With the 2022 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, today adidas reveals a limited-edition football-inspired Sportswear capsule – the Sportswear 32Teams pack.

Paying homage to football fans worldwide, as well as the 32 competing teams, the unique collection features 18 complete looks made up of 42 individual pieces – reflecting adidas’ legacy and football iconography. 

Embracing statement hues, a bold color-blocking approach and all-around graphic patterns, the pack offers garments designed to level up the wearer’s everyday sport-inspired look. Born from sport and worn for style, the capsule also brings comfort to the fore with each piece adopting an oversized or loose fit, whilst drawing on signature football designs. 

Featuring a range of outfits for both women and men, highlights from the collection include long sleeve cotton dresses with matching hijab, oversized printed tees, tapered pants, hoodies, track tops, oversized hoodies, and coach jackets. A calligraphic interpretation of the adidas logo, designed in Arabic by Qatari calligrapher, Fatima Alsharshani, can also be found on select pieces.

Unique to the 32 Teams pack, an intricately designed logo has also been created. Comprising of 32 lines – a nod to unifying the nations as they come together for the tournament – the badge will feature across the range.     

Anna Sinn, Senior Design Director, Global Sportswear & Training Category, adidas, said: “In homage to the fans and designed for the everyday, the capsule offers pieces that can be styled and remixed individually or layered up to create full looks. Bringing a contemporary twist to football-inspired street style, the blend of prints, stripped back design features and relaxed all round fit gives fans a capsule that can be worn to elevate life’s in-between moments.”

The 32Teams pack is available worldwide from November on  www.adidas.ae in stores in select markets – UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Japan.

Oliver Wyman’s acquisition of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Middle East & Africa operations has brought seven new partners into the company’s India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) operations, boosting its regional capability and expansion plans.

“Through steps such as the Booz Allen Hamilton acquisition, we are pleased to be bolstering expertise in direct response to our clients’ challenges and needs,” said Pedro Oliveira, IMEA managing partner, Oliver Wyman.

“The incoming new partners will help to build on our substantial growth in the region and will be key to our continuing to deliver impact for our clients. Respected experts in their field, they all have long-standing and deep experience in different sectors – from energy & the environment to cyber – making them perfectly equipped to support our clients in adapting to market demands and unlocking greater value. I’m confident that their contributions to Oliver Wyman will be significant.”

The 7 new Partners joining Oliver Wyman’s leadership team from Booz Allen are listed below.

Souheil Moukaddem, Partner and member of Oliver Wyman’s IMEA Management Committee. Moukaddem has 30 years’ experience in developing and managing strategy, organization, performance improvement and human capital projects, as well as in the design and implementation of large transformation programs for defence, government and commercial clients in the U.S., Asia and MENA

Johnny Ayoub, Partner, Energy & Natural Resources. Ayoub has 17 years of experience in developing and implementing national and corporate strategies, institutional and regulatory frameworks, and operating models, focusing on the utilities, environment, and agri-food sectors.

Joseph Mazloum, Partner, Investments, Real Estate & Finance. Mazloum has 15 years of management and strategy consulting experience in financial services, economic development and strategy formulation for large-scale real estate projects.

Sabri Hamade, Partner, Energy & Natural Resources. Sabri has more than 15 years of consulting experience, with a focus on water, utilities, environment and agri-food in the GCC. He specializes in developing national and corporate strategies and designing operating models for public and private institutions.

Ziad Moukarzel, Partner, Energy & Natural Resources. Moukarzel has 19 years of experience consulting for environment, energy, and utilities entities across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific region.

Ziad Nasrallah, Partner, Cyber. Nasrallah has more than 21 years of experience in cybersecurity, digital and technology, with a focus on developing strategies and designing and implementing transformation programs for public and private sector clients.

Ziad Zacca, Partner, Public Sector. Ziad has 15 years of consulting experience in socio-economic development and sectoral transformations. He has provided strategic support to senior government officials and CEOs of large corporations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Shaping the Future of Business

Industry first space brings the consumer journey to life as immersive experience

VMLY&R introduces The Home of Connected Brands, a fully immersive experience space designed to help clients innovate to fuel growth.

