2022-06-11 12:22
So here you go: McDonald's no more.After opening to exceptional fanfare in 1990 in Russia, McDonald's basically scaled back its operations (but could not completely eradicate them as several… Read More
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Tarek Chemaly Blog
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Pop Culture, POPaganda, and media critique from the world over and Lebanon specifically.
2022-06-09 07:11
Image of the "Toyota building" dating back to 1981The Toyota building in Dubai got its sign back.Well, here's the story - the official name of the building is Nasser Rachid Lootah building… Read More
2022-06-07 09:51
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyAt a time when many - as in by the hundreds - HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes) are closing, the news that Le Castel is reopening in Kaslik is no mean feat consi… Read More
2022-06-05 09:46
Artist: James Gillray (Temperance enjoying a frugal meal)Apparently I am frugal.Maybe if I spent more in the past I could have saved more money from the one that got lost in the banking cris… Read More
2022-06-02 06:27
Aishti - the country's most luxurious retailer - is on the streets. Several billboards indicate it. Sure, it's online is a little in disarray (on its website, fashion is in 2021 - look here… Read More
2022-06-01 04:52
From the website "Truly Destroyed" - The Salvation Army (The Netherlands)Luxury fashion house Balenciaga recently launched its Paris Sneaker collection, which featured 100 pairs of limited-e… Read More
2022-05-31 17:32
I said it before in 2018 (see here), that it would be lovely for Beirut Beer to go out of the shadow of Almaza and stop its positioning as "anti"(leading brand in the market) and market itse… Read More
2022-05-30 05:14
Image credit: Rima RahbaniFirst the facts:Ultra popular singer Elissa recently sang on stage a song. "Hanna el Sekran" (Hanna the drunk), altering the words "ysawer bint el jiran" (drawing t… Read More
2022-05-26 04:48
Composite image of my photos by ArabAdIn case you have not read it, please go to the ArabAd website and see my sum up of the political campaigns in this year's elections. Follow the link her… Read More
2022-05-25 05:54
Facebook: 35 books.Instagram: 43 books.Twitter: 22 books.Tiktok: 42 books.Youtube: 42 books.That's the number of books the average person can read in one year with the time they spend on soc… Read More
2022-05-23 16:03
Well, as I said prior the Lebanese Forces was hijacked and became a meme and they should have cut their losses but did not. Still, continuing with their "we can" context here they are post-e… Read More
2022-05-18 04:43
All right, now that all the results are out, and it turned out - against all logic, money sent by international allies, 13 million Dollars spent on advertising campaigns on multi-channels by… Read More
2022-05-17 05:41
Taking a break from the seat-gripping (no pun) elections result in Lebanon (and no, you cannot pin Jad Ghosn's 88 vote loss on me, I don't vote in Metn).So to quote a satiric comment "Russia… Read More
2022-05-16 06:13
It's incredible, the results of the elections are starting to trickle in and everyone is jubilant and everyone says they won. I still cannot understand how everyone is thinking.Free Patrioti… Read More
2022-05-14 10:02
My vote, tomorrow - artwork by Tarek ChemalySo after covering the elections' ads, on as much coverage as I can by tracking social media, taking photos from billboards, screen shooting whatev… Read More
2022-05-13 05:37
Photo by Tarek ChemalySelling your vote. Well, let's be honest, can you have an election without vote-buying and falsification?Short answer: No.Well, ad agencies jumped at this. Leo Burnett… Read More
2022-05-12 11:31
Elmarada, like any other Lebanese party is centered around a family. In this case, the Frangiehs. Suleiman Frangieh (Senior) had a very famous quote: "My country is always right" (watani da2… Read More
2022-05-12 07:11
Burger King. Yes, the fast food joint is in the elections business as well.Creatively one cannot accuse them of not trying. The idea is simple, on May 15, Lebanese people have thousands of o… Read More
2022-05-12 04:17
The FPM which is running (along with allies) in all regions, has opted for a rather quiet campaign, rather "non-tailor made" for each candidate. All of them seem to be going with just a simp… Read More
2022-05-11 11:56
