So the time have come. Yesterday was the launch occasion of the IAA Lebanese Chapter Corridor Of Fame. An occasion, actually, years within the making – between the malaise Lebanon has gone by means of, after which the pandemic, and whereas initially programmed to occur on November 25 2023, the occasions which unfolded in Gaza in Palestine, postponed it until Jan. 27, 2024.
To be clear, the induction just isn’t a straightforward factor. As a matter of reality, guidelines stipulate that the “induction into the IAA Lebanon Corridor of Fame is reserved for Lebanese women and men, both residing or deceased, from the ranks of advertisers, businesses, media and communication organizations, and educational establishments. They need to have distinguished themselves within the promoting business, have had careers spanning at the very least 35 years, have contributed to the event of promoting and its popularity in Lebanon or the Center East, have made vital volunteer efforts exterior the office significantly inside the IAA (Worldwide Promoting Affiliation) or the AA (Promoting Affiliation). To be eligible, people should be retired from their promoting careers.”
Nonetheless, this 12 months, as a result of “backlog” 17 individuals made the minimize. One thing that can lower considerably with the years to come back – I heard the unique quantity was 45 which was culled to the 17 in query. However fact be instructed, the ambiance of the night was actually certainly one of camaraderie and chumminess.
Word that the communication business in Lebanon hardly ever meets en masse. And because the occasion was not certainly one of “aggressive nature” (i.e. an “awards present”), mainly everybody was there to get pleasure from themselves and “let their hair down” (curiously, a number of the girls had their hair up however I digress). So, seeing so many admen and adwomen in the identical room, mainly at their finest habits and having fun with themselves was in itself a beautiful sight.
The IAA additionally had the kindness to ask me. Nicely, tickets would often set you again 100 USD or 150 for the VIP seating and contemplating this was happening on the On line casino du Liban, the entire setting was synonymous of the worth tag. IAA Lebanon president Naji Boulos and Joe Ayache (one of many former presidents of the chapter) each of their black tie apparel actually everybody welcome all whereas attending to the nitty gritty particulars of such a well-orchestrated occasion.
The inductees this 12 months have been: Mustapha Assad (founding father of Publi-Graphics), Walid Azzi (Founding father of ArabAd), Farid Chehab (founding father of H&C Leo Burnett), Jean-Claude Boulos (Founding father of Inter-Regies), Antoine Choueiri (Founding father of Choueiri Group), Samir Fares (IAA Worldwide President Elect 1988), Bernard Fattal (CEO Fattal Group), Erwin Gyerrovich (Founding father of Intermarkets), Alain Khouri (Founding father of Influence BBDO), Akram Mirknas (Founding father of Promoseven), Edmond Moutran (Founding father of Memac Ogilvy), Ramsay G. Najjar (IAA Lebanon chapter president 1995-1997), Fouad Pharanon (First IAA member from Lebanon), Andre Rizk (Founding father of Publirizk and Rizk Promoting and associates), Ibrahim Tabet (Founding father of Methods), Mounir Takchi (Founding father of TAMAM), Ghassan Tueni (CEO AnNahar).
Really, contemplating I’m a type of who dig deep into promoting and has a considerable archive, the night struck a significant emotional chord. Ask anybody from the “new crop” about this and that title and you might be met with a clean stare. Which is, after all, a pity, as a result of the particular person in query was somebody risking his (sorry to be chauvinistic) life and crossing from East to West Beirut to get the movies for the AnNahar presses underneath the shelling, or such different particular person was kidnapped when going to the studio to file a radio jingle. So the advert business does owe its personal existence to many, many individuals who sadly will not be top-of-mind by way of consciousness for a more moderen flock of individuals.
Now after all, how do you really do an occasion when your viewers plans occasions for a residing? I’m certain the IAA Lebanon Chapter will need to have thought lengthy and onerous to provide you with the reply contemplating who was displaying as much as the occasion.
Lengthy, way back when the primary “Phenix de la Pub” occasion was held in 1995 (the defunct occasion to elect the very best adverts of the Lebanese business), Josiane Boulos (sure, sister of present IAA Lebanese Chapter president Naji!) who was co-organizing the occasion and presenting it mentioned: “the very best factor about this night? It is that it’s about to complete”. So you may think about the stress associated when your viewers works within the communication subject.
So the reply the IAA Lebanon got here up with was a set of mini-musical numbers which summed up the promoting spirit of the a long time beginning with the 70s. Beautiful interludes between the quick speeches (no, in contrast to the Academy Awards there have been no orchestra to chop you quick however nonetheless most attendees caught by very very quick codecs). Certain, the occasion was not with out its moments – Josiane Boulos barely holding collectively as she obtained her later father’s trophy (Jean-Claude Boulos), one attendee sending a speech to introduce an inductee by video with a stay horse neighing behind him (which left individuals at my desk extremely puzzled), one particular person introducing an inductee ended up praising himself fairly than the inductee (seems the measure of success of the inductee was that he labored with him, the presenter).
However the night was actually a suave, very tightly-run and well-oiled machine contemplating the enormity of the occasion. And in a second of self-indulgence calling two inductees “buddies” (the late Walid Azzi and the great Farid Chehab) made me giddy with pleasure. In fact, the traces the inductees have left within the promoting business – in Lebanon and the Center East – was monumental so having them within the corridor of fame is actually the place they belong.
