Why It’s Good to Be Big for Impact BBDO

For more than a century, BBDO has built its legacy on delivering creativity with impact. Now, with its global repositioning under the banner of ‘Do Big Things’, the network is embracing the scale and ambition that has long defined its most celebrated work. In the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan (MENAP) region, where rapid development and visionary leadership have created fertile ground for bold ideas, Impact BBDO is ready to take this philosophy to new heights.

For Ali Rez, chief creative officer for Impact BBDO in the region, the repositioning isn’t just a tagline – it’s an articulation of the agency’s DNA.

“For a network that for more than 130 years is celebrated for monumental works of effective creativity, this rebrand perfectly captures the essence of what we are known to be good at. It’s taking ownership of what we excel at and celebrating it, all while doubling down on what differentiates us from everything small. It’s good to be big: there is a confidence in it that filters down into how we approach a brief, how we look to solve a problem. With this repositioning, all our minds across the network are now connected on the same wavelength of doing great and big things. We are all focused on the same thing: big work driving big results.”

The ‘Do Big Things’ positioning, he explains, unifies the network’s mindset. Across global offices, BBDO is aligned in the pursuit of big work that drives big results. For the MENAP region, where large-scale ambition fuels industry and culture, this philosophy finds a particularly natural home.

Dani Richa, chairman and CEO of Impact BBDO MENAP, sees the region as an ideal proving ground for BBDO’s new philosophy.

“This is a region known for big dreams coming true,” he says. “The kind of leadership that is in place here is the ideal canvas for everyone to do big things. No dream is too big to achieve.”

Impact BBDO has long operated with this ethos, but the repositioning is an opportunity to sharpen its focus. Dani points to the agency’s ‘Bring Your Impossible’ campaign for the UAE as a testament to this mentality.

  

“It’s not just about thinking big things, it’s about getting big things done,” he explains. “And this region, more than any, invites you to do big things.”

For years, BBDO was synonymous with its mantra: ‘The Work. The Work. The Work.’ While the new rebrand signals an evolution, it doesn’t represent a departure from the agency’s core values.

“‘The Work. The Work. The Work.’ is always going to be a reminder of what matters the most to us,” Dani says. “We are not departing from it – we are simply transitioning to a more evolved philosophy. Because you cannot get to big work without work.”

He likens it to the idea of location, location, location in real estate: the foundation must be laid before a ‘great monument’ can be built. “Similarly, you can’t do monumental work unless you have years of the right foundation. ‘The Work The Work The Work’ is that very foundation.”

When considering the biggest moments in BBDO’s history, Ali and Dani offer examples that reflect the agency’s ability to turn a bold creative vision into something enduring.

Dani recalls, “To stay on the topic of real estate and monumental ideas, the HBO building in my opinion is one of the true landmark campaigns of all time, and certainly one of the biggest – literally and metaphorically – that BBDO has ever done.”

HBO Voyeur was a multi-platform, immersive campaign by BBDO New York for HBO, launched in summer 2007. Using voyeurism as its theme, it featured a dramatic life-size projection on a Manhattan building, digital and mobile activations, and interactive storytelling to engage super-fans and remarkably reinforce HBO’s profoundly innovative brand identity.

 

            

For Ali, the Snickers ‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry’ campaign encapsulates BBDO’s approach: “The perfect example of what BIG is. A genuinely big insight that works everywhere on the planet, in any language, coupled with an execution that is scalable and adaptable. And of course, leading to the biggest results possible.”

           

In the MENAP region, Impact BBDO’s work for AnNahar Newspaper has broken barriers, earning the agency the region’s first Cannes Lions Grand Prix and paving the way for a new era of creative recognition for the region. “All of a sudden, the region now has six of the shiny big cats in just five years,” says Ali. “Campaign after campaign for AnNahar has shown the region the bigness with which we can approach global competitions – taking big risks, asking big questions, dreaming big, and winning big things."

 

            

In 2024, the UAE was ranked as the eighth most creative country in the world on the Cannes Creativity Rankings. Leading that charge is a milestone Impact BBDO takes immense pride in.

While the ‘Do Big Things’ positioning is central to BBDO’s direction, Impact BBDO’s leadership is also focused on the strategic advantages of being part of a larger network still.

“In 2025, we are really focused on bringing the might and clout of Omnicom Advertising Group to the region to achieve bigger results for our brand partners,” Dani says. “The global network has an immense portfolio of tools and capabilities on offer, which will allow us to scale our offerings. With OAG, we haven’t just gotten bigger in size, our range of thinking is going to expand, as are the multitude of ways in which we will deliver our product effectively.”

And as Impact BBDO moves forward, its leadership is keeping a singular question at the centre of every decision. Whether Dani is considering work, or talent, or opportunities, or to partner with a client, he says the team starts with the question: “Can we do big things together?”