One of the top-tier speakers at this year’s 13th Branding Conference will be Ali Rez, a creative leader with impressive international experience – a man whose campaigns resonate across the globe. To date, Ali has won over 1,000 awards at prestigious festivals and has been named Creative Person of the Year four times – three times by Campaign magazine and most recently at the Dubai Lynx.
Ahead of the big event on June 5th at Sarajevo’s “Mirza Delibašić” hall, he shared with us how he balances the global with the local, why lion taming best illustrates modern branding, and why authenticity cannot be faked. But first, he revealed a truly fascinating anecdote.
“The award that means the most to me, and that I’ll always remember, was the very first one I won while still in art school. It was at the San Francisco Show, chaired by the legendary Hal Riney. I created a rather obscene ad for a student competition – so indecent that my school refused to submit it, so I sent it myself. And it won gold. I learned a lot from that.”
In a world increasingly resembling a circus, what do you think is essential for brands to maintain their reputation?
Ali Rez: Above all else, a brand must understand its audience in order to connect authentically. Rather than chasing trends or settling for superficial solutions, brands should seek emotional resonance – something that aligns with their core identity. Simply put: brands need to stop making ads and start building relationships.
As someone who leads creative teams across the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan, how do you balance local cultural nuances with a brand’s global identity?
Ali Rez: A global brand identity doesn’t have to conflict with local cultural nuances, as long as you find those authentic insights that bridge the two. While a global identity ensures consistency, value, and scale, incorporating local nuances– especially in this region – builds trust and relatability. It shows the audience that you understand and respect their preferences.
Your campaigns are celebrated by both audiences and juries at the world’s most prestigious festivals. In your opinion, what sets a good campaign apart from a great one?
Ali Rez: A campaign that truly shines stays in the audience’s memory as something special. That’s the difference between a good and an exceptional campaign. These are campaigns that don’t showcase creativity for creativity’s sake, but offer creative solutions to real problems – transcending the content itself. They don’t just convey a message – they change behavior, shape opinions, and convince even the hardest skeptics.
What do you see as the biggest challenge creative leaders face today?
Ali Rez: The biggest challenge remains what it has always been: finding ways to preserve originality and authenticity in an environment flooded with average, homogenized content. That challenge is now even greater with the rise of AI and the content it generates. Through all this, the most important thing will be connecting with the audience in an authentic and engaging way.
If modern branding were a circus, which act would you most like to perform, and why?
Ali Rez: I’d choose lion taming. Because what do we have today? Two very wild and unpredictable forces. One is consumer behavior, and the other is market trends. The goal is to turn those two forces into one – controlled and powerful. That endeavor requires a deep understanding of a brand’s core strengths and patience, all with the goal of not only capturing the audience’s attention ž but keeping it.
