Best Ads This Week
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Uber, IKEA and an interview with Umar Khan from EMAAR

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Hey,

Ad Professor here.

I have a special surprise for you this week!

Incoming: Interview with Umar Khan, Head of Digital Marketing at EMAAR - the biggest luxury real estate company in the world.

This will be the first of many.

Read on for some truly game-changing lessons....

And great ads:

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Here's an ad I made for Uber..

We’ve helped multiple billion-dollar companies get their best-performing ads.

If you're spending $50K+ on advertising per month and need help...

Apply here.

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Show them the pain of not having your product vs. the contrast of having it.

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Running out of time and don't have an ad idea? Make that your idea.

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Duolingo killed their beloved mascot to encourage people to get back to using the app.

The original ad alone received 63M views. And 23M for this come back video.

Insane results.

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"On iOS, the day of Duo’s “death” saw the highest number of worldwide downloads for Duolingo so far this year, per the app analytics firm Appfigures. Daily downloads spiked 15% higher than this year’s average to reach around 172,0000." - TechCrunch

Watch the full video here.

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Each week we're sitting down with some of the smartest minds in marketing to ask them the big 5 questions.

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This week, we sat down with Umar Khan. The head of digital marketing at EMAAR -- one of the biggest luxury real estate companies in the whole world.

How is marketing evolving?

"Ten years ago, Instagram lead campaigns barely existed. Now, they’re everywhere. The next decade? AI will be a game-changer—but not just for writing copy. The real opportunity is in using AI for data, audience insights, and automation. Marketers need to go beyond the hype and figure out how to make AI work for them."

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What makes a campaign unforgettable?

"Storytelling. Creativity grabs attention, but a great story holds it. The best campaigns don’t just look good; they convert. That’s how you create something that sticks and delivers real results."

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What’s the greatest ad campaign ever?

"Red Bull’s space jump. They got someone to literally jump from space! Red Bull isn’t just an energy drink; it’s one of the world’s smartest marketing machines. They know their audience inside out and keep pushing the limits of what’s possible."

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What’s the biggest mistake brands make?

"Chasing trends without purpose. Like the celebrity endorsement wave in Dubai—everyone’s doing it, but does it actually work long-term? Brands with a clear value proposition and authentic storytelling will always win."

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What’s the best way to build a career in marketing?

"Start in an agency. The pace, the variety, the clients—you’ll learn fast. But whatever path you choose, master two things: storytelling and data analysis. You can learn tools, but the mindset? That’s what sets you apart."

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✨ Final Word:

"Creativity sparks interest. Data drives decisions. Master both, and you’ll own the future of marketing.

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If you enjoyed this, drop me a reply with what you liked, or just send me a test tube emoji 🧪
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I read every reply and it helps with my email score.

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The Ad Professor

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PS. Want more content? Follow me on X: @The_AdProfessor

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