The 55th D&AD Professional Awards Ceremony took place on April 27, 2017 in London, where agencies from the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region won 12 Pencils in all.
The three Omnicom creative agencies – Impact BBDO, DDB & TBWA\Raad and TBWA\Istanbul have won the lion’s share of these wins. FP7/Cai too has brought home two Pencils.
MENA agencies did not win any Black Pencils or Yellow Pencils, which are among the highest honors of the awards, but did win two Graphite Pencils and 10 Wood Pencils.
The UAE ranked at the 20th position among the top awarded countries; Egypt ranked at number 27.
D&AD CEO Tim Lindsay commented, “What unites the winners is a clear desire to create a better world, whether it’s promoting diversity, safety or inclusivity. Proof that creativity as a force for good lives outside of a single category but has become an all-encompassing theme. For the first time ever, the United States is the country taking home the most number of Pencils. The top of the country rankings comprises countries from across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa, reminding us that D&AD is a truly global organization, encouraging and awarding talent from around the world.”
The complete list of winners from the region are:
| CATEGORY | ENTRY TITLE | ADVERTISER | ENTRANT | COUNTRY | AWARD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor Advertising | Kol Nokta Btefrek | Law Andak Dam | Impact BBDO Dubai | UAE | Graphite Pencil |
| Crafts for Advertising | Making Sense of Dyslexia | Sydlexia | Impact BBDO Dubai | UAE | Wood Pencil |
| Writing for Advertising | Flowers | Visa | Impact BBDO Dubai | UAE | Wood Pencil |
| Writing for Advertising | Perfume | Visa | Impact BBDO Dubai | UAE | Wood Pencil |
| Film Advertising Crafts | The Line-up Song | Coca Cola | FP7/Cai | Egypt | Graphite Pencil |
| Film Advertising Crafts | The Line-up Song | Coca-Cola | FP7/Cai | Egypt | Wood Pencil |
| Outdoor Advertising | FINDING HER | UN Women Egypt | DDB Dubai | UAE | Wood Pencil |
| Crafts for Advertising | Love At First Wash - Date Night | Henkel | DDB Dubai | UAE | Wood Pencil |
| Direct | One-Drop Bottle | TBWA\Raad | TBWA\Raad | UAE | Wood Pencil |
| Media | Champions' Hijack | Go Sport | TBWA\Raad | UAE | Wood Pencil |
| Film Advertising | Gay Turtle | Amnesty International | TBWA\Istanbul | Turkey | Wood Pencil |
| Crafts for Advertising | Be Seen | The Cartel | Y&R Dubai | UAE | Wood Pencil |
