Farhan Siddiqui & Paurav Shah, Publicis Groupe- Leo Burnett Middle East

Their titles say Associate Creative Director. Their headlines say Copywriters. Their Pinterest boards say Art Directors. Their “watch histories” say filmmakers. Their ideas say all that, and more. They joined Leo Burnett independently in 2020, after a decade-long career of learning advertising from the school of hard knocks. From publishing houses to boutique agencies and freelance gigs to in-house roles – it hasn’t been an easy journey to get here, but if you ask them, they wouldn’t have it any other way. The lessons learned, experiences pocketed, and failures taken on the chin are what make them the creatives they’ve become today. Joining the agency at the beginning of a pandemic was the last major bump in a journey that was all uphill from there. And while uphill climbs aren’t easy, the views are always worth it. At Leo Burnett, they partnered to lead GMC, and quickly expanded their portfolio by leading on, and helping win pitches for EmiratesNBD, HomeCentre, and Babyshop. Along the way, they created some memorable work that contributed to Leo Burnett becoming Agency of the Year twice in a row at Dubai Lynx, and collecting wins at Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, Loeries, and MENA Effies.