Egypt’s billboards have always had a soft spot for star power, but lately, that spotlight has gotten brighter. For the second month in a row, celebrity brand ambassadorships have taken over the outdoor scene, with familiar faces leading some of the season’s biggest campaigns. From Tara Emad for MG and Abla Fahita for EVA, to Marwan Pablo for Diesel and Aya Samaha making a double appearance for both ELM Developments and Tank, the presence of celebrities on billboards is stronger than ever. Add to that Zizo and Trezeguet for Nescafé, Malak Koura and Mohamed Anwar for Banque Misr, and Pep Guardiola with Amr Youssef for NBE, and it is clear that star-led storytelling has become a defining trend of 2025. A Year of More Faces and More Campaigns Compared to 2024, 2025 has witnessed a clear uptick in both the number of celebrity-driven campaigns and the variety of ambassadors appearing across different sectors. While last year leaned heavily on a smaller group of high-profile stars such as Ruby (Orange), Yasmine Sabry (Lux), and Nancy Ajram (Persil), this year’s OOH scene feels more diverse and expressive. Brands are tapping into actors, athletes, musicians, and even fictional characters to deliver messages that resonate on multiple levels, from humor and style to ambition and local pride. Why Brands Are Doubling Down on Familiar Faces The strategy makes sense. Celebrities continue to offer something algorithms cannot provide: instant emotional recognition. In a market where consumers are flooded with content, a familiar face can cut through the noise faster than any tagline. When Marwan Pablo appears for Diesel, he instantly signals boldness and attitude. Abla Fahita’s partnership with EVA brings humor and relatability. And when Molto gathers Huda El Mufty, Maguid El Kedwany, and Ahmed Malek in one campaign, it turns a snack ad into a cultural moment. These collaborations are not just about fame anymore; they are about fit. Each personality represents a lifestyle, tone, or emotion that the brand wants to own. What This Means for the Market The growing number of celebrity appearances reflects more than a creative choice. It is a market insight. OOH remains a medium built on scale and visibility, and adding recognizable faces only amplifies its impact. The 2025 celebrity boom shows that brands are investing more confidently in personality-led marketing, betting on the power of cultural connection to drive memorability and trust. A Closer Look at the Shift The growing celebrity presence across Egypt’s billboards is not just a creative direction, but a reflection of a larger marketing strategy focused on brand equity building and audience segmentation. Brands are no longer using fame as a shortcut to attention. Instead, they are treating it as a long-term investment in how consumers emotionally perceive them. A well-matched ambassador can strengthen a brand’s equity by embodying its values in a relatable and memorable way. Whether it is Diesel leveraging Marwan Pablo’s rebellious persona or Banque Misr using Malak Koura and Mohamed Anwar to modernize its image, each collaboration is designed to speak directly to a defined audience segment. This approach transforms billboards from static visuals into storytelling platforms that build connection and consistency over time. The increase in both campaigns and ambassadors in 2025 shows that marketers are moving toward more experience-driven communication, where identity, emotion, and visibility intersect. As competition intensifies across categories, celebrity partnerships are evolving into a measurable tool for brand differentiation, not just a creative flourish.
