Beyond taking home Agency of the Year, MullenLowe MENA also secured eight shortlist spots for its standout campaigns:

• Don’t Look Down – A nine-hour simulated scroll disguised as a film, spotlighting smartphone addiction among teens. Premiered at Roxy Cinemas, the intervention:
  • Became the UAE’s longest film to air in cinemas
  • Drove 150,000 sign-ups in 48 hours, later surpassing 500,000 on endthescroll.com
  • Delivered over 500 million impressions
• The Art of Stains – A first-of-its-kind campaign using henna art in Saudi beauty salons to discreetly embed period care knowledge and challenge menstrual taboos.
  • Reached 3.42 billion people globally
  • In partnership with the Ministry of Education, brought period education into Saudi classrooms for the first time
  • A 23% increase in sales
  • Sparked vital conversations on menstrual health, dignity, and access

With social at the core of its creative engine, MullenLowe MENA continues to redefine how brands connect with audiences. The agency’s culture is built around agility, collaboration, and content that drives conversation, not just visibility. By investing in social-first thinking and future-facing talent, MullenLowe MENA delivers work that’s culturally tuned, purpose-driven, and built to perform in the real world.

Rooted in a commitment to creative excellence and meaningful impact, the agency blends craft with strategy, constantly evolving to meet the shifting expectations of brands and audiences alike.

As Cannes Lions 2025 approaches, both “Don’t Look Down” and “The Art of Stains” are now global case studies for purpose-led creativity. MullenLowe MENA heads into Cannes with work that not only stands out but stands for something.

Blurring the lines between entertainment and intervention, “Don’t Look Down” immerses viewers in a simulated endless social media scroll, punctuated with ads, medical warnings, and a QR code that challenges the audience to “End the Scroll.” Within 48 hours of the premiere, the campaign had already sparked over 30,000 sign-ups, driven by organic interest, reflecting the urgency and resonance of its message

On average, pre-teens and teenagers in the UAE spend nine hours and eighteen minutes daily glued to their screens. This film mimics that relentless scroll, immersing viewers in a simulated feed that reflects the fragmented, often overwhelming world of social media. The deliberately prolonged runtime challenges viewers to experience what children endure daily, and, more importantly, to take action.

The endless scroll of social media isn’t just a time drain, it’s affecting cognitive development and contributing to issues such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety. Beyond its impact on mental health, excessive screen time is also taking a toll on education. Global PISA test scores reveal significant declines in reading, mathematics, and science skills, highlighting an urgent need for intervention. By replicating the nine hours of scrolling that have become a daily norm for young people, Don’t Look Down challenges society to face these challenges head-on and reconsider its relationship with technology.

In collaboration with Fixby, a UAE-based organisation, who is leading the charge in raising awareness by supporting schools with lockable phone pouches to curb smartphone overuse, a critical step in addressing this growing crisis. is addressing smartphone addiction in a tangible way—through lockable phone pouches that help students regain focus in classrooms. This simple yet effective solution complements the film’s message, providing a practical tool to curb overuse and encourage healthier habits.

The campaign doesn’t stop at the big screen. Following the premiere at Roxy Cinemas, additional screenings are planned alongside initiatives to extend the conversation into schools and communities.

Future phases include targeted school-focused screenings, partnerships with educational institutions, and broader community engagement to keep the dialogue alive among teachers, educators, child specialists, mental health professionals, schools, nurseries, and parents. Influencers and media outlets have already begun amplifying the message organically, creating a ripple effect that ensures this important conversation continues to reach and resonate with a diverse audience.

To show your support and be a part of the conversation, please visit www.endthescroll.com

Communicate decoded this CSR initiative further in order to understand how Mullenlowe will hold its ground as a socially responsible media 

The Why?

In addition to being a robust CSR initiative, Mullenlowe aims to inspire victims of cyberbullying and trolls to speak up. “This is a non-profit campaign, Mullenlowe is not getting paid for it and is only holding its grounds of social responsibility,” explains Media Relations Specialist and Markketiers, Raouia Hamiche.

The How?

Mullenlowe worked with Dubai-based chef and chocolatier, Karim Bourgi to make customized chocolates with apologies, further naming them – Chocapologies.

“We then reached out to famous influencers of the region and a few celebrities who’ve openly spoken about their experiences as victims of hate online and had them feature these apology chocolates on their social accounts, further spreading the message,” explained Hamiche.

The What?

Mullenlowe in collaboration with Bourgi created 3 customized chocolate bars for three different types of trolls often faced online.

