> Launching MM corporate for flawless events!

I've been working in #ArtDirection for many years and it does feature a lot of things, but my favorite have always been EVENTS, CONFERENCES, TRADE FAIRS... SO here am I specializing into it! Watch this video to know more & follow MM corporate on facebook & insta !

> Creativity on budget: Monoprix!

It's not the first time I talk about it, but this concept is still successful years on: Havas have created for Monoprix a systematic packaging that is everything but boring! Watch the video for more and don't forget to read the labels next time you shop there ;-D

> Marseille est une chanson!

With similar vibes to Beirut and a few other mediterranean metropoles, Marseille has nonetheless its own particular lifestyle... No wonder a lot of Lebanese feel at home there! Passing through for a couple of days before our journey to the Luberon, we've witnessed quite a dose of adventures ;-)
Watch for more...

> Plastic is NOT Fantastic

It's that time of the year when we are almost always outdoors, in picnics, barbecues, parties... and the last thing we want is dishwashing! So what do we do? We use disposable plates and cups :-(
I am just saying that instead of plastic that lasts thousand of years in our environment, simply use paper... 
One thing i forgot to mention in the vlog: you can also use wooden cutlery instead of plastic as well.

Brands featured: Rana Salam

Disclaimer: All names and brands i feature in my vlog are my own favorites, when the post is sponsored, it will be mentioned.

> Aperitivo tips: how to mix your perfect summer drink!

When June hits, Aperitivo becomes the highlight of the day: finding the perfect spot to meet with friends around the best spritz & cocktails!
To get the best mixology tips for my go-to drinks, I met with Souhad, Campari/Aperol Ambassador at The Malt Gallery. Watch the video for more: 

> Lisbon Stories

Ever since I saw Lisbon Story by Wim Wenders I fell in love with this beautiful city! And each time I revisit, i find new places and spaces... Here are my favorite spots since I know a lot of you are choosing Portugal as a destination this summer!

As you see, we were lately for a JAUNE shooting so I'm happy to share part of the work here, done in Caparica:



Last but not least you can still win a trip to Lisbon with Jaune: Check out the details here.

> BERGERAC: a book, restaurant, a lifestyle...

As an art director, I rarely take book projects unless they really are different, and require more communication & art direction skills than actual editing and publishing expertise.
For example, a few years back I worked on a room service menu that looked like a ride through Beirut's street food spots.

And this year, I also took on an exciting project for Bergerac.

Now if you're a foodie, you probably know this little Sud-Ouest restaurant located in the heart of Achrafieh.
Serving mainly duck specialties and cuisine from the South West of France, Bergerac is more than a restaurant. It's a convivial place that you can enjoy with a laid back bunch of friends, and discover what they call the french paradox (yes french people don't get fat eating foie gras with wine! :)

And since we Beirutis need a lot of convincing to get out of our food patterns, I answered Marc's call and worked on the design of this cute menu-booklet, that is actually much more than that:

It is a full-fledge book that talks about the South-West region and traditions and why these appealed to Marc, how he met the Chef. The Chef's recipes and tips, along with a nutritionist explanation around the benefits of duck fat (yes!), a user-friendly wine guide, fun illustrations by Andrea Turvey whom I discovered from Jamie Oliver's magazine...

The project went beyond our initial ideas, and so, Antoine found it interesting and you can now get it from there as well!

But what i truly advise you to do, is go try Bergerac if you haven't already and don't miss their flamed canelé with rhum...

...Their hilarious karaoke mondays, and their friendly family who will make you feel home in no time!

Vis ta Spontaneité! McDonald's Switzerland refreshing TVC

Still trying to catch the name of agency & director but here we go:
to celebrate spring, mothers' day, my 9 years of blogging (!!),
I GREET YOU WITH WHAT A REAL ADVERTISING SHOULD BE!!



Funny, fresh, not afraid to show the product in extreme situations, full of REAL people, people of all kinds, NOT THE PERFECT CLEAN FAMILY (that doesn't exist) EATING PERFECT PRODUCTS (that don't exist either). Coming from the country of "clean", It's so fun to see this "dirty" ad.

My husband who's a film director said : "someone got fired after this!", I think on the contrary someone got promoted :-)

Enjoy...

> Chateau Biac or a little Lebanese magic near St Emilion!

This summer we went on a family road trip through the French Vignobles... From Bourgogne (Burgundy) and its "climats" to Bordeaux, St Emilion, Langoiran, Bergerac, Monbazillac...
It was quite a trip! I even let the kids taste the different "terroirs"! Don't gasp, just a sip ;-)

But the highlight of our journey was definitely our magical visit to the Biac Vignobles!
Thanks to our oenologist friend Diana, we were delighted to meet Youmna Asseily, who is the sparkling lady, with her charming husband, who gave back Biac all its glory, and much more...

These are the different cépages at Biac, as as you can see they have a exceptional location on a small sunny hill over the Garonne! A unique Terroir indeed... And an enchanting land to live in.

Mrs Asseily was so kind to give us a full tour to show us the grapes, the new renovated "chai", the tasting room... And all these spaces have one thing in common: Passion! 