Breaking through boundaries with cutting edge technologies, cultural and behaviour insights, this unique experience space transports people into a universe where brands sit seamlessly, digitally, and physically, in everyday lives – at home, in play, in retail, and more.

Located in London at WPP’s Sea Containers campus, The Home of Connected Brands helps brands and retailers test and trial connected experiences across hybrid environments to enhance value and engagement at every single touchpoint of life.

The space invites brands to innovate with existing and emerging technology across channels. From holographic store catalogues to Whispering Windows softly transmitting brand messages to Microsoft’s Seeing AI technology helping the visually impaired to hear spoken product information.

To deliver the connected experience, The Home of Connected Brands features six environments, including the new iteration of VMLY&R Commerce’s pioneering 360-degree retail space.

Explains Debbie Ellison, Global Chief Digital Officer VMLY&R Commerce, “Channels viewed in isolation often feel disconnected, uncomfortable. This new space forces us to look at how brands live more innovatively and effectively across channels.

She adds, “With the continuous explosion of new channels comes infinite opportunities for brands to generate awareness, drive engagement, and creatively connect to seamless and frictionless purchase moments. We passionately believe in the power of connected brands – this is its first physical manifestation.”

Jon Cook, VMLY&R Global CEO, “Creating an immersive space where our clients and partners can truly experience how their brands can reimagine their consumer engagement is exhilarating. This takes conceptual ideas to prototypes, giving us real-time interactions to spark transformation. And there is no better location than our London office to create our inaugural Home of Connected Brands experience.”

Princess Hıdır, a talented illustrator based in Istanbul, is among the 31 winners from 10 countries in The One Club for Creativity’s prestigious Young Guns 20 competition, celebrating international creative professionals age 30 or younger.  

She is the only winner this year from MENA.

Young Guns is the industry’s only global, cross-disciplinary, portfolio-based awards competition that identifies and celebrates today’s vanguard of young creatives. 

The complete list of Young Guns 20 winners can be viewed here, and all 84 finalists from 23 countries can be viewed here.  This year’s entries were judged by a diverse jury of 96 top creatives — many of whom are past YG winners — from 41 countries. 

Young Guns 20 winners will be celebrated at a special in-person event on November 16, 2022 at Sony Hall in New York, co-hosted by noted artist, author, and designer Timothy Goodman (YG7), and designer Zipeng Zhu (YG13), founder and creative director at Dazzle Studio New York.

The One Club is also holding the Young Guns 20 Creative Choice Award, where the global creative community can explore the work of this year’s winners and vote on which one they believe stands above all others.  Voting is open now through November 11, 2022, 11:59 pm ET, with the winner announced at the Young Guns 20 awards ceremony.  

All Young Guns winners receive a unique version of the iconic Young Guns Cube, designed exclusively for this year’s incoming class, and have their permanent profile page added to the Young Guns website.  Winners also get a complimentary one-year One Club for Creativity membership, permanent membership in the Young Guns network, a chance to be featured in Young Guns events and an assortment of career-boosting opportunities from Young Guns sponsors.

Program branding and design of the Cube award is reimagined each year by a past Young Gun winner.  This year’s YG20 branding and award are designed by Zipeng Zhu, with branding font created by NaN Berlin.

Young Guns 20 and other One Club activities are made possible in part through the generous support of sponsors including Shutterstock. 

“With every passing year, evolving technology and new ways of working continue to expand and redefine what creativity means,” said Paula Goldner, VP, Global Agency Partnerships at Shutterstock. “By empowering young artists to unlock their artistic potential, Shutterstock and The One Club demonstrate their belief in the fact that creativity should be cutting-edge, yet human-centric.”

Principal Financial Group® announced industry expert Anthony Shea Treadway will join the company to lead the insurance solutions distribution team.

As a senior vice president and head of U.S. Insurance Solutions (USIS) Distribution, Treadway will report to Amy Friedrich, president of USIS, effective November 7.

Treadway is a 20-year veteran of the insurance industry, with significant experience as a strategic distribution leader focused on technology solutions, small business, and key client management. Prior to joining Principal®, he spent his career with Unum serving in various distribution and leadership roles, including most recently as senior vice president of field and market development at Colonial Life, vice president of Unum small business, and regional vice president of sales and client management.

