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July 18, 2017
A Whole Other World

If you’re a fan, like me, of comics and the related games and movies they inspire, you will undoubtedly have heard of, if not visited, Comic-Con. These conventions are held in major cities around the world and gather fans by the tens of thousands.

Comic Con 2017

Obviously, a major marketing tool for the industry they are also an opportunity for us, the aficionados, to immerse ourselves in the fictitious worlds we love, often dressing as our favourite hero (or villain) for the day and bringing the character to life along with our alter ego.

Dubai’s annual gathering, The Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC), held at the Trade Centre over 3 days in April, is now the biggest popular culture event in the region. I have been attending since the beginning in 2008 and the growth of interest and participation has been phenomenal.

Being such a youthful cauldron of nationalities and cultures, Dubai’s version offers a mixture of people which is probably unique in the world, all drawn by a common enthusiasm. That makes it truly fascinating. You have Batmen, Hulks, Spocks and Wonder Women from every corner of the earth.

Bushra at Comic Con_003For this year’s visit, I became a fully made up character of my own creation in the Japanese Manga style. I have loved manga comics since my teenage years, drawn to their detailed illustration, depth of character and life simulating story lines.

Having always enjoyed illustrating and drawing, I am inspired by the artists behind these comics and characters. Studio Ghibli, based in Tokyo, is a favourite, making incredible films for huge global audiences (and profits).

I am extremely happy to say that illustration has now become part of my professional life and I can create scenes and characters that communicate and influence on behalf of our clients.

For a unique spectacle of creativity visit Comic-Con in 2018. I’ll be there but you probably won’t recognise me.

 

Bushra Laota – Graphic Designer at Zaman

February 6, 2014
AL AIN PHOTOGRAPHIA AWARD RETURNS

AL AIN PHOTOGRAPHIA AWARD RETURNS IN 2014

Calling all photography and videography enthusiasts: the 2nd edition of the Al Ain Photographia Award kicks off again this February!

In 2011 Zaman Branding had the honour of working with Al Ain City Municipality for the inaugural launch of photo contest Al Ain Photographia Award, click here to read about it. This year we’ve partnered with the city again for the management of this contest campaign and we are taking Al Ain Photographia Award to the next level making it the most innovative and inspiring competition yet. The competition is open to anyone, regardless of age, residency or experience.

The Photographia Award invites participants to submit either photographs or videos in either 1 open video category or one of 3 photo categories; Personalities and Cultural Icons, Sustainability and Lifestyle.

Like 2011, admirable shots of the beautiful and captivating Oasis city of Al Ain will stand a chance to win in either the People’s Choice award category or the grand prize winners chosen by a select panel of Judges. Entries started on 02.02.2014 and will end 16 March 2014.

Visit www.alainphotographiaaward.ae for full details. All the best!

February 1, 2014
COUNTING DOWN TO DESIGN DAYS

COUNTING DOWN TO DESIGN DAYS DUBAI 2014

The region’s first and leading dedicated design fair, Design Days Dubai, returns for its third edition to deliver a diverse, exhibition-quality collection of compelling, highly-collectible modern and contemporary design pieces and installations, alongside a public programme with leading design personalities and industry experts, from 17 – 21 March 2014. In anticipation of this, the organizers have planned a series of initiatives to whet the appetite of art & design aficionados. One such, is the exhibitor spotlight.

When Alexis Ryngaert established his design gallery in Brussels in 2008 he created Victor Hunt as an alter ego – an approach just as intriguing as the works that have given the gallery its strong and distinct voice in the contemporary design/art world. As seen in the work presented at Design Days Dubai since the fair’s inception, the designers represented by Victor Hunt produce bold pieces, often unexpected employing both new technology and new uses of old technology.

Victor Hunt’s website incorporates a series of beautifully filmed and skillfully edited documentaries following the designers represented through the production of specific works. By bringing production alive, showing it as an organic and often unpredictable process, driven by the materials used, the films also provide insight into each designer’s creative approach – and they highlight what Ryngaert, through Victor Hunt, defines as designart: the grey area where craft, architecture, industrial design, sculpture and other artistic disciplines meet.

