minds in the MENA region, being considered as an eye-opener to the world of creativity and enterprise in various spheres and categories. Our theme for the upcoming summit will be Egyptian Creativity Goes to KSA – from Cairo to Riyadh, a creative “heart to heart” association between Egypt and KSA.

We aim to extend our network, by bringing together advertising, communication, and marketing professionals from both the Kingdom and Egypt. Stories and case studies from across the creative industry will be featured in talks, exhibitions, workshops, networking events, etc.

Our Riyadh edition is created in collaboration with Balaconah – Riyadh’s platform for creative marketing and communication responsible for local and regional databases – along with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce. This edition will discuss marketing, content creation, advertising, and media in detail.

With the changing face of Saudi’s cultural and creative scene, what are you expecting from the upcoming summit in KSA?

With every new edition of the Creative Industry Summit, we are committed to becoming a catalyst in the cultivation of culture and creativity in the region. We are very proud to see Creative Industry Summit putting its very first step toward spreading its infotainment content and expanding partnerships with other Arab countries. The cultural change in Saudi Arabia has opened new horizons to the creative scene in the region, we are expecting the Saudi attendees to connect, network, and exchange their experiences and accomplishments with their Egyptian counterparts in one of the most high-spirited environments. We can’t wait to inspire and encourage all people with new ideas to pioneer their areas and stimulate the growth of the creative scene in the Arab world. Throughout this fruitful cooperation, we encourage expertise and knowledge transfer from Egypt to KSA, reinforcing our leading creativity platform and inspiring attendees to work on promoting a creative economy in the region.

Do you think the edition was different from those held before the pandemic? If so, why and how?

Even though the pandemic imposed many challenges, we have learned to seize an opportunity no matter what! Thus, we hosted our 2020 edition as a full-on virtual experience, curated in a way to give the conference experience while the world was stuck at home. In the 2021 edition, we offered our boldest hybrid edition, providing both physical and virtual attendance options for our speakers, we were able to add an attractive list of exclusive and valuable names -who joined as virtual speakers- to the agenda. Finally, we constantly closed every day with a live entertainment performance giving leeway for the attendees and viewers to log out from the event on a high note.

We had attendees from 17 countries across the Middle East, Europe & America, successfully making our summit one of the most recognizable in the region.