Body-Shaming

A form of bullying where victims are targeted on the way they look. Studies report that being body-shamed has both short and long-term psychological and physical health consequences that can lead to severe depression or worse. The first chocolate bar conveys this message and encourages receivers to share the idea further.

Hate Messaging/Hate Speech

Where the internet opens a new world of possibilities for us every day, it has its dark side. Over the years, it has emerged as a platform for people to channel hate and violence. Online hate harms its targets directly.

Cyberbullying

Sending or posting defaming or threatening content against someone can lead the victim to feel helpless and powerless. Similar to the ones above, this chocolate-coated apology addresses the many effects of cyberbullying. “We’ve been observing the internet very closely and influencers, celebrities or anyone with a strong social presence is going through it,” said Hamiche.

When asked how the media and communications network will cope with any kind of backlash on this campaign being subjected to only celebrities and influencers, Hamiche concluded by saying, “Although we are still at the initial stages of the campaign, our key strategy is to get the message out there. With this happening online, a lot of people are experiencing it, and it's affecting them, it's affecting their creativity. It’s hindering them from posting some things that they want to. We tried to approach it in a fun way using chocolate since everyone loves chocolate. For now, we are going to wait for people to respond and take it forward from there.”

Why did you join this industry?

Advertising allows you to try yourself in as many fields and roles as possible, which is pretty cool. You can decide what works better for you in this infinite creative spectrum.

How did you land your first job?

During the pandemic, One Show for Creativity posted a list of vacancies around the world. Being a firm believer in knocking on every door, I applied to MullenLowe, had an interview, and now I am here.

Who do you look up to?

I learn from the many people I meet on my way. It is important to find a mentor who believes in you and lets you fail, get up, and grow. So, in every agency interned/worked in, I try to find this kind of person.

What’s the best advice you have received so far?

Learn to ask for help.

What’s the best advice you have given so far?

Being an introvert, I haven’t done that yet and likely won’t. Plus, you never know if your advice is the best because you are not the one following it.

How do you feel about the stigma sometimes associated with Millennials and Gen Z?

I don’t think there is any particular stigma about these generations. Yes, they are different; how- ever, we just need to stay open and learn from each other. Old school often makes a comeback.

What do you think you specifically bring to the organization you work for?

My extensive archive of research, that I keep for fun; love for always looking for new stuff and trying it out in the agency; being open to delving into different spectrums of work I’ve never tried before; listening skills, that are quite important to be a true team player.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned at work?

Egos should be left outside the office. Not every day do you create a masterpiece. Jokes aside, I am still learning…

What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?

The actual process of creation; a lively brain that finds solutions to problems people do not even know they have. It excites you, gives you goosebumps, angers you, makes you jealous, makes you mad. If you are creative, you are different, you are weird, you are a loser, you are a genius.

What’s the most frustrating thing about your job?

Impossible deadlines with timelines far more confusing than in [Christopher] Nolan’s movies.

If not this, what would you be doing?

I would probably be creating stage designs; I follow many channels on scenic and event designs. I love looking at space transformations that immerse people into different worlds.

Would you start your own venture in the future?

What the last year taught us is not to plan that far ahead. However, if I have a cool idea and a team of people who believes in it, then why not?

What were the reasons behind creating this campaign?

More than 93% of kids play video games. And with the pandemic, children are spending more time in their rooms and, consequently, gaming. Uncoincidentally, reports of online sexual abuse are emerging with unprecedented frequency around the world, with some perpetrators grooming hundreds and even thousands of victims, according to a review of prosecutions, court records, law enforcement reports and academic studies.

It was time we did something about it. So, we decided to reimagine headsets and transform them into powerful tools and, most importantly, conversation starters. Because the only way we’ll end this issue is by talking to kids and their parents, making this a topic of discussion in every home. We’re 100% aware that the device, alone, doesn’t end the issue. But it has the power to make people debate the issue and bring the subject of gaming safety into news stations, homes, workplaces and so forth.

 How long did it take to develop the Protectset?

The campaign lasted for six months and was divided into two stages: production and implementation. The first stage included the design and production of 100 devices with a long testing and audio calibration process, where we auditioned a wide variety of kids and calibrated the headset to achieve the best sound quality or output possible.When we were happy with the results, we started the implementation phase where the devices were distributed amongst dozens of influencers, YouTubers and media outlets across the region and world, culminating in the exposure of the campaign and the devices themselves.

What does the campaign hope to achieve?

