{"id":19136,"date":"2023-06-22T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muse.international\/?p=19136"},"modified":"2023-07-13T03:16:49","modified_gmt":"2023-07-13T03:16:49","slug":"interview-with-antoni-barakat-from-lebanon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muse.international\/index\/interview-with-antoni-barakat-from-lebanon\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Antoni Barakat from Lebanon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Antoni Barakat is the co-founder and the CEO of MAD AD, a creative agency based in the MENA region and has long been entranced by the power of creativity in advertising!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview with the 2023 MUSE Creative Awards Winner<\/strong> \u2013 Antoni Barakat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q1. Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your creative background.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My name is Antoni Barakat, and I am the co-founder and CEO of MAD AD creative agency based in the MENA region. Since I was a child, I have been captivated by the power of creativity in advertising. I remember watching commercials for big brands on TV and wondering which agency was behind those brilliant ideas. Sometimes, I even felt a little envious when I saw a particularly amazing campaign win awards – even though I was only 10 or 11 years old at the time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q2. What made you become\/why did you choose to become a creative?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I grew older, my passion for marketing and advertising only grew stronger. After graduating from Saint Joseph University of Beirut with a degree in marketing and advertising, I worked with several local and international agencies and companies. However, I soon realized that I was drawn to marketing for real causes and not just for businesses and brands. This led me to work as a consultant for various organizations and NGOs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, my colleague Karl Haddad and I founded an independent media platform called NAQD. Our goal was to create a voice for those who cannot speak and to stand up for freedom and the sanctity of the fourth authority. Our alternative media covers stories beyond the headlines and reveals the truth from across the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we soon realized that we needed to do more to help support real social and political causes, especially in light of the economic crisis that Lebanon is currently facing. That’s why we launched MADAD Middle East – an independent creative agency based in Beirut that helps changemakers in the region with communications, strategies, campaigning, and advocacy. We have already collaborated with different organizations and have gained the trust of several local and international partners, creating online campaigns, designing conferences, and changing the narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q3. Tell us more about your business\/company, job profile, and what you do.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At MAD AD, we are more than just a creative agency – we are a young and fearless team working for a cause. While we work with a diverse range of clients, we specialize in social enterprises and organizations. We believe that our work can make a difference and we are passionate about using our creativity to drive positive change in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the second anniversary of the August 4 Beirut port explosion, Naqdpolitics in collaboration with \u2026 (Read more at MUSE Creative Awards<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about this interview<\/a> with YiFei Hu from China, the Platinum Winner of the MUSE Creative Awards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Antoni Barakat is the co-founder and the CEO of MAD AD, a creative agency based in the MENA region and has long been entranced by the [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":19168,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[372],"tags":[9,12,382],"yoast_head":"\nInterview Antoni Barakat from Lebanon<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Winner Interview with Antoni Barakat of MAD AD Middle East from Lebanon, the Silver Winner of the 2023 MUSE Creative Awards.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/muse.international\/index\/interview-with-antoni-barakat-from-lebanon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Interview Antoni Barakat from 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