Wooden Bakery has woken up to the elections. Using that electoral law whereby you put an X next to your favorite candidate (though you have just voted for the full list as the law requires)… Read More
2022-05-11 10:36
SourceIn 2018, Al Mustaqbal misfired with a silly campaign (I awarded it worst campaign for a political party - here). Thankfully this year, their campaign is brilliant - they did not do any… Read More
2022-05-11 09:26
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyAt some point I knew I was no longer an agency man.But I was always very lucky in my career. I gradually eased into lecturing. And even when I left lecturing because… Read More
2022-05-09 16:21
And so.... What would you say when a political list for the elections actually gives you a serious deja vu from a nice campaign for BOB Finance - who works in money transfer.The original is… Read More
2022-05-09 04:54
Toy Soldiers - artwork by Tarek ChemalyThese elections, everyone is not talking about war in their ads, therefore everyone is.What? No, no, am serious.In 2018 I voted the Kataeb ad "your bal… Read More
2022-05-08 10:14
All right, now that's interesting. How? A Chouf candidate having an ad in Kesserwan. Logically it does not make sense. But practically, it does. A lot of sense.Let me explain: During the war… Read More
2022-05-07 12:45
OK so Almaza, our national beer is on it. Elections 2022.... All right, they are doing two things: 1) introducing the can with a line "yes we can" (used by Obama in 2008 but originally by Ce… Read More
2022-05-07 05:46
Just so that no one labels me too cynic. I am giving this the benefit of a doubt. Georges Khabbaz, who describes himself as Actor / Comedian / Director / Musician / Writer/ Producer has team… Read More
2022-05-04 14:05
And so Exotica entered the Elections fray.OK I am shooting a wide speculation here, but I have the feeling the whole ad was shot almost without a budget. Maybe totally without a budget. But… Read More
2022-05-04 05:23
Well, the bonus point this election for Farid El Khazen? There is not confusing him with the other Farid El Khazen - the prominent AUB professor, MP, and now ambassador at the Vatican. Now… Read More
2022-04-30 05:07
OK, so this is a complicated story. Chamel Roukoz is the son in law of the president of the republic. To be more specific, he is the "other" son in law (I am not sure how the family does Chr… Read More
2022-04-28 04:53
Well, it seems (Dr.) Selim Hani has a platform he is running on. Something called "specialized industry". His ads however, suffer some confused wording truth be told. "Politics is an industr… Read More
2022-04-27 04:46
Now here's the rub, why would Amal even bother to do an ad is beyond me. Yes, yes, like any political party it needs to do some maintenance ads to say they are still here. The issue? Amal is… Read More
2022-04-26 16:21
Not sure if you know the rules, unless you are part of a list, you cannot go on being a candidate. Yes, bonkers I know, but the electoral law is so convoluted this is just a fraction of it… Read More
2022-04-26 04:47
OK I am going to say something nasty here, and whereas I have no personal animosity against Mr. Mansour Ghanem El Bon, I - honestly - thought the guy was already dead. According to the inter… Read More
2022-04-25 08:56
Considering I elected it the best 2018 campaign for a political party (see here) Hezbollah adopted the if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it approach to the elections. Their 2018 slogan "we defend… Read More
2022-04-25 05:30
OK, so now that Saad Hariri decided not to run for elections, everyone is running for a piece of the cake. Supported by Fouad Siniora and other Sunni notables, the "Beirut Touwajeh" (Beirut… Read More
2022-04-24 12:50
I have noticed it several times during these elections, many candidates belonging to different parts of the political spectrum have decided to play it safe - euphemism for boring. This simpl… Read More
2022-04-22 11:24
And then finally someone cracks it out in the open! Sandwich w Noss, which basically sells foods, issues an ad about "lists that make sense" which doubles as "lists that have a flavor" - fro… Read More
2022-04-21 05:01
Cadillac is celebrating Ramadan in the UAE. But instead of just splashing the brand anywhere it went the organic route, and a great bonus, the ads come mobile first because honestly, isn't t… Read More
2022-04-20 05:33
