Ramzi Raad has been my business partner for more than twenty years. And my friend.
Ramzi has been a prominent figure of the advertising industry in the Middle East and in North Africa for nearly five decades. He has built one of the best, if not the best, advertising networks in the region, which enjoys unstoppable growth. And more importantly, one of the creative jewels of the TBWA worldwide family
He’s one of the greatest defenders of “Disruption”, the TBWA philosophy that encourages brands and companies to challenge conventions and overturn the status quo. Not surprisingly, he has been named Advertising Person of the Year in 2010 in the region, and his network has regularly been named Network of the Year.
Until ten years ago, in the global marketing arena, Arab agencies were not well known. And yet, many of the strategies and ideas developed by TBWA\Raad agencies have marked a first. They have been celebrated by our global network. And rewarded in many festivals, starting with Cannes Lions. Ramzi has put Arab advertising on the global map.
I’ve often had the chance to visit the TBWA office in Dubai as well as those in Beirut and Doha. And I have always been struck by this rare mixture of professionalism and benevolence that characterizes the agencies created by Ramzi. They reflect who he is. A real entrepreneur, with a strong sense of ethics and values. He’s affectionately referred to by his agency people as the ” Commander in Chief.”
Advertising is a window on the world. It brings you to the heart of what’s going on, and sometimes what matters. Looking through his book over all these years, Ramzi allows us to better understand not only what motivates Arab consumers, but also, in a way, what drives the Arab world.
There is an Arabic proverb that says: “Peace comes from understanding, not agreement.” Agreements are more easily broken than made, understanding never. Looking at the world today, we still have a long way to go, but I would insist on the fact that, at a personal level, Ramzi has always strived to improve this understanding. Few people have brought so much, at the same time, to their people, to their company and to the world they are living in.
Ramzi Raad is for sure one of a kind.