Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region today announced that it will adopt a dual-agency model for 2018.

The Bank has retained its long term agency of seven years, FP7 to manage creatives and communication across all business units and has appointed Leo Burnett Dubai to manage its evolving brand needs, in addition to strategic sponsorships and CSR communications. Moreover, the bank has appointed Spark Foundry MENA, (formerly Mediavest / Spark), part of Publicis Media to manage media strategy, media buying, performance marketing and content development across the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

In 2017, Emirates NBD, was ranked the UAE’s most valuable banking brand with a USD 3.406 billon brand valuation in The Banker’s annual brand valuation league table ‘The Brand Finance Banking 500’. The Bank ranked second among all banks in the Middle East and Africa region and also secured a spot among the top 100 global banking brands, coming in seventy-fifth worldwide up from ninety-sixth in 2016.

FP7/DXB, who recently won the 2017 Effie MENA Most Effective Advertising Office of the Year for the fifth year running has achieved several great results over the years for Emirates NBD through both effective and award-winning communications. The seven-year partnership has garnered over 85 regional and international awards and recognitions including the coveted 2016 Lynx Advertiser of the Year Award and the 2013 Effie Marketer of the Year Award. FP7 will now further explore areas and opportunities to strengthen Emirates NBD’s brand positioning and serve a broader range of customers through winning marketing strategies and creative solutions.

Through their “Power of One” strategy Publicis Groupe will bring together agencies and services from Publicis Communications and Publicis Media to provide the best strategic planning, creative, media, communication and digital marketing services that can be executed efficiently and effectively.

Leo Burnett, part of Publicis Groupe and one of the most awarded agencies in the region having received over 50 nods from the likes of Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx and The MENA Cristal Awards in the last year alone, will look to create compelling narratives that demonstrate Emirates NBD’s brand leadership and its strategic CSR framework. The agency, which has been recognised as the Dubai Lynx Network of the Year in 2015 and which will soon see one of its brands receive the Dubai Lynx Advertiser of the Year 2018 award, will bring forward some of the best talent in its multidisciplinary team to elevate important Emirates NBD initiatives under #TogetherLimitless, the Bank’s advocacy platform for People of Determination and #moneywise, Emirates NBD’s financial literacy programme.

Spark Foundry MENA, through the full resources, capabilities and market clout of Publicis Media combined with their bold vision to harness the spirit of a startup, will strive to bring heat to the entire Emirates NBD business through innovation, disruption and constant positive change. The agency will primarily focus on consistently articulating Emirates NBD’s ambition in the marketplace of being the most innovative bank in the UAE banking industry, and also support what the brand is driving towards in context of its overall business goals. 

Emirates NBD is a front-runner when it comes to digital banking innovation in the UAE and a regional pioneer in private sector CSR volunteering and programmes.  The Bank recently signed a Premier Partnership agreement with the prestigious Expo 2020 Dubai to become its official banking partner.