Born in Ehden in 1953, John Raidy is Lebanon's leading advertising authority. Raidy got in touch with his aesthetic side at an early age and aspired to develop his passion for the arts. However, the unrest in Lebanon forced Raidy to pursue his higher education in the United States. Raidy studied the Fine Arts at The Houston Museum of Art in 1973. In 1975, Raidy further expanded his scope of expertise and took Illustration for Advertising at The Art Center in Los Angeles. In 1979, Raidy engaged in the final installment of his education at The Joe Kennedy Retouching Studio in Hollywood where he studied Airbrush Illustration and Photo Retouching.
Having finished his studies, Raidy took up his first professional job as Designer and Production Manager at Sterling Advertising Agency, Los Angeles. In 1977, Raidy became Creative Consultant at Unique - Health Foods and Cosmetics and Art Director for Don Emilio Perfumers both in California, USA.
In 1985, with over a decade of expertise in advertising, the fine arts, and airbrush illustration, it was time for Raidy to share his knowledge with Lebanon's next generation. Raidy did so by instructing Advertising Design at The American University of Beirut (AUB) and introduced for the first time in Lebanon the Airbrush Illustration at ALBA University.

In 1984, Raidy had established his own agency, Retouch Ad in Beirut. In the seven years to come, Retouch Ad would become the think-tank and executor of Lebanon's best and most original Art-in-Advertising campaigns. In 1991, Raidy saw the opportunity to get into the Gulf market, In Kuwait, the new branch of Retouch Ad blossomed and took on major advertising projects which revolutionized the industry in Kuwait and the region.
In 1997, Raidy returned to Beirut to continue where he had left off. Retouch Ad was developed and expanded to include a new department: Retouch Sites which is behind the two online success stories, www.made-in-lebanon.com and www.art-in-lebanon.com .