When Print Meets AI: The Bold Simplicity of Media City Qatar’s Ad
- Marwa Kaabour
- Sep 1
- 2 min read
Sometimes you see a campaign so simple, yet so bold, that it makes you stop.
That’s exactly what happened with Media City Qatar’s full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal last March.
At first glance, it looked like any other premium placement: a clean, full-page spread in one of the world’s most respected newspapers. But a second look revealed something different.
The page didn’t scream. It didn’t clutter. It looked like an AI chat interface. A box. A prompt. A QR code.
It didn’t shout for attention.It whispered: “Engage.”
And readers did.
Why It Worked
The results spoke for themselves:
80% recalled the ad the same day.
75% said it stood out among other ads.
60% said they would recommend Media City Qatar to others.
For a print execution, these numbers are extraordinary. But the real genius wasn’t just the placement—it was the blending of mediums.
This ad blurred the line between print and digital. It carried the gravitas of print and the curiosity of interaction. It took an old medium and gave it the spirit of a new one.
The Bigger Lesson for Marketers
As CMOs, we are often asked to choose:
Print or digital.
Reels or billboards.
AI or human creativity.
But the truth is different. Marketing’s future lies in the mix.
The campaigns that win attention—and memory—are those that fuse mediums, leverage old strengths, and reimagine them for new contexts.
In a world overwhelmed with noise, this ad reminded us that restraint can be radical. Simplicity can be striking. And memory is built not through volume, but through clever intersections of experience.
Why Simplicity Still Matters
There’s a final note here that marketers shouldn’t forget: text-only ads still have their place. Clever copywriting remains one of the most underrated, precious skills in our field.
Because sometimes, a single line—well-placed and well-timed—does more than a thousand moving visuals.
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