Middle East ad agencies have failed to gain any nominations at this year’s D&AD Awards despite D&AD nominating a record 165 entries.
DDB London and BBDO Proximity Malaysia are the two most shortlisted agencies, with 10 and five respectively.
Of the 20,000 pieces of work judged, 717 entries have gone In-Book and will be included in the D&AD Annual as a record of the best work in advertising and design this year. The annual will be published in September and the only Middle East entry will be The Classic Partnership Advertising in the graphic design/stationery category for Tearproof for Prasad Karmarkar.
There was more positive news from the Clios earlier this week, however, where six pieces of regional work are shortlisted. Y&R is shortlisted three times for its ‘Cause & Effect’ work for Harvey Nichols and its ‘Graves’ ads for Eye Bank Association of India; while TBWA\Raad Dubai has two shortlisted pieces of work and Grey Dubai one. TBWA\Raad Saudi Arabia also picked up the country’s first shorlisted entry for its ‘Miniature magazines’ work for Masa Pest Control.
And though of mentioning TBWA\RAAD Saudi Arabia is the first and only agency to get shortlisted in the Clios.
That Harvey Nichol ad featured in the story layout is so lame….what a tacky visual pun on being surrounded by ‘birds’…phew!