Below are three such videos taken from the website. Enjoy!

 

By: Zaman
01-02-2014
Arab world, Art, Design, Exhibitions

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COUNTING DOWN TO DESIGN DAYS DUBAI 2014

The region’s first and leading dedicated design fair, Design Days Dubai, returns for its third edition to deliver a diverse, exhibition-quality collection of compelling, highly-collectible modern and contemporary design pieces and installations, alongside a public programme with leading design personalities and industry experts, from 17 – 21 March 2014. In anticipation of this, the organizers have planned a series of initiatives to whet the appetite of art & design aficionados. One such, is the exhibitor spotlight.

When Alexis Ryngaert established his design gallery in Brussels in 2008 he created Victor Hunt as an alter ego – an approach just as intriguing as the works that have given the gallery its strong and distinct voice in the contemporary design/art world. As seen in the work presented at Design Days Dubai since the fair’s inception, the designers represented by Victor Hunt produce bold pieces, often unexpected employing both new technology and new uses of old technology.

Victor Hunt’s website incorporates a series of beautifully filmed and skillfully edited documentaries following the designers represented through the production of specific works. By bringing production alive, showing it as an organic and often unpredictable process, driven by the materials used, the films also provide insight into each designer’s creative approach – and they highlight what Ryngaert, through Victor Hunt, defines as designart: the grey area where craft, architecture, industrial design, sculpture and other artistic disciplines meet.

Below are three such videos taken from the website. Enjoy!

 

Full list of Design Days Dubai 2014 exhibitors can be viewed here.

January 8, 2014
CROWDSOURCED STORYTELLING THROUGH

CROWDSOURCED STORYTELLING THROUGH #MYDUBAI

A few days ago Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Crown Prince of Dubai launched an initiative to write the world’s first autobiography of a city through social media. Playing on the popularity of hashtags as seen in 2013, the initiative aims to tell the story of modern day Dubai through the eyes of its nationals and foreign residents that have come to call this city home.

Set to run for 12months, participants are invited to contribute their photos or short videos via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter by using the hashtag #MyDubai. By doing this they will be able to introduce the unique values and culture of the Emirate to the world through social media, which has become one of the most important channels to tell a story, the world over.

In past posts we’ve spoken about the power of imagery and presented various contexts by way of sharing some of the client projects we’ve worked on. In 2011 Zaman worked with the Al Ain City Municipality to conceptualize and manage the inaugural Al Ain Photographia Award. Although this was a contest with rewards for participation provided by sponsors, the spirit of the campaign was the same as that of #MyDubai; showcase Al Ain through the eyes of its residents.

“In the fabric of Dubai there are more than 2.1 million stories – the individual lives and experiences of all those who call Dubai home. A city’s story is created by its people and as we look towards a prosperous future, it’s time to join together and show the world how 2.1 million people can create one remarkable story. Together we will create the world’s first autobiography of a city.” Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed

Crowdsourced storytelling – this is a powerful aspect of the campaign. In past posts we have referred to the fundamentals of storytelling which include authenticity, honesty, consistentency. We’ve also discussed fairly extensively destination branding and how the most successful campaigns conducted by countries or cities are those that have a 100% buy-in from the local residents, who in turn become almost brand ambassadors championing key narratives to entice would-be visitors.

According to reports from the Dubai’s Department of  Tourism & Commerce, parallel to this a number of activities and events related to the hashtag will be launched throughout the year. Likewise, a specialised team will work on the project, curating people’s contributions for use across different media platforms, for example at international exhibitions and to inspire art installations, films and books.

Although its only been a couple days since launching this sounds like the makings of an interesting case study at the end of 2014 on the creative ways that destination branding can leverage social media to be more engaging. Best wishes to all participants of of #MyDubai!

