JWT Entertainment in Cairo, part of the J. Walter Thompson Company in the Middle East and Africa, bagged a coveted Titanium Lion award at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, for Abla Fahita.
“Egypt is a cradle of Arab culture and our Cairo team has taken that onto the global stage, winning in Cannes the first Gold Lion for Egypt in 2013 and now the first Titanium, fantastic,” shared Vatche Keverian, CEO, J. Walter Thompson MENA.
Able Fahita is an entertainment brand that has created an entirely new business model in advertising. The award marks the first time any agency in Egypt has ever won a Titanium at Cannes Lions.
“Words fail me. With Abla Fahita, the guys didn’t just turn a problem into an opportunity, they made all those buzzwords such as “new paradigm”, “game changer” and “new business model” actually make sense. I think this is what an inspired and motivated team can do when they think positive. That’s all it takes to make the jargon ring true. J. Walter Thompson Cairo seem to have made this their trademark: to make us speechless with the power of their ideas,” commented Ramsey Naja, Chief Creative Officer, J. Walter Thompson MEA.
The story of Abla Fahita, a witty puppet created for advertising has evolved the role of the industry in Egypt. Her transformation from a puppet that advertises brands, all the way to business equity and an entertainment brand in her own right, began with her humorous comments on live Egyptian issues. With her popularity soaring rapidly she rode the wave of online content stardom and released a massive hit single with one of Egypt’s leading musicians, Hassan el Shafei.
“As an agency, we are best placed in terms of talent and skill sets to produce insightful entertainment. Abla Fahita is magical – an unlikely star who faced all her challenges with the same poise and charisma – which is probably why she resonates so strongly with her audiences,” stated Amal el Masri, Chief Strategy Officer, J. Walter Thompson MENA.
A Titanium from Cannes Lions is an award that recognises breakthrough ideas, which are provocative, and point to a new direction in the industry. The Grand Prix in the Titanium and Integrated Lions was bagged by Weden & Kennedy New York for Re2pect while the Titanium Grand Prix was won by CP+B Boulder USA for ‘Emoji Ordering’.