Creative Advertising ~ Product Promotions ~ Strategic Thinking ~ Brand Consultancy & Visual Communication ~ Team Management

“Delivering creative innovative insight that fuels breakthrough products & services and shaping the essence of an organization to realize its future potential”

Objective: Seeking to be an effective catalyst in team building, customer orientation and business growth by creating profit-spinning units and enhancing organizational performance, by being a part of …

Senior Creative

Target Sectors: – Advertising and related

About Me: Creative Art Director, Inspirational, Leader, Visionary, Conceptualizer and Analytical Brand Consultant; get thrills by innovating in strategies, marketing, products and services.

Functional Expertise: 10 years of significant experience in Advertising, Graphics Design, Marketing Communication, Mass Media & Publicity, Executive & Corporate Projects, Brand Nurturing, Product Management including 10 years of International work exposure.

Synopsis:

ð       B.A. (Graphic Design), Technical Degree (Advertising), a creative Art Director and Strategist proficient in brand management, enhancing brand awareness & placement in compliance with corporate guidelines.

ð       Champion in offering marketing communication solution for clients, ensuring customer satisfaction & loyalty and utilize keen analysis, insights and team approach to drive organizational improvements.

ð       Hardworking individual, with knowledge in e-Commerce, websites & multimedia, acting as the single point of contact between the marketing / planning / business development depts. and external media communications.

ð       An efficient communicator possessing sound coordination, presentation, interpersonal, client interaction, relationship management, leadership and mentoring skills adept in updating latest products / technologies.

ð       Possessing software knowledge on both PC & Macintosh platforms and specialized Advertising Programs (Adobe Illustrator; Adobe Photoshop; Adobe Page Maker; Adobe Indesign; Freehand; Quark Xpress).

ð       Currently working as Senior Art Director with Horizon DRAFT FCB, Dubai (UAE) since May 2003.

Career History

TBWA, QATAR

Senior Art Director / Head of a creative team  (May 2010 – till date)

Latest Achievements:

        Successfully launched & retained the corporate campaigns for Qatar Foundation* (THINK) in Qatar, the region and worldwide.

        Launched & retained campaign for Qatar Foundation Radio in Qatar.

        Launched & retained campaign for Qatar National Day.

        Pivotal in visualizing & implementing the concepts on layouts, ensuring customer satisfaction & retention on all Qatar Foundation and all its related organizations above and below the line work.

*Qatar Foundation is the largest non-profitable organization in Qatar and the region that consists of 3 main pillars: Education, Sciences and Technology, Social Development. Each pillar consists of many entities. More on QF can be found on www.qf.org.qa 

Job Profile:

        Coordinating with and reporting to worldwide Creative Director in Los Angeles.

        Managing and spearheading activities with the assistance of 5 team members (Copywriter Counterparts).

        Preparing and working on brainstorming sessions and researches.

        Overlooking and inspiring the creative team.

        Delivering presentation for the finished concepts to the clients.

        Steering & guiding the Photographers / Producers, ensuring smooth transition from layout to the finished artwork and supervising the Finishing Artists.

Key Accounts handled: Qatar Foundation (and all its entities), Radio Qatar Foundation, Qatar national day.

Horizon DRAFT FCB – Dubai, UAE

Senior Art Director (May 2003 – Jan 2010)

Latest Achievements:

        Successfully launched & retained campaigns for Sama Dubai TV (a Dubai Media Incorporated company).

        Launched & retained campaigns for Dubai Holding companies (Dubai Group, Dubai Investment Group, etc.)

        Pivotal in visualizing & implementing the concepts on layouts, ensuring customer satisfaction & retention.

Job Profile:

        Spearheading activities with the assistance of 2-5 team members (Copywriter Counterparts), reporting to the Head Creative and visualizing & implementing innovative concepts on layouts for clients.

        Delivered presentation for the finished concepts (for both below and above-the-line projects) to the clients.

        Steered & guided the Photographers / Producers, ensuring smooth transition from layout to the finished artwork and assisted in executing the finalized artworks by supervising the Finishing Artists.