October 29, 2013
STORYTELLING USING AUGMENTED REALITY

STORYTELLING USING AUGMENTED REALITY

A Dutch artist has found a way to revive interest in what happens outside during a commuter’s journey on a public bus using transparent, GPS-synchronized smart screens integrated in the bus windows. Historical scenes are projected over what is seen through the window, telling the traveller what happened here years or decades ago. If for example all of a sudden a herd of cows appears on the pavement, that signifies a former cattle market.

The projected historical scenes and narratives are important events that took place years or decades ago. On the bus ride, commuters get a chance to see herds of cows on the passing landscape that signifies a former cattle market. Hot-air balloon sightings are also geo-synchronized to appear as soon as the bus passes by a specific part of town. Short enough to keep your attention, but detailed enough to offer insightful information, these mini-lessons are a great way for both locals and visitors to familiarize themselves with the city.

Do you think that the RTA should consider doing something similar for the Dubai Metro?

More about the artist. More about the project – here.

October 23, 2013
SHUWEIHAT S2 PLANT INAUGURATION

SHUWEIHAT S2 PLANT INAUGURATION – A SHARED MILESTONE

There is something almost paradoxically delicate about celebrating the launch of a power plant. Having built a reputation for organizing unique events to mark the milestones of leading businesses in varied industries such as the inauguration of FAPCO F2 plant two years ago; Zaman has spent the past 7mths working tirelessly to create yet another memorable event for the UAE’s energy sector.

The inauguration of the Shuweihat S2 power & desalination plant, which was held on Oct 8th, was the culmination of three years of insurmountable efforts by a consortium of local & international partners, who’s shared vision forms a critical component of the Abu Dhabi government’s Vision 2020 master plan. It is because of this that Zaman was tasked with the responsibility to create an event that was intense, tactful, refined and powerful.

The inauguration event for the S2 plant was scheduled to take place on the premises of the actual plant site. In the lead up to this, lots of planning was required of which logistics was one of the most critical parts. Set about 250 kms away from Abu Dhabi, the logistics to organize the venue and accommodate the security detailing involved in having members of the Royal family as invited guests, while adhering to the stringent access protocol to power plants for unauthorized personnel – called for detailed planning, timely coordination, continuous information flow and a degree of improvisation as ground preparations & rehearsals were not feasible.

In previous posts (here & here) we have highlighted the importance of streamlining the entire event experience from the moment invited guests arrive at a venue to the moment they leave. For S2 it was really important that the first impression be welcoming, entertaining, with a sense of excitement about the milestone that the guests would be a part of, in order to counter the 5hrs required to reach the plant site!

Zaman orchestrated the day’s proceedings in a way that cascaded a series of onsite interactive events, which included a discovery trip around the state of the art facilities of the S2 plant. The event began with a simple lunch to set everyone at ease after a long journey. There were a total of 230 guests who accompanied guest of honour HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed. Post lunch guests were escorted to a reception tent which had been set up akin to a gallery with a series of huge panels that highlighted the milestones of the plant’s construction as well as its features and capacity specs. This was visually told in a blend of beautifully shot plant photos and infographs created by Zaman using research and inputs from various partners such as ADWEA and members of the S2 team.

Just before the arrival of the Royal family everyone was ushered to the presentation area – a black room with 7m high ceiling, a dramatic stage design and an amazing canopy of the plant. The setting was contemporary and elegant, with amber lighting used to focus on a red carpet walkway and the lecterns. Once guests were seated, two appointed Masters of Ceremony ensured that the itinerary, which included speeches by senior officials from ADWEA and GDF Suez, flowed smoothly. A showreel, which was a blend of 3D animation, testimonials, and motion graphics, showed a 4-minute interplay between facts and figures that were highlighted against a backdrop of S2 pictures – showcasing once again Zaman’s varied creative development capabilities.

The peak of the event was the official plant unveil which was done by HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed. To capture the attention of the audience, Zaman put together a unique mechanism for this moment. A tower in the form of a stack was brought to His Highness. Once he pressed the button, the sound of a turbine filled the room and a gauge on screen was animated followed by the opening of a large 20meters panel to reveal the S2 in all its glory.

