ArabAd and business magazine named Mr. Andre Rizk the Chairman of RizkGroup “Man of the Year 2016”. The towering advertising track record of the founder of RizkGroup has dominated the Lebanese and Arab media scene since 1965.
The award was bestowed for the exceptional work done by Rizk over 51 years in the industry. Additionally, 2016 witnessed RizkGroup’s dominance over the airwaves and advertising spaces, outpacing many multinational agencies, a recurrent feat for the largest independent advertising agency. The award was considered long overdue by many in the industry, and unique in that the “Man of the year Award” has been constantly dominated by multinational agency people for the past decade, only to be broken by Rizk.
The award, as per Arab Ad comes as recognition of Mr. Rizk’s many achievements over five decades in developing Lebanon as an advertising hub for the Middle East. Rizk, was described by various commentators as the master of launching brands to success due to his unique grasp of the consumer’s perspective of a product, as well as his exceptional creativity in punching out catchy and effective brand campaigns that blend into the local culture.
His landmark campaigns include: Clipp تعا دس شوف شو ناعم, Junal حامضها كيف, Hyundai …نيالك, il y a du Maccaw dans tous les fruits, and many others. Rizkgroup’s contribution has also bolstered its clients’ market share and presence to the top of their relative industries such as AlRifai, Hallab, Maccaw, Winston, Maxim’s, and many others.
ArabAd’s publisher and editor in Chief Mr. Walid Azzi noted that Andre Rizk chose freedom over matter. He maintained his creative integrity as well as his operational independence to pursue his path to success. He commended Rizkgroup for not chasing the shortest path to financial results, or the safe advertising executions of “doing what the client wants”. Rizk’s strategy was described by Azzi, as a brave feat that places Andre Rizk among a select few, if not the only, Lebanese adman “to do it his way” and succeed for 51 years. Commenting on his track record Mr. Azzi wrote: “Andre Rizk’s unwavering belief in everything Lebanese has driven some of the previously unheard of brands to stardom and with it his agency to become the leading entity in the local market.”
Commenting on the award Mr. Andre Rizk gave a brief statement: “As I come to the end of my career, I hope this award inspires young Lebanese to hang on to their independent agencies and unleash their creative powers. Passionate advertising does not need a multinational name, Lebanese youth should keep their country ahead in an industry that only gains relevance as humanity advances.”
Arab Ad selects the “Man of Year” by a large panel of key industry individuals who vote for the agencies that they believe outperformed their competitors during a calendar year. The award is considered the most prestigious prize given to an individual in the communication industry in the Middle East.