“Shea will continue to build on our effort to provide innovative solutions to the business market,” Friedrich said. “I’m excited to welcome Shea to Principal; his leadership will help drive success through our strategic focus on multiple distribution channels, overall growth, and profitability. He brings expertise in affiliated, independent and wholesaler distribution—all critical growth channels for Principal.”

Treadway obtained his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Yale University and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. In addition to his professional work, Treadway and his family are very involved in their community and focus their efforts on education, health care, and youth athletics.

UAE-based players invited to express their interest to participate in the League by registering on the League’s newly launched website ilt20.ae

UAE’s International T20 League comprises six franchise teams competing in 34 matches at venues across the UAE commencing in January 2023

The tournament will be live-streamed on digital platform ZEE5 across global markets

UAE’s International T20 League (ILT20) has today announced that the Players’ registration portal, for UAE-based players, is now OPEN and LIVE for those (UAE players) interested in putting their names forward for consideration to participate in the inaugural League.

Players who are based, and are currently playing in the UAE are invited to register their interest by visiting the League’s newly launched website, http://ilt20.ae, and express their interest by registering on http://register.ilt20.ae. Through the registration portal, interested players are strongly encouraged to review the selection criteria which strictly adheres to Emirates Cricket playing and ICC residency guidelines.

In following one of the League’s unpinning values, and commitment to nurturing the talents of UAE-domiciled players, Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary Emirates Cricket Board said; “League management are extremely pleased to to open the registration portal, which can be found on the now-live ILT20 website, to our expansive UAE-player-pool, and we welcome their interest to compete in the inaugural edition of the League.” “In exposing UAE’s players to high-level, international matches ratified by the ICC, of which the ILT20 has received a multi-year approval, bodes well for not only UAE Cricket’s player development but also for the development of Associate Cricket, where Franchise teams have already signed-on players from various Associate nations, as we strive for sustainability and innovative opportunities to grow our players and raise the bar on their competitive edge.”

Registrations for UAE players (via http://register.ilt20.ae) to express their intent for consideration close noon, UAE time on Friday November 18, afterwhich Franchises will review and engage in the selection process, and announce their full squads early December (2022). Each Franchise squad will comprise a minimum of 4 UAE players.

Making its debut in January (2023), the inaugural ILT20, which has received multi-year ICC approval, will be played in a 34-match format across the UAE’s exemplary, world-class Cricket facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Cricket fans across the world can catch the LIVE telecast of this exciting cricket league on the League’s Official Media Partner ZEE’s linear channels, digital platform Zee5, as well as Zee Cinema SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol Cinema, &Pictures HD, &Flix SD, &Flix HD, Zee Zest SD, Zee Zest HD, Zee Bangla Cinema and Zee Thirai.

Franchise teams, comprising 84 International and 24 UAE-based players, include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Kolkata Knight Riders), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries), and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global). ILT20 news, updates and interactive chat can be found via http://ilt20.ae and @ILT20Official on facebook, twitter, instagram, tiktok, snap chat and linkedin.

The tournament will be live-streamed globally on ZEE5, the world's largest streaming platform for South Asian content.

Huma Qureshi was the celebrity guest for ZEE5 Global’s Diwali celebrations in partnership with the Lulu Group in the UAE and KSA.

The traditions and culture that tie South Asians worldwide together are deeply rooted in our festivities, and Diwali- The Festival of Lights, is one such festival that is celebrated globally with sweets, traditional attire and fireworks. To commemorate this joyous occasion and make South Asians feel closer to home, ZEE5 Global, in partnership with LuLu Group International, announced a special celebration in the Middle East, among not only Indians but also local audiences, flying in Bollywood sensation Huma Qureshi to KSA and UAE.

ZEE5 Global, the world’s largest OTT service for South Asian content, has constantly been driving synergies with like-minded brands. The platform recently unveiled its partnership with the LuLu Group for their India Utsav celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence Day. Taking the relationship further, they recently unveiled a tremendous Diwali collaboration with LuLu in their malls from Riyadh to Dubai.

