
Regional work earns global spotlight at 2025 ANDY Awards
Impact BBDO took home Best in Show in the Social Good category for Child Wedding Cards, a campaign developed in partnership with UN Women. The work also received a Gold in the idea category.
The agency further picked up three Gold for AnNahar Newspaper's The New President, including one in the Bravery category – marking the third consecutive year AnNahar has won in this classification. The New President was also named Best of Region for Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA).
FP7 McCann also secured a Gold in the Idea category for Selfless Shelves, developed for Puck.
Commenting on the results, Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer, Impact BBDO, said: 'The ANDYs set one of the highest standards of excellence in the business. The competition is incredibly tough, and the winning list from around the world truly the best of the best. We are honoured to be featured amongst the winners.'
Now in its 60th year in 2025, the ANDY Awards continues to highlight work that reflects bold thinking, innovation and creativity across global markets. While the focus remains on ideas rather than format, this year's jury placed strong emphasis on work that challenges conventions.
Apart from the regional awards, Canadian agency Courage was named Best New Agency, Rethink repeated its win as Independent Agency of the Year, and production company Smuggler was recognised for its body of work. Network of the Year was a three-way tie between BBDO, DDB and Publicis Groupe.
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Campaign ME
6 days ago
- Campaign ME
Ad agency's employees go MIA in new RAKTDA tourism summer campaign
After months of work with their advertising partner Impact BBDO Dubai, the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) were ready to shoot their new summer campaign, at various locations throughout the city. But when the stills production was scheduled to start, the only people who arrived were the RAKTDA marketing team. It would later come to light that the agency creatives were enjoying hiking, kayaking, relaxing spa days and soaking up the sun at the beaches and luxury hotel pools in Ras Al Khaimah, when they should've been doing their jobs. We reached out to Ali Rez, Impact BBDO Dubai's Chief Creative Officer, who responded with the following statement: 'I am currently out of the office, relaxing on some of the gorgeous beaches that Ras Al Khaimah has. A reply will therefore be delayed.' So, instead of cancelling the shoots and risking not meeting the media deadline, the tourism team decided to step up and take the shots themselves. Using their personal cameras, finance executive Marjorie Benito, R&D member Zoe Zuo, HR manager Sara Alzaabi, procurement manager Ian, IT expert Hari, and licensing executive Saeed went to various locations including the beach, a luxury hotel pool and the mountainside of Jebel Jais, and captured all the fun of RAK during summer. The results are the blurry, over-exposed and questionably-framed images of an unintentionally hilarious campaign aptly renamed 'RAK Summer. Unscripted.' And you can appreciate the amateur glory of all six images, on RAKTDA's social media, as OOH placed throughout the Dubai Mall and on numerous roadside billboards. 'This isn't your typical destination marketing campaign, because Ras Al Khaimah isn't your typical destination,' said Alka Winter, Vice President, Destination Marketing & Communications at RAKTDA. 'We wanted to do something creatively bold and refreshingly honest. RAK Summer Unscripted captures the spirit of the staycations we actually remember – the spontaneous ones that turn into stories. It's quirky, fun, and shows Ras Al Khaimah as a place you don't just visit but truly experience.' Things got even more interesting when it came to the making of their three, short-format films. Faced with absent directors and producers, and a looming deadline, RAKTDA had no other option but to reach out to visiting tourists and ask them to capture the various locations on camera. The wannabe cameramen and women obliged, using their phones to record each of the sites they visited. However, staying true to the spirit of the campaign, things did not go as planned. Look out for the series of dodgy launch films online and at a cinema near you. Just remember – there were average joes behind the camera, so laughing is discouraged. RAKTDA CEO Raki Phillips even moonlit as a voice talent in the radio spot, which is simply a voice note of him complaining about the copywriter not turning up at the studio recording. When asked about the tumultuous production, Raki Phillips had this to say 'We know that Ras Al Khaimak is packed with amazing places and fun activities that our visitors love to take the time to explore, but we had no idea that these so called 'professionals' would enjoy them so much, that they wouldn't turn up for work? The agency has a lot of explaining to do.' This journalist tried to get responses from the creatives in question, but very few could be gotten a hold of. Ghassan Kassabji, CEO of ImpactBBDO Dubai shared, 'We had a great time working on this campaign. Not every client is brave enough to turn the lens on the creative process itself and laugh along the way. RAKTDA gave us that freedom to let go, embrace the imperfections, and create something that truly mirrors the joy of an unscripted summer. That kind of trust is rare, and the result is a campaign that feels as spontaneous and unfiltered as the memories people actually make.' What sets RAKTDA's summer campaign apart is its embrace of the imperfect. Campaign visuals feature deliberately unpolished images paired with tongue-in-cheek captions. RAK Summer Unscripted also includes short film clips where mishaps range from bad selfies obscuring mountain views, to a couples' beach vlog where the phone tips over and there's no sign of the 'blue sky and beautiful water' mentioned on their excited and detailed commentary. The campaign is light-hearted, self-aware, and deeply relatable and its call to action says it all: 'Book your stay and let the story unfold — unscripted, unforgettable, and uniquely Ras Al Khaimah.' CREDITS: Client: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) Agency on vacation: Impact BBDO


