The new tea promises a flavor that’s neither too strong nor too light—just the perfect balance. Horizon FCB Dubai sought out a platform that would be bold enough to match this ambition. With Squid Game’s third season dropping just at the right moment, and the show boasting over 190 million viewers, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to blend the high-energy thrill of the series with Lipton’s message of finding harmony in every cup.

The campaign kicked off with a two-part social video series featuring Arabic-speaking Korean comedian Wonho Chung. His exaggerated and humorous quest to discover the “perfectly balanced tea” added an unexpected, light-hearted twist to branded content—an approach that made the campaign stand out in a crowded digital landscape.

On TikTok, the team created a branded sound with the catchphrase, “It’s either perfectly balanced taste or nothing.” The accompanying dance challenge encouraged users to recreate the moves, showcasing how a sip of Lipton tea could instantly transform their mood and elevate the experience.

Limited-edition packs introduced a scannable code that unlocked a retro-style side-scroller game, offering players a chance to win a dream trip to Lipton’s tea gardens in Sri Lanka. In tandem with this, mall activations, in-store displays, and e-commerce touchpoints created a seamless omnichannel experience, guiding consumers from awareness to purchase.

His work has been recognized at every major global creative festival including Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, Clio, LIA, Loeries, Effies, WARC, and New York Festivals; and important regional festivals such as Dubai Lynx and Eurobest.

Beyond the awards, it’s his creative belief system that sets him apart. Alex sees creativity as a tool for economic and cultural progress. He leads with kindness, teaches with passion, and always brings humanity into the work.

Besides his professional drive, Alex writes and draws his own comic books series, loves football, cooking and shares his home with two pet rabbits.

This appointment underscores Horizon FCB’s strategic focus on delivering work that is both timeless and timely, combining creativity fueled by data and technology to build brands that endure.

As the newly appointed General Manager of GolinMENA, Haian Nayouf will work closely with Stephen Worsley, the recently appointed Regional Managing Director, to lead the communications work of the agency and build the Golin brand across the region.

Nayouf is a seasoned media and communications professional with over 20 years of experience in journalism, agency consultancy, and client-side communications. In addition to serving several leading PR agencies, he headed the UK Government’s Arabic Media and Communications Hub in the Middle East for eight years and was its Arabic Deputy Spokesperson for two years.

His journalism career spans newspapers, radio, and television, including five years as a senior journalist and news producer for the leading pan-Arab outlet Al Arabiya. Nayouf joined GolinMENA in March 2022, where he leads the agency’s growing public affairs portfolio.

“Haian’s deep knowledge of the region and its media culture are tremendous assets,” said Mazen Jawad, CEO of Horizon Holdings. “I’m confident he will play a major role in developing our PR offering in the region and bringing the best of Golin internationally to our clients in the Middle East.”

Commenting on his appointment Nayouf expressed his gratitude, “I am thrilled and honored to be appointed General Manager of Golin MENA in the UAE. Working with my colleagues and guided by Mazen’s vision for Horizon group, I’m excited to have this opportunity to realize a new phase of growth for the brand in the Middle East.”

The campaign “Breakchains With Blockchain” for the Children of Female Prisoners' Association by Horizon FCB wins Silver in the Work for Good and Media Cuts. The campaign created a collection of NFTs, priced at the amount of money needed to pay off the women imprisoned for the crime of not having enough money to pay their debts, setting them free to be reunited with their families. MullenLowe MENA wins Silver in the Communication, Work for Good and Innovation Cut with the campaign “Fixing the bAIs”  for Aurora50. Considering the need to address the gender bias that exists in AI systems, the initiative created a vast image bank of women in various professions. Using image-generating AI tools with the goal to populate the public image datasets used to train AI with these images and teach AI that women can be engineers, mathematicians, CEOs, and more, looking to break the gender barriers in professions and promote inclusivity. Back in June, Impact BBDO had been awarded UAE Agency of the Year as chosen by the local executive jury.

