A Design for the Nation

As the nation was gearing up for the 38th UAE National Day, the UAE Government decided that they should create a special insignia that could be used throughout the country during the holiday celebrations. In cooperation with the Government Communications Office and ministry of Culture O2 Branding was commissioned to be a part of the creative process; an incredible honour for our agency and the creative staff!

In outlining the project, we discovered that UAE Federal Government had previously developed its own logos for National Day, as did the governments of several other emirates. Many private companies had similar campaigns in which they’d revamp a corporate logo or create a new graphic which they could put on flyers and posters prior to National Day. From an advertising/branding perspective it makes complete sense. As we researched the concept further, we found that similar annual campaigns are developed around the world in countries like Australia and China.

The creative team at O2 Brandingbegan work with a good idea of what was expected of them. Experienced in creating content for government clients, the team understood that this incredible honour also came with a lot of responsibility. Spearheading the design O2 Branding Creative team, who ultimately did the final sketch. It had to be something that was eye-catching, genuine, and heartfelt. The pallet would obviously consist of the national UAE colours, and the graphic itself would have to emotionally touch UAE Nationals as well as the entire expatriate community. It has the number 2 in Arabic and English that both formed the “Heart”

After extensive research and a few rough drafts the concept began to take shape, and by the final deadline we were tremendously excited to present our work to the government. They were equally enthusiastic about the campaign, and the final result could be seen in hundreds of locations around the UAE.