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Get to know of some of the GCC’s best creative leaders through this specially tailored ASKED & ANSWERED questionnaire designed to learn what are top agencies’ creative kitchen made of. They come from diverse horizons. They trace their professional trajectory— where they grew up and how they landed in the GCC. Nayaab Rais, Senior Creative Director at FP7 McCann, UAE and jury member in Brand Experience & Activation category at Cannes Lions 2024 explains what she loves most about Dubai, this “giant mixing bowl” she describes, while she elaborates on the importance of awards, which she says are like “validation on steroids” and how she deals with what she calls the “Avengers of Creativity” in a department that resembles the United Nations.

YOU x DUBAI

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Mumbai, amidst the hustle of rickshaws dodging cows and the chaos of rush hour on local trains. Let's just say, my childhood was a crash course in creative problem-solving.

What made you pick Dubai and how did you get your job? Tell us the full story…

Well, I come from a family deeply rooted in advertising in the UAE since the 80s. It's like being born into a kingdom of billboards and taglines, where every family dinner is a brainstorming session, and every bedtime story is a pitch meeting.

While studying, I had some temporary gigs in agencies in Mumbai, but when my dad decided to retire, I needed a full-time job in Dubai to support the family.

So, while my peers were attending our university's graduation ceremony in Mumbai, I was doing rounds of interviews in Dubai armed with my portfolio (the Behance generation will never experience the upper body workout that comes with carrying your own physical book).

I was lucky to receive three offers and chose the bosses with the kindest eyes - big shoutout to Manoj Ammanath, Rachanah Roy, and Sabina Mustafa for having those eyes.

How would you explain your job to a taxi driver?
Technically, I lead the creatives in our unit. Put another way, my role is a combination of a Zen master and a firefighter. One moment, I'm calmly meditating on our next big idea, and the next, I'm putting out metaphorical fires because someone thought it would be hilarious to pitch a product with a dancing banana mascot. It’s not all chaos though; there’s the joy of releasing beautiful pieces of work to the world and receiving recognition from peers after many long nights and weekends. And sometimes, you even succeed in convincing clients that yes indeed, a dancing banana is exactly what their brand needs.

What makes Dubai so attractive for creative talents?

It varies for each person based on personalities and aspirations.

What do you love most about Dubai?

Personally, after 16 years in Dubai’s advertising scene, what I still love is the feeling of living in a giant mixing bowl where people from all corners of the globe come together. It’s like ideas colliding faster than Nissan Patrol drivers on Sheikh Zayed Road because diversity here is like jet fuel for creativity.

ON CULTURE AND DIVERSITY

How do so many cultures work together to create successful campaigns that speak their own language and fit so many cultures at the same time?

We approach hiring as if we're assembling the Avengers of creativity; each member bringing their unique superpower to the table. Therefore, our hiring process is intentional to encompass as many cultural backgrounds as possible. Our department resembles the United Nations, except our good intentions and resolutions actually see the light of day.

Some briefs and projects demand hyper-relevance, where we dive deep into cultural nuances to create work that hits home in a powerful way and we let those voices lead the way. However, other projects targeting a more diverse audience require us to explore universal truths. You know, those moments in brainstorming sessions where someone drops an insight that hits everyone in the room like a ton of bricks?

Those are the golden nuggets that transcend borders and backgrounds, speaking directly to the human experience, no matter where we come from.

So, having people from all over the world in our department helps us tackle both kinds of projects in a way that is insightful and respectful, but also powerful.
 

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF AWARDS

Why do you think advertising awards matter so much?

Well, it's like validation on steroids. Winning an advertising award is like getting a standing ovation from your peers, a nod of approval that says, "Hey, you crushed it!" And it's also about turning up the heat on our creativity. When you're battling it out with the cream of the crop, you've got no choice but to step up your game, to think outside the box and come up with ideas that make everyone go “Whoa!”

However, at the risk of sounding nonchalant, I will also say that while winning awards is certainly nice, it's the ripple effect of our work that really fills the heart in a less temporal way. And if we can inspire, educate, or make someone snort-laugh into their drink along the way, well, that's a prize worth more than any trophy on a shelf.

Your top three awards show…

I believe it was Shakespeare who said, “A trophy by any other name would smell just as sweet.” I think all festivals have something to offer, and all awards feel just as validating. We all want our work to be the Beyonce at every regional and global ad fest. Because why settle for one trophy when you can have them all, right?

One of your favorite creative projects that you didn’t work on that was awarded at the Lynx and that you admire.

I absolutely loved the project "Frequencies of Peace" that our colleagues put together! It totally deserved the Media Grand Prix. A simple and beautiful piece of work that will always be extremely relevant in how it brings a few moments of peace and rest in crazy and chaotic war zones.

Could you name a recent project you are proud of and think deserve to be awarded.

I was really rooting for Mastercard’s “Out of this world match” to win even more in last year’s awards cycle. If for nothing else, but the guts of our clients at Mastercard and our teams who worked round the clock to take football to a new frontier, put Luis Figo (who had motion sickness) in Zero Gravity, and eventually hijack the news cycle during the World Cup.