Grand Prix was awarded to The Monkeys, Edelman, McCann and DDB:

Grand Prix for Alternative Media in the Innovation Cut:

The First Digital Nation for The Government of Tuvalu, by The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song

Grand Prix for Integrated Campaign in the Experience Cut:

See My Skin,  Vaseline Healing Jelly for Unilever by Edelman

Grand Prix for Strategy in the Work For Good Cut:

Where To Settle for Mastercard by McCann Warsaw

Grand Prix for Integrated Campaign in the Humour Cut:

Apologize the Rainbow for Skittles by DDB Chicago

Globally the most Awarded piece of work is THE GLITCH for Alzheimer Forschung Initiative by BBDO Germany, winning 3 Gold, 3 Silver, and a Bronze. The second most awarded piece of work is Apologize the Rainbow for Skittles by DDB Chicago winning 1 Grand Prix, 2 Gold, and a Silver. Movistar by VMLY&R Mexico is the third most awarded piece of work picking up 1 Gold, 4 Silvers, and a Bronze.

The most awarded brand in the world at the 2023 Gerety Awards is McDonald’s. Joan Colletta Senior Director, Global Brand Marketing McDonald's had the following to say: “Being recognized by the Gerety awards in this way is especially meaningful given McDonald’s relentless focus on building more relevant connections with our diverse fan base around the world.  Congratulations to all the brands recognized this year and we’re proud to be in your company.”

This year’s winners come from 34 different countries. The Gerety Awards is the only creative prize to reward advertising campaigns that resonate most with a female audience. With judging sessions held around the world each year Gerety brings together some of the greatest creative leaders to look at work from a powerful perspective.

See all the 2023 winners at www.geretyawards.com

Before joining ASDA'A BCW, he held leadership roles in corporate communications. He served as a Senior Manager at Masdar, a Senior Director at APCO Worldwide, and also worked as a communications adviser at TotalEnergies.

Commenting on the appointment, Mazen Jawad, CEO of Horizon Holdings, said, “We had great chemistry from the first meeting and found in Stephen the right experience and motivation to lead GolinMENA towards new horizons. Stephen will be a perfect fit with our growing PR team and his experience will complement the world-class integrated marketing and communications services we offer clients across our group.”

“I’m thrilled to join Horizon Holdings and to support GolinMENA in its next phase of growth,” added Stephen Worsley.“The group is strongly positioned to help clients navigate the challenges and opportunities of an ever-evolving communications landscape.”

Nadin Al-Alami, Managing Director at Horizon FCB Kuwait said: “We started 2023 with this significant win, winning the trust of the team at Burgan Bank. We’re thrilled with this new addition as it strengthens our client portfolio and further reinforces our presence in the Kuwaiti market.”

Kholoud Al-Feeli Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Burgan Bank commented on the partnership by saying; “We’re looking forward to the collaboration with Horizon FCB Kuwait whom we’re confident will support our continued growth and success in the banking sector.”She added: “This strategic partnership will bring a broad range of experience and create added value to Burgan Bank’s marketing solutions while stepping up the brand-building effort and the connection with our target audiences.”

Mazen Jawad, CEO at Horizon Holdings added, “We’re delighted to partner with Burgan Bank in this new association and feel that our Never Finished approach is already successfully in motion under the leadership of Nadin.”

Parallel to this new win, the agency made significant additions and has diversified its marketing solutions, especially on the strategic planning, data analytics, and digital media side of the business which all fall in-line with our clients’ growing interests and demands.

Horizon FCB Kuwait currently works with local, national, and international businesses across a variety of sectors including finance, retail, F&B, and automotive among others, and has seen some brilliant results in delivering clear strategies, utilizing the appropriate channels, and most importantly generating the anticipated business result for these clients across the board.

The message delivery campaign invited people in Dubai to take messages they don’t want to communicate in person and deliver them at the exact time and date they wanted using the radio. To ensure the recipient got to hear about their delivery, they received a personalized SMS notification with the time, date, and radio station, just like they would get an SMS notification with any other DHL package. And just like that DHL made hard-to-deliver messages, easier.

Horizon FCB Dubai Associate Creative Director Colin Smith said; “The choice of radio as the preferred medium for our message deliveries meant we could craft scripts, produce spots, and get them on air in a very short turnaround time. Radio also allowed us to target individuals at the exact time and date requested whilst simultaneously reaching a mass audience.”

