Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Honoring the standout achievements in PR and communications over the past year; the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) hosted its 16th award edition on November 28, 2024. Attended by over 550 guests, the event gathered 62 top agencies and professionals to contend for esteemed titles across 53 competitive categories, celebrating excellence and transformative impact in the industry.
Showcasing the finest achievements in the industry, the MEPRA Awards 2024 celebrated groundbreaking campaigns, agencies, and professionals who redefined excellence through innovation. With over 770 entries judged by an esteemed panel of 130 industry veterans, the awards spotlighted communication campaigns that excelled in concept, strategy, and impact.
Agencies that outshined the evening for scooping maximum awards had Memac Ogilvy winning 27 titles, Gambit Communications clinching 22 titles and Weber Shandwick securing the third position with 16 awards. The agencies showcased thoughtfully curated campaigns, strategic techniques, and innovative solutions meeting evolving industry needs. The prestigious Chairman’s Award was conferred upon Mr. Jamal Al Mawed (Founder & Managing Director, Gambit Communications) while the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi was pronounced the In-House Team of the Year.
The sector category highlighted the finest of PR and communications success glorifying Dubai Holding’s Gift It Forward Ramadan Campaign 2024 as the Best Business to Business Campaign; while Snap Inc and Weber Shandwick MENAT’s TASAWAR-Taking the Runway won both, Best Fashion Campaign and Best Technology Campaign. Burson took home gold in Best Government Communications and Public Affairs for I Care and Memac Ogilvy and Qatar Foundation co-owned the gold for Best Education Campaign.
The services category of MEPRA Awards 2024 honored ingenuity and commitment to excellence spotlighting Matrix Public Relations for Best Crisis Communication, Gambit Communications and City Centre Mirdif for Best Retail Campaign, and; Weber Shandwick MENAT and Careem Kuwait for Best Consumer Services Campaign. Harnessing the power of digital media, Current Global MENAT and MullenLowe clinched gold for Best Use of Social Media. The winners showcased unmatched resilience in a rapidly evolving communications landscape where expertise demanded adaptability and innovative strategies.
Complimenting the winners, Kate Midttun, Chairperson of MEPRA said; “We have some amazing trailblazers, leaders as well as rising stars of the PR industry tonight as we continue to applaud the efforts channeled towards recognition. Not a single win has been smooth sailing for any of us as agencies continue to strike a winning balance between tighter budgets, deadlines, and client expectations. The emphasis on creative storytelling through owned content and strategic maneuvering of AI and technology to reach newer audiences shows that the Middle East’s PR industry shall continue to reign supreme when it comes to embracing innovation.”
Other notable wins were Current Global MENAT and FP7 for Best Integrated Campaign and Best Use of Media Relations, Brazen MENA for Best Use of Limited Budget, and CYLKA CSR for Best ESG Campaign.
The highlights of the evening were the Large Agency of the Year bagged by Memac Ogilvy followed by Gambit Communications and Matrix Public Relations for Medium Agency of the Year and Small Agency of the Year, respectively. Gambit Communications was crowned as the Homegrown Agency of the Year for a third time, having won this highly coveted award in 2021 and 2022.
Iman Isa of Burson was named the Best Communicator of the Year while Rebecca Rego from Edelman won the Young Communicator of the Year award. Providing a competitive platform to the new generation of PR practitioners, the audience cheered Astha Kurup, Arvy Moga, and Jared Rallos of Murdoch University Dubai for bagging gold in Outstanding Student Campaign.
Weber Shandwick collaborated as Diamond Partner for the third consecutive year with MSL Group Middle East, Action Global Communications, and Memac Ogilvy as Platinum Partners. Supporting partners included CARMA, Edelman, Mubadala, TECOM Group Dubai, SEC Newgate Middle East, TrailRunner International, Burson, AMEC Measurement and Evaluation, Place Communications, LPME Studios, Matrix PR, and First and Ten Productions.