Marketing and advertising executives from across the Middle East gathered for the first Dubai International Advertising Festival this week.
Featuring high-profile seminars, workshops, exhibitions and screenings aimed at giving creative inspiration, learning and networking opportunities to the advertising and allied industries in the region; the festival attracted hundreds of visitors each day.

The Dubai Lynx Awards, which are part of the festival, honor creative excellence in television, cinema, print, outdoor, radio, direct marketing, media and interactive advertising.

You can browse all the winners here, I was pleased to know that the TV/Cinema Grand Prix went to Melody Music Channel, Leo Burnett Cairo Agency, Egypt. I laugh every time I watch one of these music ads on Melody, the English spoken in this particular Arabic accent is so funny and the ideas are so good! You can watch the videos here.

If you’re looking for some serious coverage of the event right from the heart of UAE check out: Copywriter Journalist.

Here are some of the ads I liked the most!

[An ad for Tide Coldwater: “If everyone in New York City washed their laundry in cold water for just one day, the energy savings could be 5.7 million KWH. Enough to power every light in the Empire State Building for a month.”]

[An award-winning advertisement for Hush Puppies shoes.]