Destination brands rooted in place

A destination brand has to make people want to visit, live or invest in a place, often years before it is finished. It needs a story that is true to the location and an identity that works everywhere from hoardings to street signs.

• Destination, waterfront and resort brands
• District and master-planned community branding
• Naming and storytelling rooted in local heritage
• Wayfinding and signage brand systems
• Websites and visitor-facing communications

Bilaj Al Jazayer, a Transform Gold winner, is an authentically Bahraini brand for one of the kingdom’s most promising waterfront destinations. Saada brings Muharraq’s long-overlooked shoreline to life, and Sama Bay gave Bahrain the public beach resort it had been waiting for.

For Bahrain Harbour we created a dynamic identity for the new heart of the capital’s downtown, a master brand for its ‘Harbour’ family of projects. We also branded Ras Hayan Village, Bareeq’s ecological development designed to work with the natural landscape rather than over it.

The best destination brands could not belong anywhere else. We start with the history, landscape and culture of the location, then build an identity and tone of voice that local people recognise and visitors remember.

Can a destination be branded before it is built?

Yes, and it usually should be. The brand shapes the hoardings, the sales story and the first impressions of investors and residents, so it needs to be in place well before opening.

Do you design wayfinding and signage?

Yes. We extend the brand into wayfinding and signage systems, as we did for Bahrain Harbour, so the identity works on the ground as well as on paper.

How do you make a destination brand feel authentic?

By rooting it in the place. Bilaj Al Jazayer and Saada both draw on Bahrain’s heritage and coastline, which is why they feel genuine to local people and distinctive to visitors.

Do you work outside Bahrain?

Yes. We are based in Manama and work across the GCC, West Asia and Africa.