Campaign’s Creative Faces to Watch 2026 – Liana El Khabbaz, Copywriter, LEO
Age: 27
Country: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Nominated by Karim Zeinelabedin, Senior Creative Director:
Liana, as young as she is, reminds me of the good old advertising days when we questioned everything and scrutinised every detail. Her approach to briefs is refreshingly rebellious—offering just the right amount of resistance to ‘what is’ in favor of ‘what could be’. With the right guidance, consistent exposure to great work, and her trademark cheeky sense of humour, I’m certain she’ll bring a much-needed gravitas to the industry. I can’t wait to see her climb the ranks and global creative rankings.
Career highlights
Four years into the industry, and I’ve had the privilege of shaping ideas for global brands like McDonald’s and Samsung, the kind I still get a small thrill seeing out in the world. From brand platforms to product launches to social, I aim to make the work as human as it is effective, usually with humour taking the lead. Somewhere along the way, an Effie landed on my desk, so we might be on to something.
Guiding principles
The best ideas are grounded in something honest. If it is not real, people can feel it.
Side hustle
Five years deep into curating hyper-specific indie playlists no one asked for.
Using my obsessive pop cultural pattern recognition for good, mostly to make people laugh.
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