2021-07-07 04:29
Now, the price of. a Johnnie Walker Black Label may be out of the reach of the average human in Lebanon (check it here) but the ad has surely impressed me. It exudes everything Black Label i… 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.
2021-07-06 16:10
Very few people fall under the multi-hyphenate umbrella, but Ahmed Amer certainly does. He graduated in Architecture in 2014 with a focus on interiors, then eventually in fashion design in 2… Read More
2021-07-04 07:01
So yesterday as I was scrolling through my Instagram in the stories section someone posted some alarming statistics "Lebanon: Nearly 80 percent of households do not have food or money to buy… Read More
2021-07-03 05:11
Artwork by Tarek ChemalySo here we are ladies and gentlemen, "The History of Lebanon: a Simulacrum" by Tarek Chemaly, has been fully released. In Arabic the title is: تا… Read More
2021-07-01 09:27
Well, nothing is left for 250 Liras in Lebanon which now accounts to literal pennies in Dollars with the USD climbing and climbing. But not so fast! Malik's Bookshop to the rescue! In an ad… Read More
2021-06-28 08:20
Cynthia Chamat Debbane in happier times at the storeI was the before the last client of Boutique Hub. on August 4th - yes, that August 4th 2020. Actually I had met Cynthia Chamat Debbane&nbs&hell…Read More
2021-06-27 08:11
Artwork by Tarek Chemaly from the series TanaklogiaWe no longer read, we react.I found that to be very true lately. Which is why I stopped writing comments on Instagram, something I actually… Read More
2021-06-23 15:34
Ah so this flew a little under the radar. Khoury Home does Father's Day... A little bit pocking fun as said father(s) - they could be rock stars? (or rather rock star wannabees), or sp… Read More
2021-06-22 06:17
Portemilio ad from my collectionSometime in the mid-aughts, a campaign in Lebanon (mostly Beirut) would only be visible if it had 600 billboards, otherwise it would be drowning in the sea of… Read More
2021-06-15 07:06
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyI previously spoke of the Lebanese leaning towards thrift, second-hand shopping, what it means to be middle class in Lebanon today, the dire straits of Lebanese shopp… Read More
2021-06-12 05:21
In 2017 I issued a full book after "Der Krieg" by Otto Dix, and this year on a total whim I did a new series based on "Los Desastres De La Guerra" after Francisco Goya. In both series… Read More
2021-06-11 08:08
The ad, I think unreleased, goes back to 2003 and was part of my portfolio when I worked at Drive (later Drive-Dentsu) in Saudi Arabia. If I am sharing it, that's because lately I have seen… Read More
2021-06-08 06:46
Here's the original quote: "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." - Fri… Read More
2021-06-07 05:58
Photo by Tarek ChemalyBeirut is talking again. For a long time, the city was "mute". Believe it or not it happened before the explosion of August 4th. Something was odd, whatever Beirut was… Read More
2021-06-06 05:49
If I am mentioning this ad (Takis) it is because it is there - which is no mean feat these days in Lebanon. So here it is: "Do you dare?" apparently the sub name of the product "fuego" impli… Read More
2021-06-05 15:44
So ads are creeping back to Beirut. Sure, not in the same frequency that was prior to October 2019 and the start of the "thawra" but there is a palpable improvement. Take Tola - the Nestle c… Read More
2021-06-03 11:02
Brand rivalries - we miss those. But then again some try too hard. So Pepsi Max (France) is trying to put down Coca-Cola. "Choose the brand that you do not think about when they say cola", "… Read More
2021-06-02 08:33
So it is pride month. No, not in Lebanon, but it is pride month - cue all brands trying to get on the bandwagon. Which brings us to Amstel. Amstel Brasil to be specific. Actually, you ought… Read More
2021-05-30 04:14
"In 1967, it became a crime to raise a Palestinian flag in occupied Palestine. In a gesture of protest, Palestinians would carry a slice of watermelon as it contained the same national colou… Read More
2021-05-29 18:27
Glenbey - from the Glens of Scotland to the shores of of Lebanon. Here's the idea of the ad: A man takes his dog for a walk in the highlands of Scotland, arrives to a wooden hut, asks for a… Read More
2021-05-27 04:13