Zawya
21-07-2025
- Zawya
UAE shapes sustainable development future through 2045 SDG report and global survey
20245 SDG Global Survey finds: 94.7% support moving beyond economic indicators, 85.4% support participatory policymaking, 70% back cross-sector approaches, 67.8% support regionally adaptable goals, and 64.9% believe AI and digitisation are more impactful than traditional policies. Dubai- New York, UN: The UAE launched the 2025 edition of the 2045 SDG Report at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York City, as part of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development 2025, organised by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. This took place at the headquarters of the United Nations, where H.E. Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, Chair of the National Committee on SDGs welcomed the high-level attendees of the launch event, which included Her Excellency Savanna Maziya, Minister of Information and Communication Technology of the Kingdom of Eswatini, His Excellency Victor Verdon, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Paraguay, Her Excellency Seema Sami Iskander Bahouth, Executive Director of UN Women, His Excellency Eliot Minchenberg, Director of the UNESCO Office for Communication in New York and UNESCO Representative to the United Nations, Her Excellency Benjiran Herani Tajuddin, Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam to the United Nations, and Her Excellency Tsvai Yelma Sabo, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations, while the opening speech was delivered by H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN. Created by the National Committee on SDGs 2025, the report builds on outcomes from the ministerial session held at the World Government Summit (WGS) 2025, in addition to recommendations from the high-level 2045 SDG roundtable held during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2025, and survey responses from the 2045 SDG Global Survey. During the forum, the UAE delegation also presented findings from the UAE-led 2045 SDG Global Survey, which gathered insights from participants across 55 countries, spanning a wide range of age groups and academic disciplines. Redefining Global Development Goals 2045 Titled "Envisioning 2045: Comprehensive Pathways towards Sustainable Development," the report outlines five key priorities: redefining SDGs for 2045; proactively future-proofing economies and societies; enhancing global cooperation at the leadership level; accelerating the transition of global development to a new phase; and establishing a shared international commitment to the future development agenda. The report positions the transition from current SDGs to a future-ready global framework as a necessary transformation that must be proactive, innovative, agile, and equipped to address emerging challenges. It also urges governments to embed future foresight into policymaking, calls on the private sector to help shape sustainable development through AI, circular economies, and responsible innovation, and encourages international organisations to apply lessons learned from the current SDGs to build inclusive and adaptable frameworks. The report emphasises the need to empower communities and individuals – especially women, youth, and vulnerable groups – to take an active role in contributing to the development agenda and shaping the future. It also highlights milestones from the SDGs in Action initiative, organised by WGS in Dubai in 2016, as a platform for advancing global dialogue and collaboration. The report's release at UN HLPF reflects the UAE's broader commitment to accelerating SDG progress, particularly in the five focus areas of this year's forum: SDG3, SDG5, SDG8, SDG14, and SDG17. These efforts are centred on three core pillars: innovation, partnerships, and strategic insight. Proactive Approach to Shaping Development Goals His Excellency Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange and Chair of the National Secretariat on SDGs, described the report as a pivotal milestone in shaping the next twenty years of global sustainable development. He emphasised its foundation in practical pathways for international cooperation and its aim to define more comprehensive and impactful global goals. H.E. Lootah said, "This report reflects the UAE's approach – anticipating challenges, strengthening global partnerships, and designing innovative solutions grounded in research, data, and evidence." He added: "The UAE is committed to building early global consensus on the 2045 SDG framework, building on lessons learned from the 2030 goals to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all." H.E. Lootah noted that while UN's official discussions on post-2030 development goals will begin in 2027, the UAE has already engaged international thought leaders since 2023. Platforms such as the SDGs in Action Forum at WGS have so far convened over 170 global leaders to shape this vision. The report stands as a strategic contribution to the future international development agenda, reflecting the UAE's role as a pioneer in advancing global sustainable development through evidence-based, practical initiatives that anticipate the future and serve humanity. UAE Call for More Resilient and Inclusive Development Goals The UAE delegation also presented findings from the 2045 SDG Global Survey, which gathered insights from participants across 55 countries, spanning a wide range of age groups and academic disciplines. The results highlighted a strong global appetite for rethinking how progress is defined, implemented, and measured beyond 2030. 