December 14, 2017 Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The region’s public relations industry gathered last night in Dubai to celebrate the 9th annual Middle East Public Relations Association Awards,

 

Weber Shandwick MENA won the coveted Agency of the Year award. INFINITI Middle East with TBWA RAAD, OMD and Four Communications Group won the Best Integrated Campaign of the year for the 'Together for a world first' campaign, while Etihad Airways won the In-House Team of the Year. 

 

Overall, 58 campaigns and individuals won for their creativity, innovation and execution, with Hill and Knowlton, Four Communications Group and Memac Ogilvy and other agencies wining multiple categories. 

 

A record-breaking 229 awards entries were submitted for this year’s MEPRA Awards from across the region.

 

The entries were judged by a 30-strong independent jury of the leading regional agency and in-house public relations professionals and global industry figures including Toby Gregory from Godolphin and Bashar Al Kadhi from Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

 

The jury selected winners that demonstrated excellence in strategic approach, research, planning, creative tactics and evaluation.

 

“Each year the quality of MEPRA Awards entries gets more impressive, making the task of the jury tougher and demonstrating the progress of our regional public relations industry. Winners can be proud that they have delivered work that is amongst the world’s best in our profession.” Ray Eglington, Chairman of MEPRA and Group Managing Director at Four Communications, said: “The MEPRA Awards were established nine years ago to drive excellence in the region’s public relations industry and celebrate our best work. I am sure the achievements of this year’s winners will encourage everyone in our industry to deliver great work that contributes to the growth of regional organisations and economies and strengthens the role of public relations in the Middle East. I congratulate them.” 

 

The full list of winners and highly commended campaigns is below:

 

	Gold winner		Silver winner		Bronze winner
Category	Agency	Client/Campaign	Agency	Client/Campaign	Agency	Client/Campaign
Agency of the year	Weber Shandwick MENA
Best Integrated Campaign	INFINITI Middle East with TBWA RAAD, OMD and Four Communications Group	'Together for a world first'	JLL with Four Communications Group	“Alternative Thinking”	ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller	The Middle East: A Region Divided - The Ninth Annual ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2017
Best Launch Live Event/Stunt	INFINITI Middle East with TBWA RAAD, OMD and Four Communications Group	'Unleash Your Potential'	LG-One	A tower of chocolate with LG Dual Cool	Hill+Knowlton Strategies	HSBC Rock the World of Golf

 

Best Use of Sponsorship	Matrix PR	Himalaya Arabs Got Talent Sponsorship	BPG Cohn  & Wolfe	UniteFor Campaign by BPG Cohn &Wolfe	Memac Ogilvy PR -Dubai	Potatoes On Mars
Best Use of Traditional Media Relations (Consumer/Trade)	TOH PR	Monte-Carlo: Modern Glamour for the Middle Eastern Millennial	Brazen PR	Brazen Gets Behind the Wheel with Careem	Memac Ogilvy PR-Lebanon	UNICEF-Back to School- Ana Hader (I am present)
Best Use of Digital PR	Markettiers	DMCC - Made for Trade Live	Weber Shandwick MENA	United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - Our hands tell a story	Cicero & Bernay PR	Deliveroo - Max of Arabia
Best Use of Influencers	Hill+Knowlton Strategies	#MyPorscheDXB - Starting a journey with influencers for Porsche Middle East & Africa	Airbus	Own the sky - on your way to Manchester and back	Action Global Communications	Fairy Platinum dishwasher tablets launch
Business to Business	TOH PR	Boom Supersonic: Heralding the Jet Age	Oracle	Oracle VAT Campaign	BPG Cohn & Wolfe	Booz Allen Hamilton MENA
Consumer Goods	INFINITI Middle East with Four Communications Group	'Born to Challenge'	Hill+Knowlton Strategies	#Feelthefloatride - Reebok	Hill+Knowlton Strategies	#MyPorscheDXB – Starting a journey with influencers for Porsche Middle East & Africa
Consumer Services	Memac Ogilvy PR -Dubai	Huawei FUT BOT	Rove Hotels with Four Communications Group	Happiness without Borders	BPG Cohn & Wolfe	Hotels.com ‘Travel to Embrace Similarities and Explore Differences’

 

Corporate Reputation & Image	Weber Shandwick MENA	First Abu Dhabi Bank - Day One Launch and Brand Unveil	ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller	‘The Middle East: A Region Divided’ - The Ninth Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2017	Memac Ogilvy PR -Dubai	Lenovo Hadia Time
Crisis Communications	Weber Shandwick MENA	McDonald’s Kuwait - Beef Nation	Grey	#MadeinQatar
Internal Communications	Dolphin Energy	The CORE Project	Abu Dhabi Media with Four Communications Group	“The Gatherings” A revitalised take on employee engagement	Edelman	The Majid Al Futtaim Communities Manifesto
Financial Communications	Impact Porter Novelli	Wills & Probate Registry - Take Care of Tomorrow	Weber Shandwick MENA	Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) – The Exchange with the Midas Touch	ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller	Emirates NBD : #TogetherLimitless
Government Communications & Public Affairs	ENEC with Four Communications Group	Powering-up the nation, Ensuring a positive reception of civil nuclear energy within the UAE	Edelman	The Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations	Cicero & Bernay PR	Dubai Culture- Etihad Museum
Healthcare	Memac Ogilvy PR-Dubai	Potatoes on Mars	Memac Ogilvy PR-Dubai	Lifebuoy - Handle on Hygiene	Weber Shandwick MENA	Children's National - Drawing New Frontiers
Social Responsibility & Environmental PR	Weber Shandwick MENA	Children's National - A Very Special Place	Abdul Latif Jameel Motors	Abdul Latif Jameel Road Traffic Safety Initiative	BPG Cohn & Wolfe	UniteFor Campaign by BPG Cohn&Wolfe
In-House Team of the Year	Etihad Airways
Young Communicator (Agency)	Winner: David Willett - Weber Shandwick MENA			Highly Commended: Angelina Hedra - Weber Shandwick MENA
Young Communicator (Corporate Side)	Hanisha Lalwani - Marriott International