Ahmed Edrees

Creative Director & AI lab Founder | Brand Strategy × Artificial Intelligence

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

Most creative directors are scared of AI.

I Co-founded an AI lab instead.

16 years building brands → now building
the systems that build brands faster.

Creative × AI is the only intersection
that matters now.

Building this in public.

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

@ezzatkamel @fuelkek 🤣🤣🤣

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

مصر هتكسب استرليا وهتكسب الارجنتين

#كاس_العالم_٢٠٢٦

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

📌 The first AI-generated artwork sold at Christie's in 2018 → $432,500. 💰

Today, you can generate the same quality on your phone in 30 seconds. 📱

7 years. ⏳

The world moved faster than anyone predicted.

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

@ezzatkamel والله بيتكلمو على انه من اهلهم الموضوع بقي صعب اوي

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

💡 نصيحة لأي Designer لسه في البداية:

ماتدافعش عن أول فكرة عجبتك. 🛑

دافع عن الفكرة الصح بعد ما تكون شفت 10 أفكار تانية. ✨

الفرق بين الـ Junior والـ Senior في الموضوع ده بس. 🎯

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

🌍 What's the most culturally complex market you've ever had to create for? 👇

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

💼 "Premium" in Dubai means 4 different things depending on who you ask:

→ Sophisticated 🇪🇺 (European market)
→ Bold and gold 🪙 (Gulf locals)
→ Globally credible 🌐 (expat professionals)
→ Aspirational ⭐ (working class)

Same word. Four briefs. 🎯

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

🌍 البراندات اللي بتنجح في الخليج مش اللي بتترجم الكامبين من إنجليزي.

دي اللي بتفكر بالعربي من أول لحظة. ✨

الترجمة بتوصل المعنى.
الإبداع بالعربي بيوصل الإحساس. ❤️

والفرق ده بيتحس فوراً. 🎯

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

📌 The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters that change shape based on position in a word.

That's why Arabic typography is one of the hardest disciplines in design. 🎨

And why most "Arabic" campaigns in the region get it wrong. 😬

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

💡 The best ideas don't come at the desk.

They come in the shower 🚿
On the drive home 🚗
Or 3 minutes before you fall asleep 😴

Your brain works hardest when you stop forcing it. 🧠

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

🌍 Dubai isn't one market.

It's 200 nationalities pretending to be one market. 🇦🇪

The brands that win here understand that.
The ones that struggle don't. 🎯

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

💬 What's the best feedback you've ever received on creative work — and who gave it to you? 👇

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

💸 The most expensive mistake in branding isn't a bad logo.

It's a beautiful logo for the wrong brand. 🎨

The designer did their job. ✅
The brief was wrong from the start. ❌

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

🎯 The best creative directors aren't the most creative people in the room.

They're the best at recognizing the most creative idea in the room — even when it's not theirs.

Ego is the bottleneck. 🧠

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

🚨 4 signs your brand identity isn't working:

You can't describe it without pulling up the logo
Your team uses inconsistent versions across decks
Competitors look almost identical
You feel the urge to "refresh" it every 18 months

Identity isn't fashion. It's foundation. 🏛️

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

🤖 What creative task have you permanently handed to AI — and never want back? 👇

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

🤖 الناس اللي خايفة من الـ AI في الإبداع،

هي نفسها الناس اللي خافت من الـ Photoshop سنة 1990. 😅

كل تكنولوجيا بتغير الصنعة، بتعلي اللي عنده تفكير. 🧠
وبتفضح اللي عنده Software بس. 👀

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

🤖 AI didn't kill creativity.

It killed the parts of creative work that were never creative to begin with.

❌ Resizing
❌ Reformatting
❌ Repetition

The thinking part? Still ours. 🧠✨

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

⚡ AI killed:
❌ Stock photography
❌ Generic illustrations
❌ Mood boards (mostly)

AI cannot kill:
✅ Cultural insight
✅ Strategic judgment
✅ Knowing what NOT to make

That last one is the whole job now. 🎯

[Ahmed Edrees @Aedrees27]

📣 Marketing managers — what's the one thing you wish agencies understood before pitching? 👇