Frequently Asked Questions

Email possible@almostimpossible.agency or use the contact form at almostimpossible.agency. The agency replies to every genuine enquiry and sets up an initial conversation within a few business days to walk through the brief and confirm fit.

Almost Impossible works best with briefs that name the business challenge, the target audience, the competitive landscape, any existing brand guidelines, a timeline, and a budget range. Unfinished briefs are fine. The agency also works with clients still shaping the problem, and the team can help define it before jumping to solutions.

Almost Impossible offers an initial conversation to understand the challenge and assess fit, with no obligation. The agency is direct about when a project matches its capabilities and when it does not, and will point to other teams if this is not the right one for the work.

Almost Impossible prices projects by scope rather than rate card. A brand identity engagement typically starts in the low-to-mid five figures (USD); an integrated digital and activation programme sits in the six-figure range. Exact numbers follow a short scoping conversation. The agency publishes no fixed menu because every brief arrives with a different surface area.

Almost Impossible takes on projects where the brief is ambitious enough to warrant a senior, integrated team. There is no hard minimum, but most engagements start from the low five figures (USD) for defined-scope work. Smaller-scale consultancy (a one-off critique, a positioning workshop) is available on a day-rate basis.

Almost Impossible uses fixed-scope fees for defined work and monthly retainers for ongoing partnerships. Hourly billing is rare, reserved for advisory and scoping exercises. All fees are quoted in a single proposal document with scope, deliverables, milestones, and exclusions called out explicitly, so there are no hidden costs or mid-project line items.

Almost Impossible works to fixed budgets when the brief allows. The conversation starts by mapping what can be delivered inside the number, rather than pretending scope and budget are independent. When a budget truly cannot cover a brief, the agency says so plainly and either proposes a phased approach or points to another team.

Almost Impossible is cash-only for standard engagements. Equity or revenue-share arrangements have been considered rarely, for ventures the team is independently excited about, and always as a supplement to partial cash terms. Trade-for-service or pro bono work is evaluated case by case, most often for causes already aligned with projects like Cards of Hope and its sustainability territory.

Almost Impossible typically kicks off new engagements within two to four weeks of a signed agreement. Crisis-response briefs start faster; the team has stood up inside 72 hours for time-critical campaigns. Senior-led structure means the people doing the scoping are the people doing the work, so the ramp is measured in days rather than weeks.

Almost Impossible typically ships a brand identity in 8–12 weeks, covering positioning, visual system, core templates, and the beginnings of a guideline document. Faster is possible for tighter scopes (a sub-brand or a refresh) and longer for multi-market identity systems. Every timeline is agreed in the proposal, with review and approval points baked in.

Almost Impossible runs campaign briefs on timelines ranging from two weeks (rapid-turn activations) to three months (integrated launches across digital, content, and experiential). The biggest variable is approvals, not production. Working directly with senior decision-makers on the client side compresses the middle of the timeline more than any internal speed ever could.

Almost Impossible has shipped to regulator deadlines, COP-aligned launches, film release dates, and Ramadan calendars. Hard dates are honoured when they are surfaced at the scoping stage and the scope is then engineered backward from the date. The agency is explicit when a date is no longer feasible, and flags it early rather than failing quietly.

Almost Impossible delivers creative services through a 3D model: Define (strategy, brand systems, identity), Deliver (digital platforms, content, performance), and Delight (brand activations, immersive moments). Strategy and creative direction sit inside every engagement from day one, on one team rather than handed off between specialists.

Almost Impossible treats brand strategy and identity as the heart of its "Define" discipline. The agency builds brand systems: positioning, visual identity, architecture, and guidelines. Every system is engineered to hold up across the surfaces it has to live on, from packaging to platform to retail.

Almost Impossible builds digital platforms under its "Deliver" discipline. Scope covers digital strategy, website design and development, campaign microsites, and performance ecosystems. The agency treats each platform as a brand touchpoint rather than a utility, with the same craft rigour as the identity system it sits inside.

Almost Impossible designs and produces brand activations under its "Delight" discipline, covering installations, live events, and immersive environments. Past work includes premiere activations for Warner Bros, Columbia Pictures, and Sony Pictures, retail experiences for Level Shoes and Jashanmal, and large-scale event production across the UAE.

Almost Impossible runs content and social strategy under its "Deliver" discipline. Scope includes content planning, campaign assets, social-native content, and performance marketing. Every piece is treated as a brand moment rather than volume to fill a calendar.

