Listen to the article’s playlist for the full experience:
Collective Soul – Shine
Edie Brickell – Good times
Jean-Jacques Goldman – C’est ta chance
East 17 – It’s alrighT
Marvin Gaye – Sunny
Morcheeba – Enjoy the ride
Rose – La Liste
1. The coffee.
2. Walking meetings.
3. Useful meetings (yes, like unicorns they do exist).
4. Brave clients.
5. Sharp briefs. The rise of empathetic leaders.
6. Introverts working with extroverts. Or rather… extroverts working with introverts.
7. Asking great questions.
8. A sharp pencil.
9. Reading a beautifully crafted copy.
10. The “I wish we had done that” moment.
11. The competitive spirit.
12. Ideas.
13. Innovative ideas.
14. Exchanging Ideas.
15. When collaboration makes ideas better.
16. Well-rounded strategic minds.
17. Creative leaders that are both brilliant and respectful people.
18. Interns who pitch TikTok ideas on their first day.
19. Social hacks.
20. Content shot on a phone.
21. Passionate social media executives.
22. How paid media finances journalism.
23. How paid media finances entertainment.
24. Effective search strategies.
25. Loyalty programmes.
26. Content.
27. A beautifully produced film.
28. New media opportunities.
29. A well-conceived dashboard.
30. Analytics.
31. Data.
32. Insights.
33. Data falling in love with insights.
34. Telling a data-infused story.
35. A truly local insight.
36. Trend spotting.
37. Our “cool” attitude.
38. Pretty offices.
39. Wearing sneakers.
40. A CEO-DJ.
41. Weird green gooey drinks that are good for you.
42. Chocolate (i.e. my drawer when it’s filled with chocolate).
43. Working from the office.
44. Working from home.
45. Working from Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (that’s in Wales).
46. Finding balance.
47. Having a talent team, rather than a human resources team only.
49. True diversity.
50. The death of the boys’ club.
51. Leaders without a giant stinky ego.
52. Leaders who don’t get territorial.
53. Self-awareness.
54. Decent people.
55. Caring people.
56. Passionate people.
57. Smart people.
58. Colleagues who take the stairs with you to do your steps.
59. Clients who partner.
60. Clients who challenge.
61. Clients who discuss hard questions.
62. Great account people.
63. Marketing leaders who join agencies.
64. Agency folks who join tech and consultancies.
65. Working with e-sports athletes.
66. Virtual influencers.
67. Micro-influencers.
68. Creators.
69. Motion designers.
70. Designers.
71. Form and function.
72. Storytelling.
73. Being paid to tell stories.
74. A witty headline.
75. Experiential ideas.
76. Generative AI.
77. Optimising the carbon footprint of a media plan.
78. Purposeful brand ideas.
79. Purposeful brand behaviours.
80. Media executives who are creative.
81. Creative leaders who are strategic.
82. Leaders who elevate others.
83. Psychological safety.
84. Fashionable colleagues.
85. Colleagues who come to the office in pajamas and flipflops.
86. A self-deprecating joke.
87. Listening.
88. A good debate.
89. Brainstorms that work.
90. When someone you loved working with years ago gets a cool new job.
91. An Emirati getting “Person of the Year” at Lynx.
92. An internship programme for retirees.
93. When an ad makes people smile. Or laugh. Or cry.
94. A kind smile.
95. Constantly learning new things.
96. The teaching hospital mindset.
97. Watch one, do one, teach one.
98. Seeing your work come to life on Sheikh Zayed Road.
99. Never feeling bored.