This was immediately followed by a small Royal tour, and a guided discovery in shuttles around the plant. The entire experience was marked with many memorable moments, including an iconic photo of the plant with HH Sheikh Hamdan and the consortium of partners.

The culmination of 7months preparation and coordination with our partners, which manifested into a one hour event, underscores Zaman’s ability to expertly create & manage complex event projects. All of this work would not have been possible without the professionalism and commitment of team Zaman. Well done!

—

September 24, 2013
Zaman’s Radar (Busier than DXB Airport !)

Zaman’s Radar (Busier than DXB Airport !)

We have scratched beneath the surface and uncovered a wealth of the team’s creative influences. Here are some of recent treasures.

“Tableau” photographs have been created since the beginning of photography. However, we find Metz+Racine props cleverly staged and witty. The sets evoke the essence of craft and their constructed scenes remind us of the cubists painters. Their stylized use of colors and pure geometrical forms create elaborate architectural sets with wonderland aesthetics.

We love the assortment of balloons and the Winter Olympic flags that Andrew B Myers created. His top down view on objects staged against simple color backgrounds remind us of the pop colors of the 70s and 80s.

Christine Gustafsson and Nicolas Lydeen have embarked on a unique artistic journey. AGONISTParfums are presented in handcrafted glass created in collaboration with glass artist Asa Jungnelius. Every detail is exclusively developed with regard to nature and raw material. ISIS for instance is bottled in a glass sculpture that had tension inside which made it crack and break during the installation to express the bud bursting in spring. Wait until they discover the individuality of Oud.

As the season for festivals is about to start in Dubai, we were wondering if there is room for a holistic event like the DUMBO festival in New York. DUMBO is only for three days in September. However, its impact is felt for the whole year as the participants who win the hearts of the public get to stay and are offered free space. In its 2nd year of practice they received more than 200,000 visitors and got emerging artists to exhibit side by side with established professionals. This year they are aiming for more. The objective: “the best free contemporary art experience for all ages for years to come”. Now there’s a challenge.

Pascal Zoghbi is one of only a few designers working in the relatively new discipline of contemporary Arabic typography. Having studied extensively in Europe, Zoghbi returned to his hometown of Beirut in Lebanon to found 29letters. His work involves creating new Arabic typefaces, corporate identities and print publications. Understanding the structure of traditional calligraphic styles is important to contemporary Arabic typeface design, and Zoghbi’s objective is to create a balance between the old and the new.

Last but by no means least for this blog The Oh my God Exhibition takes a geometric look at character design. In ancient Greece they had something better than superheroes; they had gods, each with their own powers, weaknesses, backstory and followers. Each one a brand. Presenting them in this contemporary form could induce new interest amongst a young audience.

June 12, 2013
Senso issue 13 – Zaman’s brand & design newsletter is here!

Zaman’s latest edition of its signature newsletter Senso is now out & the print editions are on their way to our clients and subscribers.

In this 13th issue of Senso, we’ve provided snapshots of some of the varied projects we worked on in 2012 and a few that extended into the first quarter of this year. Much of last year was characterized by a marked rise in incoming queries from companies keen to adopt a more strategic design approach in how they participate in industry events. Coined ‘environment branding’ this is basically the extension of the experience of product or service, or any distinguishing characteristics as expressed in designs, naming and symbols to the design of an interior or exterior physical setting (retail stores, exhibition booths, office space, etc). As the UAE continues to prove itself as a competitive destination in the MICE industry, we look forward to collaborating with many local & regional brands.

Featured Zaman projects in this issue include: the identity created for the 20th art furniture gallery La Galerie Nationale located in Al Quoz, Dubai; our second year running collaborating with Abu Dhabi property developer Sorouh to support their presence at CityScape Abu Dhabi 2012; working with global motion & control leader Parker Middle East in its participation at ADIPEC 2012 and a parallel direct email marketing campaign; working with the UAE’s Ministry of Social Affairs to design and kit-out its three centers setup to support the development of women in Ajman, Fujairah & Umm Al Quwain; designing and managing an event for QFB (formerly QFIB) to mark an important milestone; chronicling the 50yr legacy of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group to create an updated corporate brochure and a coffee table book; conceptualizing & developing Al Rostamani’s 2013 calendar; and creating the Watani t-shirt design contest as a vehicle to celebrate the UAE’s 41st National Day.