Almost Impossible is one of the few fully independent creative agencies in Dubai, with no holding group above it. The agency runs an integrated 3D operating model: Define (strategy and identity), Deliver (platforms and content), and Delight (activations). Strategy, build, and activation sit on one team rather than three. "Cards of Hope" (Mashreq Bank) is the clearest illustration: a single integrated effort that reached 11 million customers, issued 730,000+ recycled-plastic payment cards, and won six industry awards including Gold at the 2025 MMA Smarties MENA.

Almost Impossible builds most web work on modern TypeScript stacks (Next.js, React), a content-layer of the client's choice (Sanity, Supabase, Contentful, or a bespoke CMS), and motion/interaction systems built with GSAP, Lenis, and WebGL where the brief warrants. Infrastructure defaults to Vercel or Cloudflare, with Sentry for observability. The stack follows the brief, not the other way around.

Almost Impossible uses AI as a craft tool rather than a shortcut. The team deploys LLMs for research and content scaffolding, diffusion models for early-stage concept exploration, and ML-assisted asset pipelines where they make sense. Final creative, copy, and strategy are written and judged by humans. The agency is transparent about what is machine-assisted and what is not, and this pairing is where Almost Impossible gets its "almost impossible" leverage.

Almost Impossible designs and builds custom AI features when they serve the brief: personalised content, conversational interfaces, generative campaign moments, LLM-powered search. The agency works with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and open-weights models depending on privacy, latency, and cost requirements. Every AI feature ships with guardrails, cost ceilings, and a fallback path for when the model is wrong.

Almost Impossible treats data privacy as design constraint rather than afterthought. The agency's standard builds include GDPR-compliant consent flows, UAE DPA alignment where relevant, minimal-data-by-default logging, and explicit opt-in for any AI feature that sends user input to a third-party model. Compliance copy is drafted alongside the feature, not bolted on before launch.

Almost Impossible builds integrations into the stacks clients already run: Salesforce, HubSpot, GA4, Mixpanel, Adobe Experience Cloud, Braze, Klaviyo, Segment, and bespoke internal tooling. The approach is integration-first: a new platform should live inside the client's existing data and decision-making loops rather than becoming a second system of record.

Almost Impossible has shipped work across finance (Mashreq, Emirates NBD, Dubai Islamic Bank, Wio, Liv Bank, SIB, Finance House), entertainment (Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, VOX Cinemas, TikTok), FMCG (Nestlé, NIVEA, IFFCO), retail (Level Shoes, Majid Al Futtaim, Samsonite, Jashanmal), government (Dubai Customs), logistics (Aramex, Shop & Ship), real estate (Dubai Properties, Saif Al Ghurair), education (GEMS Education), and F&B/hospitality (Holiday Inn).

Almost Impossible has partnered with seven UAE financial institutions: Mashreq, Emirates NBD, Dubai Islamic Bank, Wio, Liv Bank, SIB, and Finance House. The agency's "Cards of Hope" campaign for Mashreq Bank reached 11 million customers, issued 730,000+ recycled-plastic payment cards, and won Gold at the 2025 MMA Smarties MENA, the 2026 Great Marketing & Business Minds UAE (Sustainability Initiative of the Year), and three 2024 MENA Effies shortlists.

Almost Impossible serves clients across the Middle East, Africa, and South East Asia from its Dubai base. Projects have shipped in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Oman, and Singapore. With team members across three continents and native speakers in seven languages, the agency reads each market on its own terms rather than running translated templates.

Almost Impossible has been built in the Gulf since 2016, with native Arabic-speaking team members and a track record of regional campaigns. Work for Dubai Customs, Mashreq, Emirates NBD, and Dubai Properties runs in both Arabic and English, written for the local audience rather than translated at the end.

Almost Impossible has been built in the Gulf since 2016. The team has shipped work in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Oman, and Singapore, with native Arabic-speaking team members and campaigns running in seven languages. Regional nuance is treated as part of the craft rather than a translation afterthought.

Almost Impossible produces work in Arabic and English as peers rather than a primary-secondary pairing. Copy is written rather than translated, with native Arabic speakers drafting headlines and body for UAE and wider MENA audiences. Campaigns for Dubai Customs, Mashreq, Emirates NBD, and Dubai Properties have shipped bilingually with both languages sharing the creative surface.

