12 Charlie

November 2018

Dunno how many times I’ve taken it… surely over a hundred times over the years… That GF560 flight to Muscat 🇴🇲: departure 01:35am arrival 03:00am (emergency aisle seat 12 Charlie’s mine!). Not great timings for one’s beauty sleep, but hey – it allows for a full day’s work on each side of the night.

You see, for years now we’ve worked very closely with our colleagues at DDB Oman, contributing our creative resources whenever warranted. Countless pitches, presentations, campaigns, clients – and while it’s always intense, hard work – it’s also always a great team effort, always packed with excitement, stress and midnight oil, but also friendship, memorable times – and memorable work! Radha, our CEO there, is amazing and a great friend. Indeed, for years now, she and her husband always most kindly insist we stay at theirs – and let me tell you: the hospitality (as are the breakfasts 😋☀️), is absolutely second to none! 🙇‍♂️

Eventually, however, after many years as CEO, Radha left the DDB agency she had been running there, and together we instead started our own, along with digital buddy Anshul Singhal and a prominent Omani partner. DDB Worldwide immediately transferred their associate agreement to our new agency and Jabreen DDB was born.

Needless to say, this only means even more GF560 red-eye flights ☺️, often accompanied by either Louise, Anisha, Summer, Fifi or Rawan, to boost our local team there: Shaima, Amel, Rhea and Yesh.

In view of the region’s current economic climate, this may admittedly not be the best of times to start an agency, but the convergence of opportunities was there, and the chance to continue working with Radha, Anshul and our existing clients in Oman, as well as with our new team there, was certainly incentive enough!

#ThaliaDDB #OmanAgency #JabreenDDB #Muscat

1,154 Years Old…

October 2018

As our Saudi client Al Muhaidib Group celebrated their 75th anniversary 🎈🎂, an exceptional commemorative memento was required to mark the momentous occasion. And so we were delighted when they turned to us to have a very special bronze medal stamped for this by Monnaie de Paris, whom we represent here.

Monnaie de Paris 🇫🇷 (the official French Mint) is not just any ordinary company! Now in business for an uninterrupted 1,154 years, it is one the world’s eight oldest companies still running. Sitting in central Paris on the banks of the Seine river, they mint all the euro currency coins for France and a number of other EU states, as well as currency coins for many other countries (including some of Bahrain’s), but they also stamp magnificent custom commemorative medals of the absolutely highest quality, combining centuries-old traditional tools and craftsmanship with the latest technologies.

Al Muhaidib Group opted to go big and bold for such a big anniversary, choosing 115mm diameter, 10mm thick solid bronze medals weighing in at a kilo a piece! A highly specialized artist in France beautifully designed both faces to our brief. Striking blocks for both sides were masterly hand-engraved out of the hardest steel (later quenched in liquid nitrogen). High quality bronze blanks were then cold-stamped up to eight consecutive times under tons of pressure to achieve the highest degree of detail. Walnut display boxes were designed by us and skillfully hand-made in Bahrain 🇧🇭.

We are thankful, honoured and proud indeed, to have had the opportunity to pair two such prestigious companies – Al Muhaidib Group and Monnaie de Paris – and to have played a role in marking such a historic milestone 🙌.

#ThaliaDDB #AlMuhaidibGroup #75thAnniversary #MonnaiedeParis

Toy Story

December 2017

David Gram, Head of Marketing at Lego Future Lab, is widely credited and globally acclaimed for orchestrating the spectacular turn-around of Lego, taking the brand from the verge of bankruptcy to becoming the “Apple of Toys”. The true Lego Hero!🦸‍♂️

Of course, this didn’t happen just by magic… or did it? With crazy change whizzing all around us, the business world in upheaval, Lego’s massive success story was indeed both a stroke of genius and a ray of hope. But what on earth is the secret recipe? 🎃🌟

Always on the ball and never afraid to grab the bull by the horns, our client Al Muhaidib Group aimed straight for the source:

- “François, we want this Lego guy to come and speak at our Management Conference. Make it happen.” - “Oh sure! And there was me fearing you’d never ask!...”

As usual, the magic of our own kicked in. A few emails, a couple of calls and boom: there was David Gram signed-up for the event! (eh yes: we do that! 😇)

The learning from his approach to innovation: the philosophy, the methodology, the processes, the means, the determination and the passion – Wow! Mind-blowing!

Of course, David was not the only speaker we commissioned. Also on our roster was Eva Steensig and her team (also from Denmark 🇩🇰 – as David), brilliant inventor of the equally amazing “SignBank” trend-spotting methodology.

We’d also recommended and signed-up British Social Entrepreneur Anisa Haghdadi – recipient of a British Empire Medal when only 23 years old and last year recognised as one of 50 New Radicals "who are actively changing their communities for the better". Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances prevented her from attending at the last moment. 😟

Nonetheless, the event proved immensely instructive, insightful and inspiring. As we praise Al Muhaidib Group for their fearless acumen and thank them for their trust in us, we can only look forward to next year’s event with great anticipation!

• David Gram and Eva Steensig at the Al Muhaidib Executive Conference 2017

#ThaliaDDB #Lego #DavidGram #AlMuhaidib