So Burger King Belgium is reopening its stores. Good for them after jumping, like the rest of us, from one lockdown to another and from one difficult situation to another. So they're launchi… Read More
2021-05-26 11:48
Recently, I saw the poster of an exhibition which dates back to 2015 which was hosted by a certain institution. The concept of the exhibition, the scenography, the artworks, the elements on… Read More
2021-05-24 14:52
Where does on begin? Johnnie Walker just unleashed a prepackaged, lowest common denominator, cliche filled ad - oh and the whole ad has one (ONE!) person wearing a mask! Everyone else is wit… Read More
2021-05-24 10:39
And now it is the turn of Pizza Hut to leave the Lebanese market. At least they left with a bang and with a lot of panache. In an empty pizza box (and one which is soiled with oil comi… Read More
2021-05-19 09:24
And there are those who still believe justice will be done. Which in Lebanon is like waiting for Godot, or to quote late singer Leonard Cohen "the Maestro says it's Mozart/But it sounds like… Read More
2021-05-17 15:28
Credit: Lebanon DikkeneThat Barilla jingle! The one drilled into the collective memory of the Lebanese population. Yes, that one! One of the many many achievements of multi-hyphenate creativ… Read More
2021-05-17 10:00
So "good things come to those who wait". And wait is what people did! And now (in the UK at least) restrictions are easing when it comes to the pandemic, and Guinness beer offers its "welcom… Read More
2021-05-15 07:10
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyLebanese-French comedian Roda Fawaz put it best in his monologue that went viral after last year's August 4th humongous explosion, "to be a Lebanese is not a national… Read More
2021-05-10 05:18
With the whole world up in arms about Palestine (no need to link anything, you can just read it anywhere), I have been totally silent about the issue. Why? You might ask. Well, for a long ti… Read More
2021-05-09 15:18
With the returnable Pepsi bottle now back in vogue, and in a funny and witty move, Jabaliyeh - which specializes in traditional mouneh (such as rose water, honey, thyme etc....) has launched… Read More
2021-05-08 05:49
Well, let us be honest from the get-go: Lebanese are not exactly know for solidarity. Sure, we do have social security, post-partum vacation-days for women, a rather large and not svelte sys… Read More
2021-05-05 13:50
And so it transpired former president (or current president depending on whom you ask!) Donald J. Trump has a new blog. The blog in question, like mine, has no reply option. But items can be… Read More
2021-05-04 06:20
Hmmm, how about this for a double-entendre: "To every thief in this country, you can't beat a Lebanese" - the ad by SMS (who formerly graced us with this) is actually for them selling safes… Read More
2021-05-02 05:44
SourceSo yesterday was Labor Day, which begged the question: What am I to celebrate? Am I - gulp - unemployed? Actually, it's complicated. Sometime in 2006 I was working as an advisor to a p… Read More
2021-05-01 10:54
Ah labor day, with unemployment soaring (estimated at 55% though could be higher, and those still working are actually doing so for a pittance), Labor Day comes in Lebanon this year with a s… Read More
2021-04-30 06:15
Believe it or not, at one point the 1 Liter Pepsi bottle was reserved for Sunday lunches, birthdays and special occasions. Of course, Pepsi is now ubiquitous in any meal, but still, in… Read More
2021-04-29 05:52
We already spoke about investing in Real Estate, Gold, and now - Art! Well before you scoff and what not, how about telling you that some of the banks invest heavily in art - on a local leve… Read More
2021-04-28 09:33
And this year too - the PHNX awards are back!!! After last year and its inaugural edition, the AdForum PHNX tribute will fly again! Last year AdForum launched the PHNX awards as a way to cel… Read More
2021-04-28 04:28
Well, apparently there is a new insurance app called Comin. It is one of the very very few campaigns on the road. But still, it is quite visible viewing the lack of challenge from othe… Read More
2021-04-27 10:30
What do you get when you blend Rayya Morcos upcycling genius (with the ReBird label), the incredible entrepreneurship and generosity of Nawal from Depot Vente, with the staggering eye of pho… Read More
2021-04-26 13:36
