Campaigns from Coca-Cola, Emirates NBD, Monoprix, Nissan and Saudi Telecom Company are among the 20 papers shortlisted for the 2018 WARC Prize for MENA Strategy.

Now in its second year, the WARC Prize for MENA Strategy rewards the best strategic thinking from the region's marketing industry, with a $10,000 prize fund to be distributed between the winners of the Grand Prix and three Special Awards - Research Excellence, Brand Rebel and Local Hero.

The United Arab Emirates is the leading contributor to the shortlist, with five entries, followed by Saudi Arabia and Egypt with four each. Lebanon supplied three campaigns and Tunisia one; there are also three multi-market campaigns among the total.

Local brands including Bou Khalil, Byblos Bank, du and Egyptian Tourism Authority dominate the shortlist, accounting for 70% of the total.

Telecoms and banking are also the most represented categories, each with four campaigns, followed by food and automotive with three each, while the retail, health and tourism categories supply two each.

Selected by an eminent judging panel of 18 client- and agency-side experts, the shortlisted campaigns reflect key marketing trends that are effective in MENA.

When Wasim Basir, Director, Integrated Marketing Communications at Coca-Cola MENA, took on the role of chair of the judging panel, he observed that "a great strategy is a cogent and smart distillation of the problem. Once the problem is identified as such, solutions flow.

"In MENA when there is so much pressure on business results it is the right strategy that will separate the winners from the also-rans," he added.

The winners will be announced early September.