MMA Smarties Awards is an annual competition honoring outstanding innovation, creativity, and success in marketing that results in significant business impact. It is renowned as the world’s only global mobile marketing awards program that recognizes leaders, brands, agencies, and tech providers that use technology to pioneer new approaches in modern marketing.

The competition for this year’s MMA Smarties MENA Awards program started on March 1st in the MENA region and submissions have reached a record number compared to previous years. This year the awards will be given in a unique NFT format also known as ‘Smarties MENA into the Metaverse’, the first tokenized awards in the region.  Istanbul-based artist, Efe Balun, will create 4 exclusive animated artworks representing the Smarties trophy categories (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Industry Awards). All winners will own unique artwork.

Melis Ertem, Regional Director, MMA MENA, and Turkey commented on the initiative, “We are thrilled to be the first NFT Awards in the region. As the future of marketing association, going through web 3.0, the metaverse is thought to be the biggest opportunity in advertising since mobile by most of the authorities. We are thrilled to be able to give our Smarties trophies both in physical format and in NFT format. I would like to thank all the agencies, brands, networks, and technology providers who have submitted to our awards program. We are seeing creativity and innovation taken to a new level!’’

The cases submitted to MMA Smarties MENA will be evaluated by an esteemed jury consisting of 45 MENA Marketing thought leaders from brands, agencies and marketers in the region. The categories are divided to be voted by 4 different jury groups to minimize conflict of interest. The campaigns will be evaluated across 4 key themes – Media, Marketing objectives, Technology, and Business Transformation.

Jury Members Voting- Brand Experience, Lead Generation, Product/Services Launch, VR/AR/MR, Gender Equality.

Categories are:

  • Ala Abukhalaf, Regional Mobile Advertising Director, MENA, NABD
  • Asma Shabab, Innovation Strategy Consultant, Accenture
  • Abeer Khalid, Enterprise Account Lead, Middle East & North Africa Region and Pakistan, Zoom Middle East
  • Mayank Garg, Digital, CaST & Creative Partnerships Lead, GSK
  • Banali Luthra Malhotra, Marketing Director, RAKBANK
  • Christine Harb, VP Marketing, CEMEA, Visa 
  • Alperen Ozkan, Head of Marketing, Johnson & Johnson
  • Claire Fletcher, Head of Engagement, OMD MENA
  • Cath Hoff, Director, Clients & Accounts, Geniology
  • Gosia Wajchert, Regional Director MENAT – Addressable Media and Digital Partnerships, Mediabrands
  • Riyad Khalil, Sales Manager, MENA, Adjust
  • Imran Yousuf, VP – Regional Marketing Director, Reckitt

Jury Members Voting: Consumer Promotions, Social Media Marketing, Mobile Search, Cross Channel Integration, Customer Experience, Contextual Native Advertising, E-Commerce (Pivoting During the Pandemic), Social Commerce. Categories are:

  • Asif Hussain, Director, Silverpush
  • Jessica Machaalani, Senior Director of Strategic Marketing Investments, OMD UAE
  • Imran Khalid, Media Director, Sparks Foundry
  • Jessica Moini, Sales Director, İnmobi
  • Nadeem Ibrahim, Digital Director, KSA, UM
  • Suha Haddad, Director of Ecosystem Partnerships, Meta
  • Esra Ezibay, Head of Digital, Middle East, Reckitt
  • Hussein M. Dajjani, Digital and CX Transformation, Africa, Middle East, India, Turkey and Oceania, Nissan Motor Co.
  • James Dutton, Regional Digital Director, UM MENAT
  • Johnny Saad, Head of Sales, Adcolony
  • Oleksii Razhyk, B2B Experiential Marketing Lead, Global Business Solution, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, TikTok

Jury Members Voting: Location-Based Services, M-Commerce, Mobile App, Gaming/Gamification/E-Sports, Inclusivity (During the Pandemic), Social Commerce.

Categories are:

  • Warrick Billingham, General Manager EMEA&LATAM, Adcolony
  • Urva Muhammad, Head of Media & Digital, Middle East, RB
  • Gulrez Alam, Chief Investment & Strategy Officer, ArabyAds
  • Alex Brunori, Head of Creative Works, Google
  • Pinar Tugcu, Digital Platforms Senior Manager, Eurasia & Middle East, The Coca-Cola Company
  • Vanessa Hinton, Executive Director, Marketing, Dubai Holding Entertainment
  • Abdelnabi Alaeddine, Digital Director – UAE, UM MENA
  • Devrim Melek, SVP, Strategy, OSN
  • TJ Lightwala, Managing Director, Experience Services Lead, MENA, Accenture Interactive
  • Oussama Barkia, Marketing Leader, Business Transformation Services, IBM
  • Gavin Payne, Chief Innovation Officer, First Abu Dhabi Bank
  • Jessica Usenbor, Director of Product, Diversified Services and Partnerships, OMG MENA
  • Gaurav Aidasani, CEO, Cosmos Group

Jury Members Voting: Data/Insights, Video Advertising, Innovation, User Generated/Influencer Marketing.

Categories are:

  • Krinio Christaras, Head of Media, MENAP, Mondelez International
  • Ihab El Yaman, Co-Founder & CEO, Memob
  • Gabriel Karam, Executive Manager, Head of Digital Marketing, NBK
  • Syeed Mansoor Hussein, Marketing Head, Almarai
  • George Achkouty, Head of Digital, OMD
  • Sarosh Suhail, Business Owner, Alter Communications
  • Nameer Ameer, Senior Manager RMS, Nielsen IQ
  • Devrim Melek, SVP, Strategy, OSN
  • Melisa Matlum, Head of Marketing, Adcolony
  • Kinda Al Issa, Head of Content Solutions, Global Business Solution, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Pakistan, TikTok
  • Abdulrahman Al-Agha, Digital Marketing Practice Lead, MENA, Accenture Interactive

 

The jury and the short-list is released on the Global website: here. The winners will be announced at the gala event in Dubai on May,17.