LBB Editorial on the Middle East and Africa: Must Reads of 2025

As we wave goodbye to another year, LBB is looking back on the best coverage of 2025. This time, LBB’s Zara Naseer has curated a list of the most insightful stories cooked up by LBB editorial with a focus on the Middle East and Africa.

Highlights include profiles on major players shaping the region’s creativity and craft, such as Chafic Haddad, Reda Raad, Carl Willoughby, and Karien Cherry; behind-the-scenes scoops on delightful, dystopian, and dangerous campaigns for KFC, Puck, adidas, International Committee of the Red Cross, and UN Women; and business news from BETC and BBDO.

Scroll to catch up on any you might have missed at the time!

TBWA\RAAD’s CEO Says “MENA Is Maturing”

The result of a catch up at Cannes Lions in the summer, this profile on Reda Raad reflects on his upbringing in one of the region’s most well-known advertising families, his aspirations as CEO of TBWA\RAAD, AI, and the commodification of creativity. He was also decidedly optimistic of the future of MENA, calling it an “exciting time to be from the region.”

KFC South Africa Cooked up Its Own AI Assistant

KFC and Ogilvy went the extra mile for their ‘Anything for the Taste’ brand platform this year – which made it onto The Immortal Awards’ MEA Shortlist – when they built a mysterious, branded AI specialising in South African culture. Chief marketing officer, Grant McPherson, creatives, Graeme Van Jaarsveld and Tiffany Morris, and Carbon Films director, Bruno Bossi deconstructed their recipe for success with LBB, unpacking the brave work that keeps KFC at the top of its game.

Why It’s Good to Be Big for Impact BBDO

As BBDO rolled out its global repositioning under the banner of ‘Do Big Things’, LBB’s Alex Reeves spoke with CCO and CEO for the MENAP region, Ali Rez and Dani Richa, to find out why the tagline chimes especially well with the ambitious dreams of their part of the world. “It’s not just about thinking big things, it’s about getting big things done,” Dani explained. “And this region, more than any, invites you to do big things.”

5 Minutes with… Chafic Haddad

Named Dubai Lynx’s ad person of 2025, VML MENA’s CCO, Chafic Haddad, is one of the most awarded creatives in the MENA region to date – so there was plenty of wisdom to glean during this interview. Read to find out what he considers his proudest moments and toughest lessons, why the MENA market is in an “interesting phase”, which trends get him grumpy, and how he’d best advise the up-and-comers of today.

The Power of Family Recipes to Help Lebanese Mothers Reclaim Their Futures

​FP7 McCann CCO, Federico Fanti, and Puck senior brand manager, Ghida Amhaz reflected on Immortal Awards MEA Finalist, ‘Recipe for Change,’ a campaign putting power back into the hands of women in crisis zones by turning their recipes into a means for economic empowerment. They talked filming in active conflict zones, helping Lebanese mothers reclaim their dignity, and turning sympathy into admiration.

Havas Launches BETC Brand in Middle East, Headed by Bertille Toledano

In October, LBB’s Laura Swinton reported on the news that Havas had appointed BETC CEO, Bertille Toledano, as president of Havas Creative Network and CEO of Havas Creative Middle East, capitalising on her growing involvement in the region. It was also revealed that Havas Creative agencies in the Middle East were to be rebranded under the banner of BETC Middle East. According to Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO of Havas, the move represented a growing appetite for marrying local relevancy with global level capabilities.

McCann Joburg Is Shaping a Generation of “Kick-Ass” Women

Joining the slim ranks of global women in creative leadership roles, the newly appointed creative director, Thandeka Gilbert, and ECD, Toni Hughes, identified where women are being left behind and what McCann Joburg is doing about it. Insights included why we should stop referring to women of colour’s experiences as ‘unique’, and how women are already doing the high-level work – they’re just not being given the titles to recognise it.

Grand Prix-Winner Karien Cherry on Comedy, Craft, and Chicken Licken

It was a historic year for Giant Films’ Karien Cherry, winning the first Loeries Grand Prix for a Film Craft category, and becoming the first woman director to helm a Grand Prix-winning film. I caught up with her in the aftermath to unpick what she was setting her sights on next – UK, North America, and Australia, that’s you!

TBWA\RAAD in a Live War Zone: Creatives on Set "Were Seen as Heroes”

Possibly the most harrowing campaign I saw this year, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)’s ‘Laws Under Attack’ engraved the Geneva Convention – forbidding the targeting of medical facilities – on the rubble of what had been southern Lebanon’s last hospital. I reached out to TBWA\RAAD ECD Santiago Cuesta to hear about the risks that came with navigating a war zone.

5 Minutes with… Stuart Walsh

My conversation with Boundless’ head of strategy was unlike any other. Disarmingly candid with plenty of anecdotes, Stuart Walsh eviscerated “case study bullshittery”, spilled teachings of a three-time founder, and nodded to South Africa’s knack for crafting “high production-value work for the price of a UK Big Mac”.

Marriage or Gateway to Abuse? The UN Women Campaign Turning Bridal Henna into Bruises

This year’s sobering ‘Inkvisible’ campaign from Impact BBDO and UN Women used henna – a hallmark of Pakistani bridal celebrations – to depict cuts and bruising, raising the alarm that a third of the nation’s married women have suffered domestic violence. Shortlisted by the Immortal Awards MEA jury, I heard about its history-making journey into parliament from CCO Ali Rez, creative director, Rana Sadek, and creative, Maya Sfair. 

5 Minutes with… Carl Willoughby

TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris’ Carl Willoughby has been a steady fixture on the South African advertising scene for over 20 years, consistently chasing work that he dubs “locally relevant yet globally competitive.” In this conversation with LBB, he drilled down on his inspirations and aspirations, his observations on the evolution of South African advertising, and the hardships that have made him a stronger CCO.

Whipping up adidas x Orlando Pirates’ Stormy “Warning to Rivals”

Room Studios founder and creative director, Ashley Benn, sensed the special quality of ‘In Your Bones’ early on: “It was the perfect storm of Royd’s visual direction, his love of football, and the strength of the adidas brand at this moment. Orlando Pirates and adidas are both in some of the best times in their history, and our role was to help tell that story.” Together with director Royd Ringdahl, she went behind the scenes of the kinetic campaign.

"A Kandura and a Falcon Aren’t Enough” to Represent Emiratis Anymore

Following up on Magnitude Creative’s whitepaper, ‘Who Gets to Represent Emiratis in the Age of Identity Sovereignty?’, I interviewed head of strategy, Haïkel Ben Hamouda, and Emirati actor, producer and TV presenter, Saoud AlKaabi. As the advertising industry responds to the legal prohibition on non-Emiratis portraying Emiratis, they discussed how agencies can transcend mere aesthetics of inclusion and why that’s better for business.

Eid Al Etihad 2025: How Can Brands Be a Part of UAE Unity?

In the run up to the UAE’s national day, Eid Al Etihad, I sat down with M+C Saatchi Middle East strategist, Samar Mustafa, Serviceplan Group Middle East business director, Hafsa Qureshi, and Magnitude Creative head of strategy, Haïkel Ben Hamouda, to dissect how international brands can take a leaf out of local brands’ books and engage in UAE pride authentically.

Joe Public and 7Films Metaphorically Pickpocketed Nedbank’s Audience

​Joe Public ECD Martin Schlumpf and 7Films director Lourens Van Rensburg discussed the ominous ‘Hard-Working Professionals’ campaign which had pickpockets pitch travel insurance in a surprise twist. Turns out, it was originally supposed to star actual reformed criminals!