Dubai, 14 September 2015

Masafi, the Gulf region's leading producer of premium drinking water sourced from the ground, has appointed Leo Burnett Dubai as its creative agency, following a competitive three-way pitch. Effective immediately, the assignment spans traditional advertising solutions, corporate communication campaigns, and strategic planning. Essentially, the win will see Leo Burnett Dubai spearhead Masafi's overall creative direction and vision.

During the two-month-long, multi-round pitch process, Leo Burnett Dubai managed to swiftly set itself apart from competition thanks to its innovative approach to communications and strategy development.

"From the very beginning, Leo Burnett demonstrated creative thinking skills, strategic prowess, and a deep understanding of consumer touch points - key ingredients for any successful communications campaign," stated Masafi CEO Reginald Randall. "We are proud to be joining forces with an agency that has, over the years, continued to stretch the boundaries of what is possible in the world of advertising."

Randall also added, "We are confident in Leo Burnett's ability to produce dynamic, game-changing work that translates into strong business results."

Kamal Dimachkie, Executive Regional Managing Director, echoed that statement, saying: "As the UAE's only manufacturer of natural drinking water bottled at source, Masafi has, as a brand, long been in a league of its own. At Leo Burnett, we look forward to driving Masafi's value growth and expanding the brand's reach - using a steady flow of engaging and meaningful content. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that the business continues to differentiate itself in the eyes of consumers."

-Ends-

About Masafi:
Masafi, the Gulf region's leading producer of premium drinking water, was first established in 1976. The company quickly emerged as a market leader with an extensive roster of world-class products known for their pure natural freshness. Masafi's wide product portfolio includes bottled drinking water, tissue paper, juices, sparkling juices, and flavored water.

Using new technologies, Masafi has, since its founding, revolutionized safe manufacturing and disposal processes for bottled water. It is the first food and beverage company in the Middle East to introduce an eco-friendly 500ml water bottle manufactured with just 23% reduced plastic at a weight of thirteen grams. Masafi Tissues leads the UAE market in terms of quality and includes fragrant tissues (available in four fragrances) and car tissue boxes. The hugely popular Masafi Juices (made from 100% pure juice) come in an array of original flavors and rich fruit blends; they are available in 2-liter, 1-liter and 200ml bottles. Masafi's Flavored Water is available in strawberry, lemon, peach and mint & lemon in 500ml bottles. Recent additions to Masafi's portfolio include Sparkling Juices available in three flavors - Apple Cocktail, Pomegranate and Tropical.

Masafi is committed to providing consumers with safe and premium quality products and services. Over the years, the company has been awarded a number of international certifications including the ISO 9002 & ISO 14001, HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), Asia Bottled Water Association (ABWA), and GEMAS Effie Mena Award for the Best Use of CSR in 2009.

About Leo Burnett MENA
Since its inception in 1981 as the first multinational agency in the region, the Leo Burnett Middle East and North Africa group of companies has always been progressive in its thinking and approach.

From a single brand agency, Leo Burnett has grown into a comprehensive integrated communication network. It is a full service agency, offering brand planning, account management, creative/design-print production, Below-The-Line (BTL), corporate communications, digital communications, direct marketing, database management, event management, interactive marketing/CRM, promotional marketing, retail marketing, market research, media planning and buying, public relations, product launches, outdoor advertising and sales promotion.

The group offers both specialization and holistic integration to answer the ever-changing needs of both clients and the market place.

The Leo Burnett Group MENA is headquartered in Dubai with offices in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait, Beirut, Amman, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, Cairo and Casablanca, and an affiliation office in Algeria.

The Leo Burnett Group of Companies consists of Leo Burnett (Cross-Channel Brand Agency), Leo Burnett/Arc (Cross-Channel Activation Agency), Flip (Interactive Agency), Atelier (Luxury Agency), LeoComm PR (PR Consultancy) and Holler (Digital Creative Agency).

A network team of close to 750 talented employees is committed to enhancing their clients' competitive advantage through an integrated, multidisciplinary communications approach that converts brand buyers into brand believers.

© Press Release 2015