The platform flew down the charismatic Bollywood diva Huma Qureshi, highly acclaimed for her performances in ZEE5 Global hits like Mithya and Valimai released earlier this year, to Riyadh and Dubai for a meet and greet with the fans across multiple Lulu stores in these regions.

Huma Qureshi commented on the partnership, “It was a lovely experience sharing an occasion as wholesome as Diwali with the people of Dubai and Riyadh. It’s always heartwarming to see how deeply connected we are to our roots, no matter which corner of the world we come from. My association with ZEE5 Global has been wonderful - be it with Badlapur, Mithya or Valimai. South Asian voices are getting their due with platforms like ZEE5 Global supporting their craft and helping boost young creative minds.”

Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global, said, “Diwali is a special festival close to the hearts of all South Asians wherever they may be. With such a large Indian diaspora in the Middle East, this is one of the most popular festivals in the region. We therefore partnered with LuLu to make this an extra-lit Diwali for their customers by giving them a chance to meet and interact with Bollywood star Huma Qureshi, and it was a hugely successful initiative.”

ZEE5 Global has had a tremendous year with a bunch of blockbuster releases like RRR, Valimai, Karthikeya 2, Jhund and other hits. With over 4000 movies and one of the most significant collections of content in South Indian languages, the platform occupies pride as the market’s best-loved streaming platform for South Asian entertainment, serving the enormous diaspora population in the region.

Amidst the upcoming festivities, the brand also announced that they would be giving a 1-month free subscription to ZEE5 Global to anyone who purchases above 50 AED/SAR and a 50% discount on a one-year subscription to anyone who spends more than 100 AED/SAR in LuLu stores.

Transaction will expand JKN Global Group's ("JKN") portfolio of broadcast and entertainment properties to become a world-leading omnichannel powerhouse.

The acquisition will seek to build on The Miss Universe Organization's more than 70-year legacy, including expanded investment in licensing and merchandising opportunities.

With today's announcement, JKN Chief Executive Officer Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip becomes the first woman owner in The Miss Universe Organization's history.

JKN, a Thai-owned media and content conglomerate, today announced the acquisition of The Miss Universe Organization from IMG.

The Miss Universe Organization is an international, inclusive organization that celebrates women of all backgrounds, cultures, and traditions, and exists to advocate for a future forged by women and good for all. At 71 years, MISS UNIVERSE® is one of the longest-running and most-watched competitions in the world, broadcast in 165 countries worldwide and seen by more than half a billion people annually.

Led by CEO Amy Emmerich and President Paula Shugart, the Miss Universe Organization provides a global platform for more than 10,000 women annually to affect positive change through dedicated personal, professional, and philanthropic activities around the world. Today's announcement together with recent rule changes to create greater competitor eligibility further propels the Organization's commitment to inclusivity, with JKN Global Group's Chief Executive Officer Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip becoming the first woman owner of The Miss Universe Organization. The transition expands JKN's portfolio of global broadcast and media properties across entertainment and consumer products. JKN's acquisition will build on The Miss Universe Organization's strong brand and vision, developing an integrated and compelling proposition with new opportunities to grow the business in key and untapped markets, including Asia.

During the announcement, JKN shared its plans for generating additional value based on the natural strength of the Miss Universe brand, including the upcoming debut of MU Lifestyle: a new licensing and merchandising arm of The Miss Universe Organization that will leverage the strength of the Miss Universe brand and JKN's lifestyle portfolio to create a new range of merchandise, as well as entertainment and various business opportunities that reflect the strength of the brand. 

Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, Chief Executive Officer of JKN Global Group, said: "We are incredibly honored to be acquiring The Miss Universe Organization and working with its visionary leadership team. The global reach of the Organization, its relationships with global partners and brands, and its wealth of content, licensing, and merchandising opportunities make this a strong, strategic addition to our portfolio. We seek not only to continue its legacy of providing a platform to passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and traditions, but also to evolve the brand for the next generation."

