Dubai One TV’s new look

Well, not so new. One TV as it was called before rebranded and renamed to Dubai One is one of the best free to air channels in the Middle East. Great programming and nice shows. Ever since they changed their style from 2d and vector based branding and animation its whole identity has changed from a creative and friendly feel to a production wannabe kindda’ style and in my opinion it does not do the channel any justice.

Start me up, ????? ???

Most of the friends liked the new branding creative, but I still don’t find it matching One’s style of programming and the way they approached us the viewers. The creative 2d style was a blast, the new 3d works and cinematic effects in the middle just do not match with the previous idea. No melting point? Or better yet no transition? Most of One’s promos remind me of Despered House Wives promos. The red apples?

Check out some of the videos here:

and this one…

On the other hand MBC’s channel 2 keeps on going on with their way of approaching viewers. Their new ads and cinematic breaks goes so well with their programming including the Action element in their new MBC Action channel.

I might only be titled to my own opinion, but I still think the old branding was more creative and friendlier.

Wael from Sha3tely had a good coverage on it earlier, you might wanna’ check it out.

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Worldcup branding, 1990-2006

FIFA world cup is one of the most lucrative events for advertisers and creatives in the world. Every four years this important event boosts the advertising industry dramatically. What’s really done for the world cup creative itself? Let’s take a look at what kind of work is done for the worldcup every four years, starting from Italy 90 to Germany ‘06.

Traditionaly every worldcup has its own Mascot and Logo. Let’s take a look at every worldcup and see what’s in them.

Italia 1990

Simply an expressive logo using the Italian triocolor and the b/w football. Ciao is the name of the Moscat which is a Stick Figure formed by cubes of triocolor and a ball head. Very expressive and simple. It inidcates the level of creativity in simple use of symbols and colors alike–one of my favorites.

USA 1994

Turning the USA flag into a football tournoment logo. Very national to Americans and signifies the Amercanization of the worldcup in 1994. The use of the ball instead of the states stars is yet another concept that conveys, ballin’ everywhere in US. The moscat is a dog called Striker. A very US related animal. Fun, reminds us of Disney characters too. Goofie? Again a very expressive and simple branding; effective!

France 1998

While the American logo signified only America in the logo France shows it all; a world by using the map shape and using the French triocolor for the French part. The nice colored ball which looked so much like the ball used in the games is yet another unity that branding acheived in France 98 worldcup. The mascot, another phenomenon icon, very relevant to everyone who follows football, it’s the French team logo that has the cockerel. One of the most interactive and fun mascots ever; it’s called the Footix

Korea & Japan 2002

This worldcup was a dramatic change in the quad-yearly sequence. It was different in all the senses including branding. Fully techno and futuristic colorizing and symbolizing. One of the best logos ever for worldcup which eventually became the official FIFA worldcup logo. Firt time to witness continious color tones and shining logo for worldcup. The logo mixed many ideas but in a short and compact manner, using the worldcup trophie in the centre of the logo with abstract shapes. Nice typography as well as using the colors of both of the countrys in the title; Red and Blue. The mascot itself is yet another industry/techno symbolizer in which shows the world the face of technology and futuristic visions of two of the top technology countries in the world. Three characters: Ato, Nik and Kaz.

Germany 2006

One of the most disliked worldcup logos ever. Happy people, German flag, worldcup logo, heavy typography, and 2006–all in one logo. While worldcup logos do not need to be noticed given the amount of advertising that is done for them. This is not a simple-to-get logo. Looks good, it’s just too much. The mascot is cool, a new thing, but again what does it have to do with Germans? It’s already been used by Britishs before them. The lion mascot in Germany 2006 is called Goleo that is a mix of Spanish/Italian/Latin and English words Gol and Leo. It’s everything and nothing.

Which one’s your favorite? Have a nice tournoment logo you want to share?

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Etisalat, rebranding!

Etisalat, the biggest telecommnunication service provider in the Middle East changes identity and reforms the brand.

Identity transition to curved, mixed tones of colors, but still green. It goes well as a transition, in my opinion, it’s less than anything new after Du comming strong with their way of branding.

Along with the change of identity they revealed a new approach, vision and direction . That’s one of the good sides of competition with Du in the game they were more than pressured to take this big step and give their identity and public awareness another shot after Du entered the market with authority.

Agency? Who’s behind the new identity? We should get to know in the next version of campaingn magazine? If you know, do reveal.

Update:Promo Seven is the suspect we were looking for, yea, Fortune Promo Seven FP7 is the guilty one.

Update:The brand identity, mission and vision were developed by Rareform in London. Thanks Ian!

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Microsite: Lexus LS series

How many times did you visit a website and you actualy felt home? You visit pages and you know whom the pages belong to without looking at the logo nor the address. Lexus website makes you feel the luxury while browsing the website, you hear me?

One of the toughest tasks to get done well while designing for web is keeping the brand together. You got navigation, interaction and a lot of information to lay out orderly and as a whole still make the user feel at home. Lexus has done it perfectly.

While our spot light is on the LS series microsite , I have to mention it once again, it’s made for people who wanna’ ride Lexus. Now back on the microsite, the LS series microsite is nothing of a flash extraordinary site, but sure is a Lexus kind of site. Very simple animations, very high quality images and video that gives you the feeling of the quality and luxury once again.

Anyone knows who designed it? The agency? Let me know if you do.

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When your BRAND fails!

You have a product that you’re proud for making. You offer great services that you believe no one else provides. You are unique. All that’s running only in your head alone, if your branding fails.

It’s bitter!

So you want to stand out in the crowd, you offer the best of prices and dedicate customer service but still your competitors are ahead. Where’s the problem? That’s what you ask. So, you hire an Advertising agency to amplify your shouts and lighten the spots on you. You spend. Money. And Time. Poor results? Low rise in public awareness? Still a shadow in the crowd? Now what?

Who’s fault is it?

Your brochures are nothing but photos. Your posters and banners are nothing but fading/morphing and mixing meaningless images. Your website is a collection of virtual business men images who are typing something on a keyboard, carrying briefcases, shaking hands, and meeting or holding laptops. So what did the designer do? He just browsed some random photo-stock website and purchased (or just copied) the images and stacked them in some layers of canvas and bang it’s a brochure, it’s a banner, and hey look at that “it’s a website!”

I still don’t get it, who to blame? The Ad Agency is “the” agency that all admire, all recommended it, and I was impressed by their presentation. I still can’t believe how they messed up, you say.

Warning: Outsourcing Zone, Keep Away!

No! You messed up. I say. You chose an agency that’s foreign to the market. An agency that outsources even the concepts and ideas. An agency that is said to be very active because they got a back in India? China? East-Europe? That’s not a roof for you to measure upon.

How can you advertise for your target consumers if the off-shore designer hasn’t seen or even heard of UAE? Really, how would a concept really eye-catch and express if the culture mix and behavior are not even identified and instead, just get something that worked in US or Europe, thinking that it will work in UAE too?! Where did the language go? The habits? Mentality? And the whole lengthy word COMMUNICATION go?

We all believe in Globalization however, there is always a local for every global. Messages should reach. To get the message home, we need to know a way home. To navigate through the route we need to transport. To reach home after a long cruise we need that home to welcome us. So, where are we?

I’m not saying it’s impossible for an off-shore or a foreign Agency to deliver successful advertising campaigns and collateral in an abroad land. Sure if R&D is current then results are likely to be appealing. But an agency with R&D for user/consumer behavior and studies is going to charge you what only the big boyz can afford. You hear me?

Now, you conclude it.

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