In Arabic, the word "tehwil" means 1) to drop by 2) to transfer 3) to change from one state to another and BOB Finance benefited from all this to do their quite impressive nice ads... The pr… Read More
2021-04-24 14:54
The Football super league came and went in 60 hours. But enough time for it to become the butt of the joke. Well, at least football fans know how to vote with their feet and they immediately… Read More
2021-04-24 07:22
So now that we agreed that real estate is a double whammy should you invest in it (better look here), why not try gold? Well, at least gold is indeed a safe investment and Le Comte jewelry p… Read More
2021-04-22 04:31
Photo copyright: Lucien SamahaYou don't follow Lucien Samaha on Instagram? Really? What kind of a creature are you?Well, that he is one of my favorite photographers, he is an exceptionally w… Read More
2021-04-21 06:47
How do you say non binary without saying non binary, without tickling people yet still targeting your funky audience which is rooted in 2021? Let Boutique Hub in Beirut show you by introduci… Read More
2021-04-21 05:40
Lacoste has a new campaign courtesy of BETC. In purposefully broken English (and I am not against it) the "crocodiles play collective" campaign where famous "influencers" and artists and the… Read More
2021-04-20 07:00
From the series "Hamra 73" - artwork by Tarek ChemalyWhen we were at university, we (that is mostly a common friend and myself) had a friend who thought that whatever applies to him applies… Read More
2021-04-18 11:47
Fa - artwork by Tarek ChemalyMiddle class, a term frequently used but seldom understood here in Lebanon. I bet no Lebanese has a solid understanding of social stratification and its difficul… Read More
2021-04-17 11:15
That the Arab market is huge for men's watches is no secret, that the Eid is the ultimate time to exchange precious gifts is also a given, so Brietling came up with a Ramadan ad which nails… Read More
2021-04-17 05:35
Is there anything Romance ad agency cannot do? Well, here we are - fresh from their multiple successes for Intermarche or Uber Eats, they now offer Decathlon the kind of dream campaign the b… Read More
2021-04-16 09:29
In the words of architecture critic Alice Rawsthorn:"For centuries, local communities across West Africa have found calm, comfort, joy and justice by congregating under the leaves and branch… Read More
2021-04-13 04:40
Ramadan offer - the mousaharati tambourine!Yes, I know, as adults, celebrations - from Christmas to New Year to Ramadan to Eid to birthdays to job starts - change in flavor. They decrease in… Read More
2021-04-07 13:32
Time to make up your choice!This from the media directorate of Mouwatinoun wa Mouwatinat fi dawla:The collapse has accelerated in the past months in an unprecedented way, is a warning that t… Read More
2021-04-05 08:24
"Instrad of freezing them at the bank, release them in a real estate".Sakr Real Estate is selling what everyone is buying. Namely investing in real estate as a way to smuggle one's Lollars o… Read More
2021-04-04 06:52
Is it dangerous to promise people the unthinkable? Not according to fine. Whose ad rests upon "lovely days will be back again". And yes, people hug in the ad and that. Nothing about retrievi… Read More
2021-04-01 07:07
Right after Volkswagen rebranding as Voltswagen (another IHOB!) - which would have been a wonderful name for their electric combi coming to the market in 2023 - Almaza is playing the April F… Read More
2021-03-31 09:49
If you have no read Milan Kundera's "Let the old dead make room for the new dead", I suggest you should. Whereas "new" is an euphemism in this case, it seemed fitting that the only new… Read More
2021-03-28 05:47
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyHmmm, why am I writing this at this time?Because maybe there are no ads to talk about, and the reality is already bleak enough for the Lebanese to go on about more ta… Read More
2021-03-23 10:38
And so Najjar has a new ad, and a new positioning as they moved from "abl kil chi fi Najjar" (before anything else there is Najjar) to "kif ma baramet fi Najjar" (no matter how you turn ther… Read More
2021-03-23 09:03
Lately, a Lebanese banker said that if we combine what is left in the reserves of the Central Bank (currently 16 Billion Dollars), to what the Lebanese are hoarding in their houses as cash (… Read More
2021-03-21 12:59
Almaza is back for Mother's Day."You give me right from your heart". Not bad, few points for the effort.Why?Because when you compare to this ad to the one below, you see that they've do… Read More