94.7% of respondents supported expanding the definition of progress to go beyond conventional economic growth indicators. Additionally, 85.4% stated that engaging people in decision-making and policymaking increases their level of engagement and participation in achieving SDGs. The survey further indicated that 70% of participants backed a collaborative, cross-sector approach to sustainable development that is not limited to the government's role. Another 67.8% supported the establishment of flexible development goals that can be adapted to regional contexts and priorities. Furthermore, 64.9% of respondents expressed the belief that AI and digitisation will surpass traditional policies in terms of impact and effectiveness in driving results. UN High-Level Political Forum The HLPF on Sustainable Development is the UN's central platform for reviewing and advancing SDGs. Established in 2012, the forum plays a pivotal role in monitoring national and international progress on the 2030 Agenda. Participating delegations at HLPF conduct assessments of progress toward the SDGs, with this year's forum featuring in-depth reviews of five priority goals: SDG3 (ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages); SDG5 (achieving equality and empowering all women and girls); SDG8 (promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all); SDG14 (conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development); and SDG17 (strengthening and revitalising the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development).

Zawya
07-07-2025
- Zawya
Women's Leadership in Times of Crisis: Zura's Story and the First Restaurant in Her Community
"Since I started participating in the activities of this project, many changes have happened in my life. Today, I am an empowered, resilient, and determined woman. I've learned how to manage my own business, and each day I continue to grow. I was able to build the first restaurant in my community, buy a freezer, and dig a well in my backyard.' This is the testimony of Zura Constantino, a 30-year-old woman from Ancuabe district — one of the regions most affected by the armed conflict in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique. Since 2017, Cabo Delgado has been the epicenter of a humanitarian crisis caused by armed conflict, which has affected more than one million people, the majority of whom are women and children. The situation has been further worsened by successive natural disasters, such as cyclones and floods, which have had a deep impact on the lives of local communities. In this context of vulnerability, UN Women — in partnership with Girls Child Rights (GCR) and with financial support from the Government of Norway — implemented the project 'Promoting Women's Participation and Leadership in Peace, Security and Recovery Processes in Mozambique.' The initiative aimed at ensuring that women and girls contribute to and to have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and to benefit equally from the prevention of conflicts and disasters in Mozambique. Zura Constantino is a vibrant and determined young woman from a rural community in Mozambique, who always dreamed of creating something meaningful for herself and those around her. Facing limited economic opportunities and the hardship of being abandoned by her husband, Zura was left to raise her child alone. Her turning point came when, she participated in financial literacy training and joined a community savings and rotating credit group, promoted by GCR. With support from the group and by applying the knowledge she gained, she took a bold step: she applied for a collective loan of 2,000 MZN to invest in her small food business. Through dedication and hard work, Zura transformed her reality. From selling basic goods like tomatoes and bread, earning less than 500 meticais a day, she expanded her offerings, began selling cooked meals, and now, on busy days, earns up to 2,000 meticais daily. With the profits she saved, she took a leap of faith and is now building the first restaurant in her community — a long-held dream made possible through access to information, credit, and collective support. Today, Zura is an inspiring example of resilience and transformation. She is one of 6,365 women affected by the conflict, aged between 18 and 59, who have benefited from financial literacy training and support through 194 community savings and credit groups established in Cabo Delgado. Each group consists of an average of 25 members, who are encouraged to save a minimum of 72.8 meticais, with savings cycles occurring twice a year. Stories like Zura's stand as a powerful example of how access to capital, capacity-building programmes, and social support can enable women to overcome adversity, lead with confidence, and become drivers of peace and development in their communities. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women - Africa.