Alain Shoucair : on a Bluetrain off to a Stellar Start

What prompted you to leave an enviable job with all the advantages that come with it to take a plunge into the unknown?

It was an idea I’d had for some time. It’s no secret that Drive was, for whatever reason, coming to the end of its life. Sometime events just take control and tell you ‘OK now’s the right time to do it’.

Do you think there is still room in Lebanon for another advertising agency?

There’s always room for something new in Lebanon. The business has to regenerate itself. Whether it’s here or abroad, we’ve seen the relentless conglomerisation of advertising and marketing to the point where we’re all working for one of two or three global companies. We need to have a fresh perspective. We can’t stand still and become stale.

Having worked in boutique agencies and network companies, where do you feel you fit best and why?

Right now, I fit perfectly where I am. Everything I’ve done in the past is the right background and experience for this. You learn from everywhere you’ve been; both the good and the bad experiences.

What’s behind the Bluetrain name?

Ha, ha. Maybe I should keep that a mystery. It could be about some simple music

chords or just a long and enjoyable journey. I’ll let you decide.

Every agency positions itself as different from all others, though that difference may not always be clear. However, your agency does come across as an exception to the traditional norms, why is that?

I look at agencies today and I see them hiring the same types of talent. Everyone fits a formula and when that happens, we approach a problem from the same perspective and end up doing the same type of work. There’s plenty of talent out there that can look at applied creativity in a different way. Let’s get people involved who bring something new in the way they think. Yes, we’ll need the experience of people grounded in the business, but why not involve mavericks and unusual talents who can shake things up? We have a belief that if you only know advertising then you’re only going to do the same type of advertising.

Can you tell us about any project or account you’re currently working on?

We’ve got an exciting product launch and some clients who’ve moved from Drive. It’s full on.