Playstation, the World Cup and a Nescafé Gold Blend Couple Advert: The Work That Made Layla Soufi

Layla is a partnerships director with over 10 years of experience in the ad tech and media industry. She works as director, supply partnerships at Vistar Media working with DSP partners to ensure seamless activations for buyers to bolster revenue growth. She supports on delivering client success, process implementation and team management, with strong technical and problem-solving knowhow.

Prior to Vistar Media, Layla worked at VIOOH, a premium global digital out of home supply side platform, supporting the growth of prDOOH and accelerating DSP partnerships as regional partnerships director of DSPs EMEA. Having worked in a number of fast-growing ad tech companies previously including GumGum and SambaTV, Layla brings a wealth of experience and a strong understanding of the ever-evolving programmatic space and overall media industry.

LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…

Layla Soufi> Nescafe Gold Blend Couple – the gripping cliff-hanger soap opera advert that kept you wanting more. This advert for me highlighted the importance of capturing attention, being memorable AND communicating what your brand needs to. At the core of my job, I try to drive meaning and authenticity, otherwise it’s a waste of an ad slot!

The creative work (film/album/game/ad/album/book/poem etc) that I keep revisiting…

I had the pleasure of working on a Sony PlayStation multi-market DCO campaign for the World Cup — a real highlight for me since I started working in programmatic DOOH. The dynamic creative was triggered by real-time events during the tournament, playing relevant ads in the country tied to that moment. It was a seamless activation across multiple markets, using one creative that dynamically updated based on player, language and location. For me, it’s a perfect example of how data can elevate a prDOOH campaign — creativity and technology working hand in hand.

LBB> My first professional project…

Layla Soufi> I’ve had the opportunity to lead a few events over the years, and my highlight was bringing a group of industry leads together to discuss a topic they all had a vested interest in. I particularly enjoyed this because despite being in a room of partners who are essentially competitors, everyone shared and collaborated in a very honest and authentic way. I believe we can only grow if we work together, so seeing this in action was something I was quite proud of. The best part? The feedback was unanimous: everyone wanted to do it again.

LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…

Layla Soufi> In 2020, I was one of the unlucky few who lost their job. After giving my all to one company for a long period I ended up seeing the opportunity this challenge presented to me. Although a VERY rocky start to finding this path, I in fact ended up utilising my very valuable network. I worked on cultivating partnerships and relationships to strengthen this network in the long run. It made me realise we work in a very supportive industry and I am proud of that. With the support of previous and current managers, I have been able to continue growing and investing in this network. All of the work I do in this market is a constant highlight for me — not everyone gets to say that their job involves some of the greatest people they have ever met.

LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…

Layla Soufi> Our fantastic creative team is building eye-catching 3D creatives that are being activated programmatically. Being able to drive programmatic activity and still be creative in DOOH is one of the great advancements of the channel.

By Layla Soufi, Director Supply Partnerships at Vistar Media. For more information visit: vistarmedia.com