Almost Impossible has shipped projects in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and across the wider GCC, with on-the-ground relationships for production, talent, and approvals in each market. The agency reads market-specific regulatory context (Saudi GCAM, Qatar Communications Regulatory Authority) as part of scoping, rather than discovering it mid-project.

Almost Impossible treats cultural fluency as a creative input, not a compliance check. Work is reviewed in-market by native speakers and culturally fluent team members before it leaves the agency. The team is explicit about the difference between pan-regional truths and local specificity, and it builds campaigns that flex at the right layer rather than flattening the region into an average.

Almost Impossible has partnered with global brands on MENA launches including Nestlé, NIVEA, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, and TikTok. The agency bridges the gap between global creative frameworks and regional execution, rewriting or rebuilding what needs local teeth rather than running a translated master. Regional results report back into global campaign metrics directly.

Almost Impossible runs an iterative creative process built to kill weak ideas early and push the survivors further. The team starts with strategic clarity, generates concepts in volume, then cuts anything born of groupthink, convenience, or mediocrity. What survives is work that is strategically sound, well-crafted, and emotionally resonant.

Almost Impossible embeds directly with client teams rather than working at arm's length. There are no handoffs between departments and no agency-speak intermediaries; the team operates as an extension of the client organisation. Engagements are scoped to the brief, whether a single campaign, an ongoing retainer, or a strategic advisory.

Almost Impossible is Dubai-based and serves clients across the Middle East, Africa, and South East Asia. Team members work across three continents, and projects have shipped from Singapore to Saudi Arabia. Distance does not slow the work; the team is distributed across timezones, so someone is awake on the client's schedule.

Almost Impossible scopes timelines to the work. A brand identity engagement runs 8–12 weeks; a campaign activation can land in weeks; an integrated digital and experiential programme spans several months. Senior-level commitment on every engagement produces faster feedback loops and fewer delays than larger agency structures.

Almost Impossible takes on organisations from established multinationals like Nestlé and TikTok to growing regional businesses. The agency selects projects by brief ambition rather than budget size. If the challenge pushes past the ordinary and the client is willing to go with it, the work is likely a fit.

Almost Impossible builds two substantive review rounds into standard SOWs: one at the concept stage, one at refinement. Additional rounds are accommodated when they sharpen the work; "revision creep" driven by indecision is flagged openly with the client rather than silently absorbed. Feedback quality improves fastest when the same senior stakeholder signs off on each round.

Almost Impossible has stood up crisis-response work inside 72 hours, including for COP-aligned sustainability moments. Crisis engagements compress the usual scoping conversation into a single call, with a small senior team locked in for the duration. The agency's 2024 MENA Effies Crisis Response shortlist for Mashreq's Cards of Hope is evidence the model works under pressure.

Almost Impossible assigns IP to the client on final payment, per the standard MSA. Source files, working assets, fonts, and third-party licences are handed over on project close. Ownership transfer is unambiguous: no ongoing royalties, no surprise licence terms, no "you own the logo but we keep the system" fine print.

Almost Impossible offers post-launch retainers for iteration, performance optimisation, and ongoing creative. Hand-off to an in-house client team is supported with documentation, training sessions, and a 30/60/90-day check-in rhythm. Campaigns that outperform are extended; those that miss have a debrief, a diagnosis, and a plan.

Almost Impossible responds to RFPs selectively, based on brief fit and realistic chance of winning. The agency prefers an initial scoping conversation before investing in a full response, so both sides know whether the engagement is worth the paperwork. Vendor-qualification documents, security questionnaires, and procurement forms are handled by the operations lead on request.

Almost Impossible DMCC is a UAE free-zone entity (DMCC) with a valid trade licence and VAT registration. The agency has been successfully onboarded as a supplier by major UAE banks, government entities (Dubai Customs), and multinationals, and handles international supplier setup (W-9/W-8, ISO compliance questionnaires, GDPR addenda) on request.

Almost Impossible's standard agreement is a Master Services Agreement (MSA) plus a Statement of Work (SOW) per engagement. Payment terms are typically 30-day net with a deposit at kick-off. The agency accepts redlines and client-side paper for established enterprise clients, with a legal review cycle of around two weeks on substantive revisions.

