PHD has been appointed to handle the media business for Dubai-based conglomerate Al-Futtaim, following a four way review.

 

Al-Futtaim manages a number of international brands in the region including Lexus, Toyota, IKEA, Marks & Spencer’s and IBM, as well as having sizeable operations in real estate, retail and engineering.

The pitch, described as one of the largest in MENA in recent times, sought to find an alternative to the group’s current in-house model.

PHD emerged triumphant after providing the most comprehensive solutions for leveraging smart data and using CRM to inform decision making, whilst demonstrating expertise and innovation, according to Al-Futtaim.

“This is a particularly significant appointment for PHD and comes as we complete our first decade in operation,” said PHD managing director Elda Choucair. “It further demonstrates our ability to work with large businesses and secures our place in the major agency league.”

In 2015, PHD grew by 94% and in order to manage Al-Futtaim’s portfolio of brands, PHD restructured at the beginning of 2016 to create a dedicated new business unit, already working with 30 brands to date.

“Though scale was never our goal, it does prove the relevance and appeal of our unique proposition to all types of advertisers, particularly those focused on long-term growth,” Choucair added.

“We will continue to be true to our original proposition of a bespoke agency with digital at the core, as well as our ethos and promise of finding a better way for our clients and partners.”