2021-03-21 06:34
Chateau Ksara is at it again for Mother's Day which falls today. A lovely warm ad (I admit not up to the level of their incredible Army Day, but one cannot get lucky twice so soon!), still… Read More
2021-03-19 18:11
Artwork by Tarek Chemaly from the series "History of Lebanon"Ah those were the days!When LBC could nick any program or film and educate us with it.Well, education could take many forms this… Read More
2021-03-16 07:29
Lacoste x Polaroid, the collab we did not know we needed! The campaign (you can see the film here) was shot by photographer Simon Schmitt in the French Southern city of Marseille, with… Read More
2021-03-15 05:51
Is the new Nike ad about pregnant athletes great?Yes.Does it feature pregnant and lactating athletes?It does.Is is opportunistic?Like hell it is.Why?Hear me out.Ever heard of Olympians Alysi… Read More
2021-03-14 07:28
It was summer, which month I know not. But it was summer. Even the year is a blur, though 1983 is a good estimate. My father came back from work at about 2 in the afternoon, and he had a sto… Read More
2021-03-13 06:53
"HopeHope is the greatest gift God has bestowed on man - for without it life would be dry, cold, with little pleasure or attraction in it, and the Mutanabi was correct saying in his poem -&n&hell…Read More
2021-03-11 10:19
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyI know it seems pretentious to argue with someone who is considered heavy-weight intellectual such as Ghassan Tueni. But I do, vehemently so. OK, let me explain… Read More
2021-03-10 14:46
In case you have not heard, the company responsible for Dr. Seuss books, decided to discontinue publishing six of his due to racial stereotypes. Aunt Jemima is now rebranded as Pearl Milling… Read More
2021-03-08 06:51
A very close friend of mine loves "the day before you came" by ABBA. He says it is such a mysterious song because one does not know what happens on "the day you came" (check the brilliant ly… Read More
2021-03-07 05:27
"Loulou"... "Oui, c'est moi".... Rarely has an advertising reply become so iconic in Lebanon - and here I am speaking about the Loulou by Cacharel perfume (see the full ad here)… Read More
2021-03-01 09:01
Hot on the heels of finding what could be the first ad of Aishti (nothing determined, but the possibility is high), I have fallen on a 1969 ad for Moustache (which has gone and become a majo… Read More
2021-02-28 07:20
Artwork by Fadi Chahin, Vladimir Kurumilian and Tarek Chemaly"C'est un peuple pour qui se sont montés ces Alleghanys et ces Libans de rêve !"Arthur Rimbaud - Ville I, Les Illumi… Read More
2021-02-27 07:59
Photo by Tarek Chemaly of a graffiti on a Beirut wall as part of ArcheWALLogy projectHannah Arendt said citizenship is the "right to have rights" - when you think about it, it totally makes… Read More
2021-02-26 06:34
Very smart and very minimal.Says everything without saying anything all at once. Talks about its brand's usefulness yet still does it sleekly. And could perhaps be too sleek, too blink-and-y… Read More
2021-02-24 08:35
All right color me jealous.Look at this beautiful, perfect, wonderful ad for Naas bottled water from 1978 by H&C (then it later became H&C Leo Burnett). What's there not to love, the… Read More
2021-02-23 08:58
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyI have been twice to Sweden on two long travels (41 days in 2001 and 23 days in 2008 - both on courses sponsored by the Swedish International Development Agency). At… Read More
2021-02-21 08:24
The famous "lakohou atfalakom la yanfa3 el nadam" slogan as rendered by Tarek ChemalyWell, here we are - am waiting for my vaccine turn to come. To begin with, it seems a lot of people are n… Read More
2021-02-16 05:53
Is this the first Aishti ad? Well, naturally I cannot be certain, but there is a probability it might be among the first. It was published in Annahar newspaper in 1991. You will note that ba… Read More
2021-02-15 08:56
And to those who thought they invented the linking of ads to specific events, let me remind you of this brilliant ad which was published in Annahar newspaper around the 1973 parliamentary el… Read More
2021-02-14 09:24
So, apparently, we had a KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) branch in Beirut in 1973.This is news to me. Not the least because when KFC was introduced to the Lebanese market sometime in the 90s (a… Read More