Still from an awareness ad by Babel agency about plastics in the bloodA friend of mine contacted me lately, and considering that I started my career as an agriculture engineer, he had some q… Read More
2022-04-18 08:19
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyI have a friend who is a director. She has incredible sensitivity in her shots, her moods are very touching visually, she can be poetic like nobody's business, and he… Read More
2022-04-15 13:41
So Almaza moved to the dark side - well, almost.What's with electricity being absent most of the day and night in Lebanon, and with Lebanon being in the dark most of the time (hence my solar… Read More
2022-04-13 05:44
So Michel El Murr is up for the elections. OK, I know this sounds confusing, but considering Michel El Murr was a fixture in Lebanese politics (until his influence dwindled, and he passed aw… Read More
2022-04-10 07:15
Up until a few months ago, like any Lebanese, my subscription to the communal generator was still tolerable: Price per Kw was something I could pay. Then all of it a sudden it all went strat… Read More
2022-04-09 16:58
Edward Challita, also known to friends and family as Eddy is in Sharm El Cheikh. As you shall see below our connection goes back to 2014. When... Oh just read below how exciting our fir… Read More
2022-04-08 06:54
In a move that makes Georges Chehwane's campaign seem a masterstroke of communication, in comes Fadi Nahas. Who? Well, apparently businessman and philanthropist (see here). Whereas I am not… Read More
2022-04-08 04:51
It was all waiting to happen. Businessman makes money. Businessman wants to enter politics.Georges Chehwane made his money from advertising booking and real estate (Plus Properties which is… Read More
2022-04-07 04:20
Well, how about some platitudes with your elections? "Because development is a right" "Because there's enough humiliation on the doors of hospitals" "Because old-age insurance is a guarantee… Read More
2022-04-06 04:52
In 2018 I wrote about how Paula Yacoubian was having an identity crisis for the elections. The identity crisis still goes on mind you, but it just took a sharper tone. What happened in the m… Read More
2022-04-04 09:59
And for Ramadan, let Aramex introduce you to this oddity. Conceptually it has no feet to stand on. The idea is that an elderly woman is supposed to navigate a VR headset all by her own. No… Read More
2022-04-03 10:42
Full disclosure: at one point Lebanese Swiss Bank was a personal client of mine.Now that I said that, today a certain website was shared with me from an email which is obviously an alias. Th… Read More
2022-04-01 14:42
So Durex went with an April's fool joke. A new line of condoms?With a twist. Well, I am not the one to suggest blow jobs but honestly the ad suggest it vigorously, because the joke of t… Read More
2022-04-01 10:44
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyThe story goes that the idea of One Hundred Years Of Solitude came to Garbiel Garcia Marquez while driving his car with his wife next to him. Suddenly he stopped talk… Read More
2022-03-30 19:17
All designs (C) Botrus HajjBotrus Jajj just issued a pre-Autism Day campaign (no wonder he issued it a bit earlier than April 2nd, World Ausitism Day as he would be competing with major well… Read More
2022-03-29 17:35
Well, Adidas does not do things on a small scale in Dubai, does it?As as matter of fact, the higher the better. And how higher can it be that the top of a skyrise. With none other than… Read More
2022-03-27 05:00
Ramadan is coming, and this year many NGOs and charitable associations are battling for the money people no longer have, which their work is exacerbated by the meteoric rise of the needy (wi… Read More
2022-03-26 05:50
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyDagny Carlsson has passed away.Who? The world's oldest blogger. She was 109 years old. Started blogging at the age of 100. Her blog centered around her own life in Sw… Read More
2022-03-23 16:06
Remember Sawa Li Lubnan? Here here they are again - except now they know what they stand for, or rather against. Well, as we step closer to the election, Sawa decided to pick the issues du j… Read More
2022-03-21 11:35
Aishti does the Mother's Day treatment, but does it a little on the down low. Keeping with the idea of the strikethrough headline (see here) Aisthti (Lebanon's most upscale retailer) went wi… Read More
2022-03-20 13:48
