Below: Before and After Images in Slide Show, Summary, Credits
Bahrain Investment Wharf (BIW) is a strategic new investment hub in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The area is geographically located close to the new international port and by several industrial locations such as HPC (Hidd Power Company). BIW is envisioned to encourage business from all sectors but especially those from more industrial sectors or those requiring spacious, low-cost, out-of-town locations.
BIW’s challenges were in credibility. It was aiming to attract high caliber inbound investors into the Kingdom but lacked a serious perception due to its identity and messaging. The brand strategy was essentially fit for purpose but the visualization of this strategy was distinctly local – not helpful when trying to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country. The mark was difficult to apply due to its high vertical nature and the brand touch points felt disconnected to the overall vision of being ‘The Gateway to Business in the Gulf.’
Our approach was to retain the brand’s strategy and entirely rework the visualization. We reviewed the audience perceptions of the brand and agreed that a robust and industrial presence was required if the mainly male, industrial executive audience was going to connect positively to the brand’s offering. We set about designing a robust, simple and highly industrial form that could carry the right perception forward. The type was changed to a more contemporary face (TT Norms) and additional graphic devices were designed to marry with the brand mark’s industrial efficiency (a visual of gears meshing) and hint at the water-side location (dashed line = morse code).
With the transformation complete, all brand champions have rallied around the new brand and the impact in the market has been keenly felt. The rendering of a powerful partner brand for industry has helped existing consumers and importantly, the new FDI customers to perceive BIW as being ‘a location they can trust for business.’ Brand re-launch has enjoyed positive reception by government, commercial and industrial communities in Bahrain as well as the important FDI investors.
Client: BIW – Baharain Investment Wharf – www.bahiw.com
Director of Marketing: Dana Haddad
Director of Technical Affairs: Abdullah Alibasi
Brand Strategists/Designers: Unisono – www.unisono.bh
Brand Strategy: Amy Morgan, Jessica Narey
Creative Director: Liam Farrell
Designers: Dimitri Krasnoiarov, Liam Farrell, Reem Radhi
Copywriting: Liam Farrell
