creative director
& brand partner.

I help founders, brands and agencies stand out
with creative ideas that drive action.

Book a callSee the work

Creative work should solve business problems. So before I make anything, I figure out
the real problem, the idea that solves it and the story that sells it. Only then do we start creating.

“A true creative force, exploring options till the very last minute to deliver a kick-a** project.”
Frederico Roberto, Executive Creative Director, TBWA\RAAD
“Tarek’s methodical strategic approach ensures his content demands a response.”
Lamiya Boumlaki, Group Director, Majid Al Futtaim
“Tarek’s exceptional professionalism, creativity and attention to detail have truly elevated our brand presence.”
Arlette Nahas, Regional Marketing Manager, Brands For Less
“The perfect man for the job. It’s better than we ever expected, honestly.”
Creative agency producer
Nissan Manchester City FC Red Bull Disney L’Oréal Deliveroo Careem Majid Al Futtaim LEGO KFC Pizza Hut Nespresso Head & Shoulders ALDO Brands For Less Rove Hotels Fix Chocolate TBWA\RAAD

the work.

50+ brand campaigns across TV and social media, each one built from the business problem up.
Click on any campaign below to see the thinking behind it.

Still from the myNISSAN campaign Keeping It Easy

myNISSANKeeping It Easy

Five films to make a paid car app feel like something owners couldn’t live without.
Still from the Nissan × Man City film A League of Its Own

Nissan × Man CityA League of Its Own

How do you launch an SUV with three of the world’s best footballers without making another SUV ad?
Still from the Deliveroo film The Office Party

DeliverooThe Office Party

Deliveroo now delivered groceries and retail. Everyone still thought it was just for dinner.
Still from the L’Oréal Elvive film The Lineup

L’Oréal ElviveThe Lineup

How do you explain “perfectly balanced hair” to people who skip beauty ads?
Still from the Brands For Less film Summer Is a Mood

Brands For LessSummer Is a Mood

Shoppers knew Brands For Less for bargains. The summer campaign had to make them think of style.
Still from the Fix Chocolate film Itching for a Fix

Fix ChocolateItching for a Fix

The chocolate everyone wanted was the one nobody wanted to share.
Still from the Rove Hotels film The Cannonball

Rove HotelsA Place for the Fun at Heart

Rove was known as the hotel for young people. Everyone else assumed it wasn’t for them.
Still from the Deliveroo film A Lot Like… Meh

DeliverooA Lot Like… Meh

The holidays are meant to feel special. Doing it all yourself makes them feel meh.

These are seven of the films. The rest of my directing work is on Vimeo.

See my directing work ↗

how we can
work together.

Not every creative problem needs the same involvement, so here are four ways I can help. Whichever one sounds right, we start with a free 20-minute call. I’ll ask about your business and what you need, then tell you honestly which of these fits, or if none do.

Creative Diagnosis

For founders, marketing teams and agencies

Get a senior diagnosis of your strategy, campaign or script, and a clear plan to fix it.

Not sure if your idea will work, or why it isn’t working yet?

Send me what you have. I review it first, then we work through it together in a 90-minute session: the real problem, what’s working, what isn’t and exactly what I’d change.

You walk away with a written diagnosis and next steps within 48 hours. If you go on to a Campaign Sprint, the fee counts towards it.

Book a free 20-minute call

Campaign Sprint

For founders, brands and agencies

Get a campaign strategy, a big idea and production-ready scripts in two weeks.

Need a campaign, but not sure what it should say or where to start?

You can come in with nothing but a business goal. We start from scratch with what your business needs to achieve, then build the strategy and the idea around it, whether it becomes one hero film, a series of social videos or a full launch. I can also present it to your decision makers so it gets signed off.

You walk away with the campaign platform, the big idea, the key messages and the scripts, ready to hand over to production. If you want, I direct it too.

Book a free 20-minute call

Fractional Creative Lead

For founders and in-house marketing teams

Get a senior creative director on your team, for a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.

Need someone senior with global brand experience to decide what’s working, what’s not and what’s next?

That’s the role I take on, working with your team on fixed days each month: shaping ideas, sharpening briefs, guiding your agencies and signing off work before it goes out. I also run workshops on positioning, messaging and briefing, so the thinking stays in-house.

You walk away with one clear creative direction across everything you put out, and a team that can brief and judge work with confidence.

Book a free 20-minute call

Commercial Direction

For agencies and production houses

Get a director with 50+ TV and social campaigns behind him to bring your idea to the screen.

Got an approved concept and need a director to make it look as good as it sounds?

I take it from there: writing the treatment, leading casting and the shoot, and staying through the edit. If you already have a brief, email it to tarek@arissbrothers.com.

You walk away with a hero film, cutdowns and social edits that deliver the idea you sold, on time and on budget.

Book a free 20-minute call See all my directing work

Creative Sparring

For independent creatives, freelancers and anyone moving into creative work

One-to-one sessions to sharpen an idea, a script, a pitch or your next career move. Bring what you’re working on and I’ll push back on it the way a creative director would, so you leave with a stronger idea and a clear next step.

Book a session

Questions about timings, process or cost? Read the FAQ

Portrait of Tarek Ariss

medical doctor to
creative director.

Not the most conventional path, I know.

I first realised something was wrong when my scrubs were covered in blood and all I could think about was getting back to writing my film script after my hospital shift.

I’d been a movie geek all my life, but too scared to do anything about it.

So I bought a camera. Wrote more. Made more.Until I left both careers to become a full-time creative director.

I co-founded a creative production house and have now written and directed 50+ TV and social campaigns for brands like Nissan, Deliveroo and L’Oréal, in English and Arabic.

Most of them are funny, because people remember stories they enjoy. Don’t get me started on my stand-up comedy career.

So what makes me different?

I bring the analytical thinking from medicine, the business frameworks from consulting and the creative instincts from running a production house, and I use all three to take a business problem all the way to the finished work.

If you’re a founder, part of a creative agency or on a client team, I can help you solve a business challenge through creative ideas, strategies, messaging and campaigns.

got a creative problem?

Let’s talk about it!

Bring your problem. You’ll leave the call knowing what I’d do about it. Free, 20 minutes, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Dubai time.