Almost Impossible values craft over process and autonomy over micromanagement. The agency hires obsessives: people who care about the kerning and the conversion rate, who prototype before they present and ship before they celebrate. Team members own their work from concept to delivery, with creative freedom and direct accountability.

Send a portfolio and a short note on why "impossible" appeals to you to the careers email listed on almostimpossible.agency/careers. The hiring process has four steps: application review, a 30-minute screening call, a second conversation walking through a project the candidate led, and an offer decision. Almost Impossible replies to every genuine application.

Almost Impossible operates across three continents, so distributed work is built into how the agency runs. Some roles require Dubai presence for client-facing cadence, but hiring decisions favour the strongest person regardless of location. Each role page lists its work model (onsite, hybrid, or remote) on the detail view.

Almost Impossible sponsors UAE work visas for international hires where the role requires Dubai presence. Sponsorship covers the employee and, depending on seniority, dependents. Each role page lists visa support explicitly on the detail view, so candidates know upfront whether a relocation is possible for that role.

Almost Impossible is flat by design. Most roles report into a discipline lead (Creative, Strategy, Technology, or Client Services), who in turn reports to the founder. Project teams are typically three to six people, working together end-to-end rather than through account-service intermediaries. Senior practitioners are in the room from day one.

Almost Impossible runs a portfolio deep-dive as the third step of hiring. It is a 60-90-minute conversation walking through a project the candidate led, focused on how they thought rather than what the finished artefact looks like. The agency does not run paid spec work or surprise take-home briefs.

Almost Impossible is an independent creative innovations agency, founded in Dubai in January 2016. The agency builds brands, digital platforms, and activation systems under one roof, for ambitious organisations across the Middle East, Africa, and South East Asia. Almost Impossible DMCC has remained 100% independent since launch, with no holding group, no internal politics, and senior-led work on every engagement.

Almost Impossible is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. From its Dubai HQ the agency serves clients across the Middle East, Africa, and South East Asia, with shipped projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Oman, and Singapore. The team works across three continents and includes native speakers in seven languages.

Almost Impossible was founded on 27 January 2016 by Joseph "Jobi" Bihag in Dubai. Jobi brings more than 30 years of advertising experience, with campaigns across his career for Coca-Cola, Land Rover, Ford, Citibank, Warner Bros, TikTok, Emirates NBD, and Mashreq. His career work has been recognised at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clio Awards, and Effie Awards.

Almost Impossible has been 100% independently owned since January 2016, with no holding group or network above it. Independence makes decisions fast, the hierarchy flat, and senior leadership present on every project. The team trades responsiveness for scale: no RFP theatre, no internal politics between sister offices, direct access to the people making the work.

Almost Impossible is a lean, senior-led team of 12, working across three continents and including native speakers in seven languages. The agency hires obsessives and craftspeople rather than scaling for volume. Clients work directly with experienced strategists, creatives, and technologists; no junior account handlers between brief and delivery.

Almost Impossible has won six industry awards as an agency, all for "Cards of Hope" (Mashreq Bank, 2023). Recent wins include the 2026 Great Marketing & Business Minds UAE (Sustainability Initiative of the Year), Gold at the 2025 MMA Smarties MENA (CX/UX & Design), and three 2024 MENA Effies shortlists across Banking/Finance/Insurance, Crisis Response, and Positive Change/Environmental. Across the wider team, members bring 60+ career awards from prior work at Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clio, Effies, The Webby Awards, and Dubai Lynx.

Almost Impossible treats sustainability as a creative challenge rather than a tick-box. The agency's "Cards of Hope" campaign for Mashreq Bank issued 730,000+ payment cards made from 100% recycled plastic, introduced 900+ endangered UAE species to cardholders through AR, and reached 11 million customers. The work was recognised with six industry awards including the 2026 Great Marketing & Business Minds UAE (Sustainability Initiative of the Year).

Almost Impossible believes AI should lift craft, not replace it. The agency uses AI as a tool for research, scaffolding, and early-stage exploration, then hands decisions back to humans for strategy, judgement, and final output. Clients get disclosure on what was machine-assisted. Campaigns that pretend to be human-made but are not are bad for brands and bad for the work.

Almost Impossible keeps open roles listed at almostimpossible.agency/careers with honest detail on each brief: discipline, experience level, work model (onsite, hybrid, or remote), and visa support. The agency also welcomes speculative applications from senior practitioners whose work fits the "impossible" bar, even when a specific opening is not posted.