Managing Director of Horizon FCB Dubai Reham Mufleh added; “We love clients that allow us to create & invest with them. The DHL message delivery campaign is a smart and creative way to emphasize the positioning of DHL as a reliable delivery leader. The smart use of data & technology together with the use of Radio as the hero medium is an innovative way to deliver direct messages, ‘indirectly’. At Horizon FCB Dubai we always try to find new ways to generate business for our clients & produce work that is both timely & timeless at the same time. Together we are ‘Never Finished’.”

Horizon FCB Dubai made sure that while every message was targeted at one person, it still reached thousands of people through the radio spots.

The campaign went live on April 12^th, introducing a fun way to deliver messages for both sender and recipient, because to DHL delivery isn’t just important, delivery is everything.

Why did you choose this career path?

I chose advertising because I am fascinated with seeing the creative process grow from a simple idea into something you can see and touch. It offers me limitless opportunities to take my creative abilities and use them in the services and creative arts of the company and clients.

How did you land this job?

Based on my previous experience in advertising, the opportunity came up to work at Horizon FCB. My first interview for the account executive role was the starting point for my career growth and contribution to the company’s success.

How do you compare your work life vs what you imagined it would be?

I always imagined the advertising industry to have a dynamic and vibrant culture and workspace. So, it has exceeded my expectations, working with diverse teams and clientele. Growing in this field in the Middle East has been an unexpected, yet incredible opportunity.

What do you wish you had been told before you started working?

I wish I had told myself to take each unexpected turn as a learning opportunity. Every day, I learn new aspects of this growing industry and sometimes, my eagerness can get the best of me. But every day, I appreciate the new knowledge I gain and apply [it] to my next advertising adventure.

What is the best thing someone could tell you about your work?

Some of the feedback that has stuck with me is that my structural and organizational skills are my best strengths, along with always keeping open, reliable, and clear communication with clients and professional peers.

What is the worst thing someone could tell you about your work?

The saying that I am most apprehensive to hear is to “trust the process,” as I am generally an eager worker who strives to achieve quick and quality-driven results. However, I do strive to practice this mantra in order to focus on the goal and drive better results in the long run.

What’s the most valuable lesson you have learned at work so far?

The strongest takeaway I leave work with every day is the importance of active listening and teamwork. There are several unique perspectives that come together on each project, and being able to understand each one by utilizing these skills is what allows me to succeed in this role.

Who’s your role model?

My mother is the woman behind my success. She always pushes me to challenge myself.

If not this, what would you be doing?

Since my passion has always been for arts and creativity, I would like to explore the fashion world within the marketing/advertising field.

What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?

I would see myself starting my own fashion marketing agency.

The 30 Under 30 ranking was first published in Communicate's Q1 2023 print issue.

The MENA region won 20 prizes, including two Grand LIAs for the UAE – a first for the country – on top of 5 Gold, 9 Silver, and 4 Bronze. Six agencies distinguished themselves:

• IMPACT BBDO Dubai dominated the regional tally with a total of 14 wins for two pieces of work: “Despair No More” for TENA grabbed 1 Grand LIA, 1 Gold, and 1 Silver in Health & Wellness, while “The Elections Edition” for AnNahar Newspaper won another Grand LIA and 2 Gold in Non-Traditional, 1 Gold and 1 Silver in Ambient & Activation, 1 Gold in Media, 1 Gold and 2 Silver in Print, 2 Silver in Creativity in PR, 1 Bronze in Integration – Media, and was a Finalist in Integration.

• Publicis Groupe Dubai won a Silver in Print, a Bronze in Design, and was a finalist in 3 categories with its campaign “Exhale," "Disconnect," "Off-grid” for Jeep.

• Horizon FCB Dubai's “Breakchains With Blockchain” campaign for the Children of Female Prisoners' Association won a Silver and a Bronze in Creativity in the Metaverse – it was in fact the only agency in the Middle East winning in this category. 

• Keko Dubai won a Silver in Social Media & Influencers for Porsche with “Create 2 Extremes.”

• Saatchi & Saatchi ME, Dubai grabbed a Bronze in Integration for its UAE Government Media Office's “Empty Plates.”

• Leo Burnett Riyadh was a Finalist in the Evolution category with “Don't Sleep On It” for IKEA.