Key Accounts handled: Taco Bell, Dubai Holding group of companies, Samsung Mobiles, Samsung Home Appliances, Mercedes-Benz (Qatar), New Zealand Milk (Anchor Milk, Chesdale, Falcon), Kraft Biscuits & Confectionaries (Oreo, DreamWhip), Tetra Pak, Turkish Tourism, Swatch Group (Omega, Tissot, Rado), Food Specialities Ltd. (Diamond), Habtoor Motors, Nakheel, Dubai Media Incorporated (Sama Dubai TV), Jazeera Airways (Kuwait), City of Arabia, Tadweer, Nawras Telecom (Oman), Global Village, Kempinski Hotel, Dubai Holding companies

The Idea Agency (Aviamost Advertising) – Dubai, UAE

Art Director (Sep 2000 – May 2003)

Achievements:

        Instrumental in the conceptualization and successful launching of the following:

        Jumana (the Burjuman Magazine) including it’s advertisements

        Damas magazine (the life style / jewellery magazine of the large jewellery network Damas)

Job Profile:

        Led a team of 2 personnel, reported to the Owner / Marketing Manager and involved in executing campaigns in compliance with all advertising and marketing norms and also retaining various campaigns.

        Steered the production activities, coordinated with the team members on work allocation & followup.

        Involved in finalizing various layouts and delivering to the clients.

Key Accounts handled: Jumana Magazine, Aviamost Magazine, Damas Magazine, Damas Jewellery, Yamaha Electronics, Patchi, Bin Hendi (Hugo Boss, Brioni, GFF, Second Cup, Baituti, Bella Donna, Japango), Planet Travel, Dubai Park Hotel (+Hard Rock Café) Al Diar Hotels Chain, Appella Watches

Volcane Advertising – Dubai, UAE

Senior Graphic Designer (Mar 2000 – Aug 2000)

Job Profile:

        Reported to the General Manager and responsible for developing logos, corporate identities, integrated branding campaigns and POS materials.

Key Accounts handled: Fun Time Pizza, Vendome Plaza Hotel, Steadler Stationary, and Philips

Techno Trading Est. – Beirut, Lebanon

Senior Graphic Designer (Mar 1999 – Feb 2000)

Job Profile:

        Reported to the Owner / Product Manager and worked on promotional & POS materials, big scale digital printing and handled various types of graphic design work.

Key Accounts handled: ABC mall, Kookai, Jazz Jeans, Bettabat, and Jacques Farel Watches & Accessories

Freelance Exposure (Mar 1993 – Mar 2000)

Accounts: Municipality Suides; Libami (Charity Federation - Family); Environment Without Limits (Ecologists)

Work Outline:

        Involved in creating promotional items and developing corporate identities.

        Produced brochures, press ads, posters and photography, etc.

Professional Development

The Foote Cone & Belding Rising Stars Development Certificate Program, Lisbon, Portugal (Sep 2005)

        ATL-BTL The line is Blurring (Martin Wright)

        Introduction to Motorola (Martin and Dan Douglass)

        Time management (David Cohen)

        How the agency makes money and how what you do makes a difference (Laura Field for Kathry Herrick)

        Understanding your personal behavioral profile (David Cohen)

        How to present and sell advertising (Brendan Ryan)

        New Business, what’s going on, how to follow up on leads and the pitch process and how to bring it all together and work as a network (Sven Olsen)

        Managing global accounts (Terry Corrigan)

        Presentation skills (David Cohen)

        A primer on integrated marketing and thinking beyond the commercial (Bob Bachle)

        Exploring your creative potential (David Cohen)

        Creative on an International Account (Robert Mitchell)

        What makes a great agency (Pedro Alfra, a client of FCB Lisbon)

        Understanding your personal behavioral profile (David Cohen)

Academics

B.A. (Graphic Design), Notre Dame University (NDU), Lebanon (1997)

B.T. (Technical Degree in Advertising), College Central, Lebanon (1992)

Personal Details

Date of Birth:  21st September 1974 w Languages Known: Arabic, English and French

Lebanese National, holding International, UAE, Qatar & Lebanon Driving License

Net savvy, avid sports & music lover with interests in fishing and reading advertising magazines

References will be furnished on request

Preferred Locations:  Lebanon /Dubai / Qatar / Bahrain