The overall goal of the campaign is to raise awareness about the issue and make gaming safety a topic of debate because, essentially, the only way we can get closer to ending this is if we open channels of communication with our young ones and make them aware of how to deal with specific situations. And we’re quite satisfied with the results as of now.

In just 20 days, the initiative has already gathered impressive results: 800M impressions, 10M USD in earned media, over 2,000 media clippings and 900 cumulative TV broadcasts in the region and the world. With no media budget, we developed a campaign to make gaming safety a topic of debate and the world responded to it, making parents, the gaming world and the media talk about the issue.

What troubles me is that the gaming industry has remained silent on the issue while other industries had to step in to find a solution. Why do you think that is?

It’s hard to say what the motivations of the gaming industry are. We can only talk about our client’s and our own motivations. But what we can say is, it would be much more beneficial if other companies or industries took part in raising awareness about the issue. Just imagine if the gaming industry spoke about safety online the same way the car industry speaks about texting and driving.

How is the Covid-19 crisis reshaping the marketing and advertising industry in MENA?

The impact of Covid-19 was a sudden shock that forced everyone [in the industry] to quickly find solutions to adapt to the new reality. Businesses closed their doors, revenues dropped significantly and agencies had to cope with many challenges and uncertainties.

We had two worlds before Covid-19 – the physical and the digital. [During] the pandemic, the physical world was completely shut down and we had to shift to the digital world. This transition was more comfortable than many had thought, especially in the UAE where the advanced and well-prepared infrastructure [helped with the process.] However, it also re-engineered the way we work and the type of work we do.

The challenge for marketeers and agencies was to respect the rules of the game during such a crisis. For example, how to communicate without sounding opportunistic or off-track and what to communicate when business was closed. Equally, the behavior of people that we were all very familiar with had taken a complete shift. The challenge was to very quickly understand and define this new behavior and become sensitive to the new mindset.

The crisis did not reshape the marketing and advertising industry, but rather opened the door, allowing it to become more accountable and more strategic. We had to be more proactive than ever before. As the crisis started to change, we moved from a reactive to a proactive setting, working with our clients to communicate in a very different world.

It has encouraged clients to look at the long-term strategy rather than short-term campaign bursts, which is something the region has been crying out for and is now happening on all levels. Finally, it pushed both clients and agencies to look at social and digital as the main channels, leading to greater expertise and a shift in the way we look at content. I believe that Covid-19 forced both marketeers and agencies to rethink their structures, models and the way they think and communicate.

How does this impact differ in the region’s different markets?

Each market had specific challenges and consumer sentiments because their tensions were different. For example, compared to Egypt or Levant, the pandemic had a more severe impact on the GCC. I believe this is due to the number of cases that were announced, the government’s serious approach, and the economic impact linked to the market size and its international nature.

What measures have you taken to mitigate this impact (restructuring, staff reductions, etc.)? 

I’m very proud of the way we, as MullenLowe, but especially MCN, have managed the impact. It’s an excellent story on all levels. The mature leadership and vision during the crisis led to a very soft landing across the board for our respective businesses.

Plans were clear and the assessment of the crisis was perfect. Decisions were never hesitant and, most importantly, the interest of our clients and people became our top priority. Transparency was key. We were engaging and communicating with our people about every threat or opportunity. We made everyone a part of the decision-making and this helped absorb the impact of the crisis.

This created greater levels of efficiency, commitment, proactivity and productivity. The team has delivered some of the best work we have ever produced. Our agile model helped us remain efficient and supportive. We were working step by step with our clients to support them with market intelligence, strategic guidance and creative output, not just to save the day but to prepare ourselves for the future. We were confident about the road map as we understood that the crisis would see a gradual end. We had to be ready for the post-Covid phase as we knew it would look completely different. We are now ready for it.

How could this crisis lead to deeper transformation and change the way you operate in the long-term?

The future will demand agility, speed and expertise, which are not easy to secure if your model is not designed well enough to deliver on those principles. The transformation [has helped us accelerate our goals] towards achieving a hybrid, channel-neutral model that can deliver the right message for each touchpoint. Integration and collaboration have always been our strengths as an agency and as a group. Today, we made this even more visible to our clients and partners. Agencies can no longer work in isolation, and integration should not only take place within the agency or the group you belong to, but also with the clients you work with. It would not make sense for media, PR, events, digital and mainstream agencies to work outside of serious partnerships and collaborations. Clients will demand more accountability, efficiency, value, and better quality work. Every penny spent will be measured and will need to be linked to a higher ROI. That will help media and creative agencies collaborate better and we will see data analytics and digital marketing coming to the forefront of the game.