2021-02-07 17:21
So no one asked for Dolly Parton to rework her "9to 5" lyrics for SquareSpace (into 5 to 9), or for Leslie Grace and Meek Mill to spoil Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine's "Conga" for B… Read More
2021-02-06 07:50
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyWell, maybe it is best to begin saying I am not exactly an optimist by nature. If I say so, it is because this post implies a large dose of optimism. But in the last… Read More
2021-02-04 12:12
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyCan you be in Lebanon and avoid politics?Short answer: No.Lokman Slim, the publisher behind the fantastic Umam has been found murdered. He was a prominent critic to t… Read More
2021-02-01 09:11
All right, I admit I did not watch him live because simply I do not watch television at all. But I woke up to the phenomenon of "Captain Tony Kattoura"... His style of singing are light-hear… Read More
2021-01-30 09:05
Well, there are those who are complaining, and then there are those who are still working and trying!Starting February, Rethinking Lebanon will start a series of webinars that covers (AI, Ro… Read More
2021-01-28 13:45
Ah in a country where all these are basically no longer found in the market (heck, not only is ice cream, certain brands of chocolate are missing, but also Nescafe and even onions - all stor… Read More
2021-01-28 12:52
And here it is finally.The COVAX platform for the COVID vaccine is finally online.I urge everyone and anyone to fill their data and coordinates to be able to take the shot (actually double s… Read More
2021-01-24 15:59
The legacy of verse for the all new GMC, a lovely title for what turned out to be a little of an underwhelming film. Don't get me wrong, the film is well done, well shot, with a very nice na… Read More
2021-01-23 11:20
Yes, I know by now everyone has been using this meme and milking it dry. But leave it to Ikea to do it correctly. Balenciaga? Da Vinci? Banksy? GDPR privacy settings? Friends/Stranger things… Read More
2021-01-23 06:06
Right on the heels of Suzuki, it seems Toyota will accept banker's check for their Toyota Wigo. Interestingly, there is an for its Hilux model right at the same time which does not mention s… Read More
2021-01-22 14:36
You must know by now that Bernie Sanders owned the Biden inauguration "normcore" and we were all s-mitten! (see what I did here?). And his meme already has been inserted in all possible situ… Read More
2021-01-21 08:01
Barilla just announced its latest gimmick, a Spotify playlist long enough for your pasta to boil. How cool is that? Actually, not cool. Am sick of advertising stunts. When I read the wi… Read More
2021-01-19 17:58
Burger King just came up with a brilliant ad.... But, haven't I seen this before?Well of course I have! Chivas Regal!Or as Faulkner said "Immature artists copy, good artists steal". I said i… Read More
2021-01-18 16:35
Ah here's a nice ad from Unicef - where vaccine is being dipped into luxury perfume advertising. Actually, the one in the red hat reminds me so much of Yves Saint Laurent vintage ads, but I… Read More
2021-01-18 07:34
Still from the movie War GamesGood news: Hezhollah has precision missiles (as per Israel's Channel 13)Bad news: Hezhollah has precision missiles (as per Israel's Channel 13)Now, yes, I know… Read More
2021-01-17 07:52
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyOn June 21, 1975 - right after the onset of the Lebanese war - there was a tombola (draw) on a Kalashnikov in Sin El Fil, a Christian fief. The price of the ticket wa… Read More
2021-01-16 06:19
Artwork by Tarek Chemaly(based on Francisco Goya's "Los Desastres de la Guerra)In 2017 I issued a full book after "Der Krieg" by Otto Dix, and this year on a total whim I did a new seri… Read More
2021-01-13 10:15
Image credit Lebanon DikkeneLebanon Dikkene on Instagram has unearthed one of those super rare gems! An ad for the Zajal competition that took place in the Kamil Chamoun sports stadium on Ju… Read More
2021-01-12 06:28
Artwork by Tarek ChemalyWherever we go (and we are not going anywhere), there we are...In Lebanon, 2021 is starting exactly where 2020 left off. Saluting the medical staff which is figh… Read More
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