It is Mother’s Day in Lebanon on March 21rst, so many companies are rushing to produce something (with strict minimum budget) to celebrate it. Several years back, the internet was floo… Read More
2022-03-17 05:55
Now this is alarming. I just saw an ad that encourages people to actually become candidates for the parliament elections - the ad is signed by official bodies no less. About 2 months away fr… Read More
2022-03-16 11:48
The Lebanese Forces launched the revealer of their campaign - a little too late (already explained how Khat Ahmar hijacked it and how it became a meme on social media!), pity - if you take o… Read More
2022-03-14 16:59
Abed Tahan pulls an early one for Mother's Day (celebrated on March 21rst in Lebanon). The idea is simple, instead of gifting mother something that won't last, why not gifting her something… Read More
2022-03-14 11:04
And so it happened - actually, what took it so long? OK, already Khat Ahmar hijacked the Lebanese Forces campaign (see here - and the original Lebanese Forces teaser here). The problem? The… Read More
2022-03-08 16:12
Almaza beer has an ad for women's day. On the face of it, it's empowering and bold (though I thought they'd save it for the upcoming Mother's day). The ad goes "she's the basis from th… Read More
2022-03-08 06:45
Well, here we are - something not elections related! Castania, a Lebanese leader in nuts is advertising its Trail Mix - you know, those dried fruits and nuts people munch on for energy durin… Read More
2022-03-07 06:25
Now I have spoken about the issues regarding women's quota in the parliamentary elections prior (please read here), which are a little tangled. But what disappointed me in the new Fifty Fift… Read More
2022-03-05 07:15
Source: The Art Of BooMoustafa Byoumi wrote a brilliant article in The Guardian lately (please read here) whereby he detailed how "racist" the coverage of Ukraine is. Of course, by now, many… Read More
2022-03-04 16:54
So it seems Nestle which owns sub-brand Maggi (the chicken broth and soups - even if the ad shows no broth and only the soup variety) is now made in Lebanon. "Same quality and grade now it b… Read More
2022-03-04 06:12
Well, so it seems I will be eating my hat! Remember this teaser I told you about and I staked my reputation it was Lebanese forces? Well it turned out that it was Khat Ahmar! Now Khat Ahmar… Read More
2022-03-02 07:27
Ah so someone still believes in teaser/revealer strategy - why is beyond me. Still, there are two ads which go "there are those who can and don't want" and the other goes "there are those wh… Read More
2022-03-02 05:57
So here we go again... Elections time! In may that is and campaigns have just started pouring in a very shy manner. We start off with the Phalangists or Kataeb. "Free economy and social just… Read More
2022-02-26 10:46
I know writing this post is counter-intuitive for someone who has the oldest still running blog in Lebanon. But hang in there with me. Yes, I realize that getting the Ukrainian stories acros… Read More
2022-02-24 15:38
That could easily have been on top of my list of selling lines to transpose into Arabic. Adidas beautiful line "impossible in nothing". Actually I just saw that someone did the job already … Read More
2022-02-22 07:54
Now this is interesting. A while back Wiam Wahab, a Lebanese politician described Ukrainian women as simply prostitutes prompting a very severe reply from the Ukrainian embassy and an apolog… Read More
2022-02-21 16:03
Well, how about a bit of absurd-surreal ambiance? Thanks to Home Deco we have it. Well, to those not in the know, Home Deco used to be BHV prior but then live everything else, a rename was i… Read More
2022-02-20 11:37
Artwork by Tarek Chemaly based on Sammy Clark album coversSammy Clark, the memory of a full generation passes away. Clark who had his heyday in the late 70s and early 80s spawned a very prol… Read More
2022-02-17 11:29
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyToday I find myself in a very introspective mood. Especially about the blog as such since it is my main public ticket or calling card. I am still here, can you believ… Read More
2022-02-14 07:48
So apparently earth was just one connected continent way back then - and let Morgan Freeman with his suave voice tell it. So before Asia, Europe, etc.... there was no rifting and all this wa… Read More
2022-02-13 05:15
OK, it has been ages since I have been to any Burger King branch. Just to be clear, it is not their fault, it is me with my super minimal outing - though thrice vaccinated am still trying to… Read More
