FP7/DXB is one of the biggest creative agencies in Dubai with a vast portfolio of international clients, however many hotshot creatives in the region do not rank the agency as creative as its competitors such as Ogilvy, JWT and Leo Burnett. Despite our past success in award shows and our continual pitch wins, many creatives still prefer to take jobs with other agencies in the region. We needed to change the perception of “hotshot creatives” in the region and show them that we are a rather fun and creative agency to work for.

We set out to expand our creative department, but hiring talent in the region is a constant struggle. Headhunters charge exuberant fees and job postings don’t attract the right talent, so we did our homework and went after the region's best talent using the ultimate creative recruiter.

Working on a shoestring budget, we designed faux industry self-help books that were made to look like popular industry bestsellers. They were each personalized to potential recruits to demonstrate how they could advance their career with us. Inside each book, a phone was concealed in die-cut pages and programmed with only one contact – our ECD’s number. We then sent it out to infiltrate Dubai’s top Ad Agencies.

Within a week, our ECD received the calls he was hoping for, and a month later, our creative department had four new additions: A world-class Art Director, a talented Design Director, and a Young Lions winning team. We saved 97% of our projected costs.

Our agency’s unconventional recruitment method also became a popular topic amongst creative professionals and was shared on industry websites, design blogs and creative magazines online. Most importantly, the Poaching Phone helped transcend the boundaries of our local agency by promoting it on an international scale. Today, we enjoy a healthy database of international creatives wanting to join our agency.