The creative sector is all about pace. We pitch fast, deliver quick, and are constantly thinking about how to scale faster still. No matter where you are in the world, that pressure to move at speed is baked into agency life. I’ve worked across London, Singapore, Canada and now Dubai, and I’ve lost count of the number of briefs that have come in with insane timelines.
I once had a brief land on my desk at 10am. By 4pm, we were presenting creative. Six hours to crack the brief, sort the strategy, and make a plan. The clients were happy, but the most important questions were never asked: is this the right idea for this audience? Will it resonate here? What will matter for the brand after the campaign ends? The work launched, ticked boxes – everyone was happy. The problem wasn’t the work; it was the rush. Momentum without clarity rarely delivers anything that lasts.
When I moved to Dubai, I expected that mindset to dial up even more. This is the land of record-breaking: the tallest building, the deepest pool, the fastest rollercoaster. But working here has reshaped how I think about brand-building.
The ones that stick aren’t chasing quick wins, they’re pausing to ask the right questions at the very beginning of the project: What do we want to be known for? What do our audience really care about? Are we solving a real problem, or are we just filling a space?
I once lost a pitch because we told a client something they didn’t want to hear – that a single global concept, adapted for the UAE, Saudi, Egypt and Qatar, wasn’t going to convert a new audience or increase brand love. Instead, we’d pitched smaller, sharper campaigns for each market, each rooted in local insight, with its own strategy and longer timelines.
A year later, that same client came back. They hadn’t seen the results they wanted and realised local insight, lived experience, and cultural fluency were key to success. So we set to work.
WHEN SPEED COMES AT THE COST OF SUBSTANCE
In the rush to be first, brands often forget to be relevant. An ad gets millions of views, the engagement stats look promising, and the comment section is full of witty responses. But surface-level traction doesn’t build trust, and it rarely lasts beyond the scroll.
When campaigns are rushed out to meet a deadline or fill a content calendar, strategy becomes an afterthought. The question shifts from “Is this true to us?” to “Will this trend?”
The work that actually cuts through often isn’t the loudest or the quickest. It’s the most intentional. Virgin Mobile’s Superfan campaign didn’t try to game the algorithm. It started with a clear point of view rooted in the real experiences of real people. It was honest, bold, and built to last, not just to trend.
WHY BOLD BEATS VIRAL
The brands that start bold don’t need to chase the algorithm. They have a strong perspective, a tone, an idea, and a truth that guides what they say and how they show up. That’s what keeps the work consistent.
LEGO’s Father’s Day campaign in the UAE is a great example. It didn’t follow the typical playbook. Instead, it reframed the day as a moment shared between Dads and their kids, rooted in family values. It was thoughtful and true to both the brand and the audience.
Virgin Mobile and LEGO both leaned into what actually matters to their audience. Relevance over reach, truth over trend. They weren’t trying to be loud; they were confident enough to be specific – which is exactly why they landed so well.
STRATEGY BEFORE EXECUTION, ALWAYS
We talk a lot about creative work. But the most effective campaigns start at the brief, when the right questions get asked:
What do we want people to feel when they see this brand?
Where is our audience – emotionally, culturally – when we meet them?
What’s the long game here?
The brands that win long-term aren’t the ones scrambling to do more. They are the ones that work out a clear plan – focusing on what matters, with real intention.
Dubai Tourism’s “Here Today, Dubai Tomorrow” campaign was another project that totally nailed this. It was rooted in a hard truth: many Brits see Dubai as unfriendly, corporate, and soulless. Instead of pushing out a slick ad or leaning on influencers, they built an immersive travel experience, curated moments, hands-on storytelling, and real-time engagement. It wasn’t about flash. It was about shifting perception through something thoughtful and specific.
CONCLUSION
Great brands don’t rush to be everywhere; they work hard to be understood. They ask the right questions, build stronger foundations, and resist the pressure to chase every trend or timeline.
This is particularly important in a region as layered and diverse as the Middle East. The brands that last are the ones that take the time to listen, to learn, and to lead with intent. Because the work that lasts doesn’t come from moving fast. It comes from moving with meaning.