How have clients reacted to the crisis, and what do you advise them to do?

Clients were very responsive and our attitude was similar. This crisis made us even closer to our clients because the line between agency and clients had vanished. We became one.

My advice for clients, as always, is to believe that communication is not a luxury but a necessity, maybe even the most significant investment they can make. Communication is not only for when the business is working, but more so for when it is not. One, because you need to optimize the potential to increase sales, but more importantly, to build awareness and stay top-of-mind. Brands have to continue building on their purpose because it is a continuous long-term exercise for each brand. [Going dark] for some time would regress the value and jeopardize all previous investments the brand had made.

What lessons from previous crises have helped you face the current situation?

Agility and commitment. During the crisis, the agency plays a significant role with the client,  strategically as well as creatively. Commitment is needed not to drop the ball or be limited to expertise and talent. Leadership is also very critical, as it is needed to help keep the momentum, stay ahead of the game, find relevant and valuable solutions, and keep your team inspired and motivated while coping with budget cuts and financial challenges.

The main lesson is that every crisis brings with it an opportunity to evolve your business model and [restructure] your offering to make it more relevant. Ultimately, I believe that this crisis has allowed us to evolve [quicker than expected.]

What will you take away from this pandemic once we’ve passed it?

Stay human. Stay humble. Stay honest. Moreover, and most importantly, stay positive because it brings creativity; and creativity can be found in the darkest situations, where it becomes the only guiding light. Creativity does change the world because it makes humanity spread, and humanity is all we need during a crisis.

What’s the best thing that can happen in 2016?

We all know the facts: political instability, oil prices, economy going down, devaluation and so on. This is a reality but if and how it’s going to affect us [the advertising industry] is something no one knows, so everyone needs to stop being so negative and plan maturely.

In this environment, you have to be efficient, because every single dollar matters. So, the best thing that can happen is that clients and agencies gain maturity, be serious about the product and quality, and collaborate more. This should bring agencies – creative, media and digital – and clients together. It will force us to think of solutions that aren’t necessarily financially driven or high on cost. So, we will have to embrace digital, social media, content, activations, etc. more openly.

Moreover, it will also make the strong stronger and the weak will vanish. There are smaller agencies that are desperate to survive and are accepting the same scope of work for 50 percent the rate – and this is ruining the industry. I really hope such agencies will stop playing this game and clients will be mature enough to understand what they’re paying for.

What’s the worst thing that can happen in 2016?

There will probably be budget cuts, devaluation and so on, but that’s not the concern, because that’s a part of any business model and something that those with experience should be able to handle.

What really scares me are the factors beyond our control, such as politics and wars, and their effect on the economy. The political situation is already bad, with half the countries in the Middle East at war, but we don’t know how much worse it can get – we can neither predict nor control it.

Mantra: Be a challenger who is positive and brave. Our best work comes when we feel challenged and this should be our state of mind whether there is an impending crisis or not. At the end of the day, those who are brave, confident, and hungry for growth are the ones who will succeed. Don’t hide when you think there’s a storm coming; but go out there and brave it, because that’s how you will learn to live through the worst and be better for it.

The new brand identity has been created to reflect the positioning of MullenLowe Group as a global creative boutique, with a challenger approach delivered through a hyperbundled operating model. Alex Leikikh, Global CEO of MullenLowe Group says in a statement, “The creation of MullenLowe Group has given us the opportunity to create a whole new type of global communications network. A network not defined by silos. A network with integrated communications planning built into the model. A network where we bring together the best cross section of our talent across all disciplines to work on client business challenges and drive more creativity”.

The MullenLowe Group network will now consist of four main brands: MullenLowe, delivering integrated marketing communications solutions, MullenLowe Profero, the digital pure-play network, MullenLowe Mediahub, providing media planning and buying solutions, and MullenLowe Open offering behavior driven activation and shopper marketing.

To visualize the new brand identity, the network employed its own talent to design its new logo, with the ‘Challenger Octopus’ marque being developed out of MullenLowe Brazil. Jose Miguel Sokoloff, President of the MullenLowe Group Global Creative Council, adds, “The new ‘Challenger Octopus’ brand identity perfectly embodies the positioning of MullenLowe Group, as a creative company with a challenger attitude that is willing to take risks, and underscores a key competitive advantage of our network with our hyper-bundled offering”.

As of January 2016 all Lowe agencies will be renamed as MullenLowe, across the 90 offices in over 65 markets globally.