NOT RUMOR.
But rather legend has it that Zahir never looks into camera. Never. When asked why, he took his signature reflective pause before admitting that his piercing gaze makes folks feel uneasy, akin to peering deep into their soul.
We rebutted by saying that this line of reasoning seemed self-indulgent at the every least. He looked a little unhinged when confronted with his own BS. And the conversation came to an abrupt halt. It was awkward to say the least.
It’s perhaps best we move on.
Now from what we could piece together and partly corroborate, Zahir harnesses the power of ideas, the allure of storytelling, the magic of media and at times the wizardry of tech to help brands catapult themselves into the lives of consumers through the power of culture. He fosters collaboration, by breaking down silos while forging great relationships with clients in the pursuit of smart and impactful work that moves businesses.
His global body of cross-platform work on brands like McDonald’s, Audi, Pepsi, Nestlé, Maserati, Kraft, Whirlpool, Smart, Henkel, Harvey Nichols, Land Rover, Emirates, Citibank, Friends Of Cancer Patients, UN Women, Berlitz Language and Porsche to name a few, have won top honors at the biggest and most competitive advertising award shows like D&AD, One Show, ADC, Andy Awards, Clios, Cannes, LIA, NYF, Effies, Dubai Lynx and Mena Cristal.
He’s also been on the bench having performed honorable jury duties at Cannes, Clios, LIA and Dubai Lynx. And his work has been featured in the British Museum Of Design, Fast Company, Adweek, AdAge, The Little Black Book, The Indian Express and Communication Arts.
But here’s the best part. Even on the craziest of days, he huffs a good outdoor run, catches up on his curated reading lists, plots away on a screenplay and makes messy attempts at abstract art with his daughter, Emma.
If you want to hit him up you can tap into his social handles or just dart him a mail at mirza.zahir@gmail.com