Barbara Levy, President of LIA, said, “I believe this is the first time that UAE has won two Grand LIAs.  But it is not hard to understand why. The winning work from Dubai is so relevant. No wonder the judges fell in love with them. Great ideas and great work transcend borders and will get the recognition it rightly deserves. Our heartiest congratulations to all the winners!”

Commenting on the Grand LIA for Health & Wellness, Tim Hawkey, Chief Creative Officer of AREA 23 and the LIA Health & Wellness Jury President, said in a statement, “This work was for TENA and it looked at menopause in the Middle East. The only word for it in Arabic was ‘the age of despair.’ So, the brand decided to take that on. And they created a huge cultural movement to rename menopause and ultimately changed the actual word in the dictionary.  What an achievement! And we looked at it on the scale and the impact on a whole region.

As for the Grand LIA for Non-Traditional, the Jury President, Doerte Spengler-Ahrens, Managing Creative Director of JvM SAGA & Partner at Jung von Matt, said, "We gave the Grand LIA to a newspaper that donated their paper to the country so there was no excuse not to have an election. They just put a sticker in the shops where the paper was sold saying, ‘Sorry, there is no newspaper today. We gave our paper to the government so there will be elections.’ This is a piece of non-traditional work that makes you go, 'What?’. It's not just about doing ads. We opened a new door."

In total, 754 LIA statues and 230 finalists were awarded to 45 countries, with the US leading with 254 wins, followed by Germany with 81, the UK with 53, and India with 37 statue winners.

Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer MENAP at Impact BBDO and LIA TV/Cinema and Online Film Jury President, said, “What a fantastic jury to be part of at LIA – London International Awards. Four intense days of looking at hundreds of films from around the world with this group of amazing people was a big learning experience for me: we laughed, we cried, we yawned, we were mesmerized, we argued, and we became friends. Feeling great about the final results for both Online and TV/Cinema work – shortlists are out already so check them out on liaawards.com The jury was very diverse. Everybody got to learn something in this jury. We debated quite a bit based on differing viewpoints.”

View all the winners and finalists here.

347 shortlists were initially announced from the globe and converted into 222 awards. Of the 58 shortlists from the region, 36 trophies were awarded.

Impact BBDO won a Grand Prix for Innovation in Print or Out of Home with "The Elections Edition," a campaign for AnNahar Newspaper – one of the only five Grands Prix given globally this year and the only one from the Middle East. This campaign also won a Gold in Ambient & Experiential.

Horizon FCB Dubai converted all of its 8 entries into trophies, all for its "Breaking Chains with Blockchain" work, done for the Children of Female Prisoners' Association. These wins include 4 Gold in Digital Craft, Creative E-Commerce, and The Future categories; 2 Silver in the 'Wish We Had Thought of That' and the Media Magic Award categories; and 2 Bronze in the Direct category and The #OMG Award.

Saatchi & Saatchi ME grabbed a Gold in Creative Strategy, a Silver in Media Magic, and 4 Bronze in the Ambient & Experiental, 'Wish We Had Thought of That," and Creative Effectiveness categories for "The Empty Plates" campaign, done in partnership with the UAE Government Media Office.

The UAE Government Media Office itself won 2 Silvers, one in the Influencers Campaigns and the other in the Creative Strategy categories, as well as a Bronze in Direct for "The Donation Plate," on top of 4 Bronze for "The Warm Winter Livestream" and 2 more Bronze for "The Visitor of the Future."

Leo Burnett Riyadh and its "Time to Redecorate" work for Ikea received 4 Silvers and 2 Bronze in the Print Craft, as well as 3 Bronze in Print & OOH, while their work on "Don't Sleep on It," for Ikea as well, grabbed Silver in the Media Magic Award.

Lastly, the Film House Qatar received a Bronze in Brand Content for "Unparalleled," done for the Doha Forum.

Cresta has been showcasing and benchmarking exceptional creativity since 1993. The online festival attracts work from over 70 countries and from many of the global industry’s most respected creative companies. Entries cover a wide range of skills, from the very latest digital and technology-based creative communications to more traditional areas in advertising & design.

The work is judged by a carefully chosen world-class jury of more than 120 senior industry leaders, who vote independently online to establish benchmarks for global creative standards. 

The special Jury Chair Award is yet to be announced and will be chosen by this year’s jury Chairperson, Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer at IMPACT BBDO.

See the full list of winners here.