As of February 2016, two of the region’s successful and renowned independent advertising agencies, Spirit and Inhouse Communications, will be joining forces and consolidating their business under one entity Spirit.
The move promises both agencies’ clients a bigger agency with multiple communication and marketing services with more specialised activities.
Additionally, Spirit’s strong presence in Dubai will be leveraged to expand the new agency’s activity in the region and to boost the exposure of clients in the Gulf.
“Spirit and Inhouse Communications have a very similar culture and I believe this is a natural fit,” explained Hani Haddad, Chairman and CEO of Spirit. “Both agencies are highly adaptable, fast-moving with a track record of creative thinking to turn around outstanding awardable work that is strategically on point, cost-smart and specifically tailoured to fit clients’ objectives. We will be shooting off from our common dedication to serve clients in the best and smartest way possible, pooling our diverse talents, specialisations and experiences together to deliver even better work and to attract new business.”
Over the last 11 years, Spirit has established a reputation for itself as a full-service agency in the region, garnering prestigious clients across sectors including Libanlait-Candia, Natuzzi Furniture, Cosmaline- Malia Group, Batco, Lavajet, Rise properties, JSK, ACC- Arabian Construction Company, Zayed Sports City, Emkan- Micro Finance Company, UNHCR, FAO- Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Eid Group, Dermapro, Mobilitop and Al Mandaloun group, among others. The agency comes with extensive cross-sector expertise and long-standing experience in the Lebanese and UAE markets.
Inhouse Communications has also proven to be a fast mover over the past five years, acquiring big players like regional breakfast cereals manufacturer Poppins, First National Bank, Chateau Heritage, frozen foods brand MightyBites, Ebene chocolate, supermarket chain Charcuterie Aoun and its private label brands, regional FMCG group SMEDS International and VIP valet parking services, among others.
The merged entity will combine all of these clients and both teams’ capabilities.
We believe Spirit is going to be a synergistic, creative and flexible group that has the right experience and approach to" thrive in a rapidly changing industry and market,” said Jihane Nasrallah, Founder and Managing Director of Inhouse Communications. “In today’s fast-paced market, many clients don’t have the up- to-date marketing know-how to take their business to the next level nor the bandwidth to deal with an increasingly fragmented advertising landscape. Spirit will serve as a one-stop shop that works closely with clients as an extension of their teams to cater to all their needs and help them achieve their targets and grow in a smart and efficient way."
Jihane Nasrallah will be the Managing Director-New Business of the group while Maya Saab will remain the Regional Creative Director of the group and Hani Haddad the Chairman and CEO.
