November 2018
Dunno how many times I’ve taken it… surely over a hundred times over the years… That GF560 flight to Muscat 🇴🇲: departure 01:35am arrival 03:00am (emergency aisle seat 12 Charlie’s mine!). Not great timings for one’s beauty sleep, but hey – it allows for a full day’s work on each side of the night.
You see, for years now we’ve worked very closely with our colleagues at DDB Oman, contributing our creative resources whenever warranted. Countless pitches, presentations, campaigns, clients – and while it’s always intense, hard work – it’s also always a great team effort, always packed with excitement, stress and midnight oil, but also friendship, memorable times – and memorable work! Radha, our CEO there, is amazing and a great friend. Indeed, for years now, she and her husband always most kindly insist we stay at theirs – and let me tell you: the hospitality (as are the breakfasts 😋☀️), is absolutely second to none! 🙇♂️
Eventually, however, after many years as CEO, Radha left the DDB agency she had been running there, and together we instead started our own, along with digital buddy Anshul Singhal and a prominent Omani partner. DDB Worldwide immediately transferred their associate agreement to our new agency and Jabreen DDB was born.
Needless to say, this only means even more GF560 red-eye flights ☺️, often accompanied by either Louise, Anisha, Summer, Fifi or Rawan, to boost our local team there: Shaima, Amel, Rhea and Yesh.
In view of the region’s current economic climate, this may admittedly not be the best of times to start an agency, but the convergence of opportunities was there, and the chance to continue working with Radha, Anshul and our existing clients in Oman, as well as with our new team there, was certainly incentive enough!