Ali Rez of Impact BBDO on Pushing Boundaries

Plus: His work for An-Nahar newspaper and 'Not a Bug Splat'

Ali Rez leads creative as CCO of Impact BBDO across the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan. Rez has won numerous international awards in his career spanning four continents over 20 years.

We spent two minutes with Ali to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.

Ali, tell us…

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in a few different places, thanks to a diplomat parent. But the most memorable was Beijing. Currently, I live mostly on a plane.

How you first realized you were creative.

Early on in school, I loved to draw. And quickly realized I could monetize this by drawing science experiment illustrations for my classmates, or do their art class assignments. It was not only a realization in creativity, but also learning that I can make a living.

A person you idolized creatively early on.

Always loved Monty Python. Years later, at a Dubai Lynx festival, I loved hearing John Cleese talk about how the subliminal drives the best kind of creativity. 

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

For some bizarre reason, I had decided to study physics in college, but had a moment of realization that this wasn’t the right path for me. That moment happened to be right in the middle of my undergrad examinations. Instead of filling in the paper, I sketched the very bewildered examiner’s face on my exam sheet, handed it in, and walked out. Changed my life.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

Kubrick and Hitchcock have always been the standard for me. A commitment to detail and showing something that has never been seen before are their gifts to all of us. They were magicians. In music, there is nobody that hits as deep as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

I recently finished The Secret Lives of Numbers, which is a fascinating account of how history has buried the true credits in mathematics. Scores of women, Arabs, Asians and other have never received the recognition they deserve. Not a lot of people even know that “Algorithm” comes from the Arabic. A good podcast I have recently gotten into is Empire by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

For the sheer audacity of what we pulled off, it has to be “Not a Bug Splat” in 2014 as a protest against drone strikes in Pakistan. Remote pilots were calling their victims “bug splats,” since humans looked like disposable tiny bugs from that far up. So, we printed a giant portrait of a girl and placed it facing up near one of the bombed villages so the pilots could see who they were bombing.

A recent project you’re proud of. 

All the work the Impact BBDO team does for An-Nahar newspaper in Lebanon to assist them in their fight for freedom of speech and democracy. Our most recent project introduced to the world the first AI president of a state, which was actually used in an active government cabinet session. This was true demonstration of the power of creativity meeting technology.

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Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago. 

Some of the biggest inspirations in my life came from the duo of Tibor Kalman and Oliviero Toscani. They co-founded the magazine Colors for Benetton, following up on their monumental campaign for the clothing brand which featured societal causes. The unmatched sense of wit, irony and newness they brought to the world of graphic design and advertising was mind-blowing. Consider the “Travel Special” issue. The cover shows an aircraft with its fuselage blown off. It has always spurred me to ask the question [when developing brand campaigns], “What is the opposite of what people are expecting to see here?”

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

I am extremely jealous of the CeraVe—it has all the ingredients of a perfect campaign. Love it when a brand doesn’t take itself too seriously. Probably the best use of a celebrity in recent times.

Your main strength as a creative person.

Probably relentless curiosity.

Your biggest weakness.

Also an excess of curiosity. At some point, you have to get it done. And often, that voice telling you at the back of your head “but what if…” keeps you from closing.

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

Generous people like David Lubars and Dani Richa have not only been the best teachers in the world for me, but also supportive when I needed it most. My art school portfolio teacher Melinda Mettler was a great mentor—she even helped me get my first big job by directly hiring me. And of course, my long-time copywriting partner Henry Joe Peterson. 

How you’re paying it forward with the next generation of creatives.

I make sure to hold at least five to six sessions a year at events that cater to young creatives. This includes personally mentoring a few. This is a vital exercise to not only share the knowledge, but to constantly remind oneself of where you began and how you felt when you first stepped into the industry.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

Probably wishing I was in it.