If you’d like to receive a complimentary print copy of this issue or join our database to for future issues please send an email to info@zaman.ae or give us a call on +971 4 3261000

June 12, 2013
SENSO ISSUE 13 – ZAMAN’S BRAND

SENSO ISSUE 13 – ZAMAN’S BRAND & DESIGN NEWSLETTER IS HERE!

Zaman’s latest edition of its signature newsletter Senso is now out & the print editions are on their way to our clients and subscribers.

In this 13th issue of Senso, we’ve provided snapshots of some of the varied projects we worked on in 2012 and a few that extended into the first quarter of this year. Much of last year was characterized by a marked rise in incoming queries from companies keen to adopt a more strategic design approach in how they participate in industry events. Coined ‘environment branding’ this is basically the extension of the experience of product or service, or any distinguishing characteristics as expressed in designs, naming and symbols to the design of an interior or exterior physical setting (retail stores, exhibition booths, office space, etc). As the UAE continues to prove itself as a competitive destination in the MICE industry, we look forward to collaborating with many local & regional brands.

Featured Zaman projects in this issue include: the identity created for the 20th art furniture gallery La Galerie Nationale located in Al Quoz, Dubai; our second year running collaborating with Abu Dhabi property developer Sorouh to support their presence at CityScape Abu Dhabi 2012; working with global motion & control leader Parker Middle East in its participation at ADIPEC 2012 and a parallel direct email marketing campaign; working with the UAE’s Ministry of Social Affairs to design and kit-out its three centers setup to support the development of women in Ajman, Fujairah & Umm Al Quwain; designing and managing an event for QFB (formerly QFIB) to mark an important milestone; chronicling the 50yr legacy of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group to create an updated corporate brochure and a coffee table book; conceptualizing & developing Al Rostamani’s 2013 calendar; and creating the Watani t-shirt design contest as a vehicle to celebrate the UAE’s 41st National Day.

If you’d like to receive a complimentary print copy of this issue or join our database to for future issues please send an email to info@zaman.ae or give us a call on +971 4 3261000

June 12, 2013
Senso issue 13 – Zaman’s brand & design newsletter is here!

Zaman’s latest edition of its signature newsletter Senso is now out & the print editions are on their way to our clients and subscribers.

In this 13th issue of Senso, we’ve provided snapshots of some of the varied projects we worked on in 2012 and a few that extended into the first quarter of this year. Much of last year was characterized by a marked rise in incoming queries from companies keen to adopt a more strategic design approach in how they participate in industry events. Coined ‘environment branding’ this is basically the extension of the experience of product or service, or any distinguishing characteristics as expressed in designs, naming and symbols to the design of an interior or exterior physical setting (retail stores, exhibition booths, office space, etc). As the UAE continues to prove itself as a competitive destination in the MICE industry, we look forward to collaborating with many local & regional brands.

Featured Zaman projects in this issue include: the identity created for the 20th art furniture gallery La Galerie Nationale located in Al Quoz, Dubai; our second year running collaborating with Abu Dhabi property developer Sorouh to support their presence at CityScape Abu Dhabi 2012; working with global motion & control leader Parker Middle East in its participation at ADIPEC 2012 and a parallel direct email marketing campaign; working with the UAE’s Ministry of Social Affairs to design and kit-out its three centers setup to support the development of women in Ajman, Fujairah & Umm Al Quwain; designing and managing an event for QFB (formerly QFIB) to mark an important milestone; chronicling the 50yr legacy of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group to create an updated corporate brochure and a coffee table book; conceptualizing & developing Al Rostamani’s 2013 calendar; and creating the Watani t-shirt design contest as a vehicle to celebrate the UAE’s 41st National Day.

If you’d like to receive a complimentary print copy of this issue or join our database to for future issues please send an email to info@zaman.ae or give us a call on +971 4 3261000

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