2022-02-11 16:39
Online morphing of the original Benetton ad - done this way to stop the blog from being flaggedAdidas just issued its new bra ad... with no bras in sight? What is in sight though is what bra… Read More
2022-02-08 07:52
Photo credit: Bill TahaPerhaps you do not remember these ads. When Aishti used to a huge fanfare for Valentine's day (I could not find them anywhere online, but I remember the trilogy of "Lo… Read More
2022-02-07 10:52
Waitographer? See here in case you are confused.I am tired of gimmicks. Gimmicks which are forgettable in about 5 minutes.I do love Roger Moukarzel. And yes, the original idea by Hilton Hote… Read More
2022-02-03 06:16
Well, I have no solid statistics but I know for a fact that what's with poverty climbing to 55% of the population, what's with inflation hitting all prices, what's with devaluation wiping ch… Read More
2022-02-02 16:09
UAE Government Media Office found a splendid way to encourage winter tourism - all thanks to Tahaab Rais (formerly of FP7 & McCann) who left them a parting gift at the door. Is the film… Read More
2022-02-01 07:37
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyWell there you go - Tahaab Rais leaves McCann as head of strategy MENAT. You want to read the official version, please go here. I have spoken of Tahaab several times… Read More
2022-01-30 20:55
Fifty Fifty have a new ad about implementing the women's quota during the next elections.In case you do not know, women's quota is precisely what it says: there ought to be a certain % of wo… Read More
2022-01-28 08:29
OK I admit, it is a little destabilizing when you notice an ad placed on just two unipoles - as a matter of reference, in 2005 any campaign with less than 600 billboards was not even conside… Read More
2022-01-24 11:24
Before everything, no I did not see "Perfect Strangers" (or اصحاب ولا اعز) in its Arabic version.And no I am not reeling abo… Read More
2022-01-23 11:22
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyIt is not secret that January is a slump in terms of advertising expenditure. After the Christmas extravaganza and before the budgets are set for the new year, Januar… Read More
2022-01-20 15:48
OK so today it transpired that the "regie" short for "Régie Libanaise des Tabacs et Tombacs" (the public organization controlled by Lebanese Ministry of Finance, manage plan… Read More
2022-01-18 15:33
Nutella being an imported product its price has gone through the roof what's with the Dollar continuing its acrobatic movements in Lebanon. Enter many Lebanese companies trying to do substit… Read More
2022-01-12 06:26
My Ami Buggy by Citroen comes out swinging thanks to Buzzman Agency with some exceptional copy which, wait for it, capitalizes on its "shortcomings" rather than hides them. "Your first ascen… Read More
2022-01-09 08:49
Mat3am el Za3im a restaurant in the bequa'a has come up with the season's best use of vernacular Arabic. I love it when outsiders beat agencies at their own game. And this is an incredible u… Read More
2022-01-05 14:29
SyncIthra (via Leo Burnett MEA) gets the wonderful idea, but through the wrong specimen.OK, so the idea first: A certain Amadeus Mozart (to begin with this is the wrong appellation, his name… Read More
2022-01-03 08:48
I know, I already pointed out that CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) was an hypocrisy (see here) and the Picon ad itself has all the blueprint of the usual we-are-here-to-help (see here)… Read More
2022-01-02 10:53
Artwork by Tarek ChemalySo today everything has a name… “Microagression”, “pansexual”, “harassment”. You want to declutter your “toxic”… Read More
2022-01-01 07:03
Pupetta Maresca - artwork by Tarek ChemalyI start this year by quoting what someone once described as "huge amount of non-monetizable information" I have in my head. Which brings us to Pupet… Read More
2021-12-31 07:34
And to all of you trying to do meaningful, inspirational, yet also touching and personal ads, please read this email I just received from Slowear (the lovely store in downtown Beirut which w… Read More
2021-12-30 07:43
Is it an Adidas ad? Of course it is.Does it look like an Adidas ad? No it does not.Hence the brilliance of it.On the surface of it, it is French football legend Zinedine Zidane with UA… Read More
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