You cannot be so much involved in an estate ~some grapes are picked grain per grain!!~ without reflecting your religious adoration on the wines... Biac is truly a "GRAND VIN" de Bordeaux...

About the wines:

Chateau Biac, my preference, a modern Bordeaux Wine that ages gracefully...

B de Biac: from the same plots, but ready to be enjoyed directly, a good companion for relaxed encounters... 

For both these wines Mrs Asseily chose her family crest as label: Felix the Royal Cat.

Which brings us to Felix: The playful wine of the family, with Kufi type inspiration. Can be even chilled in summer...

And Secret: the sweet golden nectar Cadillac wine. This is the one collected grain per grain, on various days depending from each maturation. Truly the gold of the gods...

The tasting room has oriental accents, with pieces from Images d'Orient, Nathalie Fallaha, and other artists, and it is really the "bouquet final" after the crescendo of the visit..

It is not a surprise that a family coming from our piece of the planet took this estate and renovated it, we have a history with vineyards and grape culture that goes back to the Antiquité. Bacchus was originally Lebanese!! ;-)

To know more about Chateau Biac click here for their lovely website that truly depicts their magical spirit and history. And make sure to taste their wine: it is available in Lebanon.

Last but not least, a small "secret de Biac": the Asseilys have three guest houses that you can rent if you are a true wine lover. But schhhh.... keep it confidential.

> Firenze Success Story: Mercato Centrale

Last month we visited Pitti Uomo in Firenze, and I wrote a post about the brands that caught our attention. However the visual and gastronomic explosion that marked us forever was ~ DRUM ROLL~... IL MERCATO CENTRALE!

(logo and identity by Almagreal, representing the central location of the mercato)

This Iron and Glass building was created in 1874 by Giuseppe Mengoni, who designed as well the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milano. For its 140th birthday, Umberto Montano and Claudio Cardini gave this San Lorenzo Covered Market its glory, bringing people back to this vibrant city landmark, with traditional shops that give the artisans the center stage.

Following this idea, every booth is hosted by its star artisan, with his name and caricature illustration by Jonathan Calugi, who caught the character of each person so perfectly.

Here is a small animation by Simone Brillaleri of one artisan for example:

Amazing isn't it?

The food of course compeets by far with the most famous restaurants in Florence, not to mention that it's for a bargain! I had the best pasta and arancina tradizionale with a delicious Aperol Spritz, for around 20 euro...

I leave you now with a few pictures of the identity in the website, magazine, place etc...

Ecollo qua! Bravo a tutti, direttore, architetto, designer, animator, illustrator...good job!

Don't miss it if you're on a trip to Italy and i know a lot of you are planning to this summer...

UPDATE!!! Thanks to this post I've just discovered that the talented Lebanese Stephanie Richa worked with Jonathan Calugi on the identity during her internship in Firenze! BRAVISSIMI!

> HORECA 2015: the winners are...

For the 4th year in a row I took part in the Horeca Beirut Best Stand Jury, along with Rana Nasr, Malek Salamé and Alain Hochar, invited by the fabulous Randa Dammous!

The Categories for this year were: Best Stand, Best Branding, Best Mood & the famous Coup de Coeur. The Winners:

For Coup de Coeur: Delphine Gebran who designs F&B spaces, who demonstrated that emotion can be created simply with an idea, basic materials, lighting & passion!

For Best Branding: the refreshing Juice Up:

For Best Stand: Ksara, linear, classic and modern at the same time...

And finally, the best mood and ambiance were at Prunelle who invited 8eme Art for a jazzy jam session...

And a peek at the Jury (without Alain unfortunately) and the winners:

And the Trophee & Certificate courtesy of Juice Up :-)

Good luck and Bravo to all, see you next year...

Beirut & the Four Seasons, a Passionate Love Affair

It's not the first time I am challenged to work on an amazing project for the Four Seasons Beirut; you've already had a glimpse of the video installation I did for the Roof two summers ago.
Only this time I've been asked by Christian Klaus their amazing F&B director to design: "An In-Room Dining Menu, which is not an In-Room Dining Menu"! "... Hmm, Pardon?" My eyes asked.
"Well, I want a book about Beirut, but not Ministry of Tourism Beirut, I want YOUR Beirut."
WOW. Is there a better brief you can get from a client? I mean, God knows I am passionate about my city, but could I let go? Put all my passion and guts into this book?
I did. And I invited Ghassan Koteit to capture this journey and take you on a 24 hour ride "Through Beirut"...

This is how it starts:

And here are a few of the pages:

After the ride, you have the menu on a thicker and more sensual aquarelle paper:

And it ends with a map of all the spots covered in the book, inviting the reader into the inner soul of my intricate complicated contradictory but oh-so beautiful city...

The book was just published this week, an exquisite farewell gift to Christian who's moving forward to FS San Francisco as Hotel Manager; may you inspire as many people there as you did in the last three years. And huge thanks to Four Seasons Beirut for this opportunity to design one of the most beautiful projects of my career.