Amy Emmerich, Chief Executive Officer, and Paula Shugart, President, of The Miss Universe Organization shared: "We are excited to continue the evolution of The Miss Universe Organization with JKN. Our relationships with global partners and brands have never been stronger; and our progressive approach continues to position us at the forefront of our industry. We would like to thank IMG for providing us a foundation to realize our aspirations for the brand."

A new Telco report from YouGov shows when it comes to cell phone renewal considerations, two in five UAE residents (39%) are likely to upgrade their cell phone with the same brand and three in ten (29%) intend to stick to their current phone brand.

A little over a fifth are likely to consider switching their phone brand (22%).

The report sets out to understand the purchase intentions and motivations of cell phone and carrier consumers across 18 international markets. It helps marketers understand consumer upgrade and switching behaviour, as well as customer retention strategies.

Looking at the data by age, those who intend to stick to or upgrade with their current cell phone brand are likely to be over 35 years of age, with the largest proportion belonging to the 55+ age group. On the other hand, switching is highest among 18-24-year-olds, with nearly three in ten (28%) considering switching cell phone brands - twice as many as those aged 55 and up.

When asked what would encourage switchers to upgrade with the same cell phone brand, attractive trade-in deals such as discounts or money off in exchange of the current device (29%) and discounted or free streaming bundles with other services (28%) were pointed out as the biggest motives to do so. For some, easy access to 5G (23%), a sustainable phone (20%), and knowledge that the money is going to a good cause (19%) could be potential reasons to upgrade with the same brand.

Looking at the global picture, Indonesians are most likely to switch their cell phone brand (with 30% of respondents saying this), followed by Indians (28%) and UAE residents (22%). Consumers from Britain, the US and Denmark are least likely to do so.

Brand sticking tendencies are the highest among European markets like Germany, Poland, Spain and Britain (51-47%). On average, two out of five consumers from Mexico, Canada and the US are also likely to share the same sentiments (44-37%). When it comes to upgrading phones with the same brand, Danes (43%) are more likely to do so followed by Singaporeans and UAE consumers (39% each). 

To Help Bars, Fan Zones and Restaurants Attract Customers

UAE-headquartered, omnichannel ordering and data-driven marketing platform, ChatFood, is now a WhatsApp Solution Provider. This will enable ChatFood to provide a turnkey solution ahead of the 2022 Fifa World Cup to restaurants, bars, sports venues, and fan zones. This significant milestone will empower venues to use WhatsApp Business to attract customers, secure bookings, capture more revenue and engage with fans by leveraging off data-targeted communication. 

Given the competitiveness of the event from an advertising perspective, ChatFood, has created a marketing toolkit for restaurants and bars to stand out from the competition and attract more customers to their venues using WhatsApp marketing powerful tools. 

Participating venues will be able to start secure more table bookings with a personalized booking system integrated to WhatsApp, invite customers who opted in to games using WhatsApp, promote their World Cup packages, maximize revenue and gamify the fan experience during the games with time-limited promos for extra time or other key game moments through WhatsApp messages. After the game, venues can re-engage with these customers via WhatsApp by inviting them to the following games and collecting feedback. 

Mimi, Head of Football Park Organization, the UAE’s most awaited Fan Zone located in DIFC, the heart of Dubai, explains, “When ChatFood approached us, we immediately saw the need that we had in the context of the World Cup. With ChatFood booking and digital ordering integrated with WhatsApp, we’re able to have one end to end solution to offer a personalized booking experience and delight our guests on site. This is every organizer's dream!”

With ChatFood’s solutions, restaurants can easily manage booking requests while providing a consistent level of service and allowing fans to order food and drinks without negatively impacting the game experience. All these initiatives pave the way for a more enjoyable and personalized customer experience and will be the perfect opportunity for venues to not miss out on operational optimizations, and capture missed revenue. 

Previous World Cups have shown a 300% to 500% increase in business for the regional restaurants and hotels, so, with this year’s edition taking place in the area, GGC countries have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the World Cup. With limited hospitality capacity in Qatar, many fans and supporters are expected to set residence in Dubai, with companies like Emirates offering free shuttle commutes to World Cup stadiums for ticket holders. Games will also be held at GCC-friendly times, which means that more people will watch the games.