When two great brands come together, the ability to pool resources, expertise and opportunities opens up a whole world of potential synergy.
However, when two great brands come together, how do they tell their newly-allied story? How do they display their united ambition when they already have strong, distinct and individual identities. This was a challenge we were able to guide leading international shipping company Bahri through, as they were due to embark on not one, but two such journeys.
Working closely with Bahri, we analysed the requirements and repercussions of a conjoined brand and how it should balance the incumbent needs of the parent brands. In the case of both endeavours, Bahri was to be the majority shareholder although this was reflected differently in the resulting identities.
Partnering with Koninklijke Bunge B.V. (“Bunge”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bunge Limited, the two companies formed BahriBunge Dry Bulk Ltd to develop and strengthen the import and export of dry bulk goods into and out of the Middle East. In this instance, the new name was accompanied with a distinct new logo, and was accompanied by the endorsement of both the Bahri Dy Bulk and Bunge logos.
In the joint venture with French forwarding and logistics group Bolloré, officially inaugurated as Bahri Bolloré Logistics, it was possible to take a more streamlined approach. Both parent brands had shared equity with similar colour palettes and bold, sans serif wordmarks. Bahri Bolloré Logistics, therefore, was able to become an extension of the Bahri Logistics brand, incorporating the name and colour of the French partner within the Bahri Logistics logo.
The latest inspirational advert from the challengers to Nike and Adidas’s sporting crowns has left the starting blocks with a splash.
A new 60 second spot for Under Armour’s #WeWill campaign features Syrian Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini and a powerful tale of overcoming the most extreme challenges. Yusra competed as part of the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Rio Olympics, having left her family and home in war-torn Syria just a year prior.
The Under Armour ad picks up the inspirational story as part of a wider campaign that also supported the relief efforts of first responders after the devastating Hurricane Harvey. The underlying message is that “sports can inspire, unite, and even change the world.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RWVgnrQtZM
An ambitious message, perhaps, but time and again sport proves to be a fantastic way to promote international unity and tell stories of challenging lives overcoming adversity. Events such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA Wold Cup truly do bring billions of people together and allow for inspiring tales to be told.
This year, we are also hearing some tales that until recently were less commonly told in the sporting arena. Finally it seems, there is a genuine shift in focus to bring women in to the picture. Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign has been hugely successful in getting more women more active in the UK since it’s launch in 2015.
However, the most emphatic new voices are coming from the Middle East. Yusra’s story follows on from Nike’s move to launch an athletic hijab after seeing Sarah Attar sprinting for Saudi Arabia at the London 2010 Olympics. Due for release in Spring 2018, the hijab line was announced with an epic ad showing Middle Eastern women playing their sport and looking seriously cool doing it. Finally, sport is no longer just for men.
With changing attitudes in the Middle East, as well as an acknowledged need to get everyone – but especially women – more active in the region, these are timely and well-produced campaigns. Working to encourage activity, they may also work to encourage unity, as more campaigns launch in the build up to the Qatar 2022 World Cup will finally give the Middle East some international sporting credentials to get behind and help open up a region that is alien and misunderstood by many – athletically or otherwise.
It seems that maybe sport does have the power to change the world. No longer just for men. No longer just a game.
Having earned three gold awards in 2014 for the launch of the brand, flynas has continued it’s success, taking home titles as Best Low Cost Airline in the Middle East each year since.
The Skytrax awards represent an international standard of quality and excellence, and are awarded according to votes and surveys conducted over a 10 month period across 41 key performance indicators in products and services.
“We have an unwavering commitment to improve our services and performance to achieve the maximum satisfaction from our guests. Having been awarded the Skytrax award shows the pioneering spirit of flynas, and reflects the advancement in Saudi aviation. We, in flynas, are proud of continuously achieving excellence, and always being present in the award scene despite being in a heavily-competitive environment. We are very delighted and we always strive for more success.” Mr. Bandar Almohanna, Group CEO of Nas holding
“These awards mean a great deal to us in the flynas family. It is the magnificent teamwork and care of our guests that is being recognized here today. The same teamwork that delivers great value fares and consistently high On Time Performance results”. Mr. Paul Byrne, CEO of flynas
The new flynas brand was created and developed – brand name, strategic platform and visual identity – by Aeron’s team in 2013 and along with our Saudi partners, Charisma, we have continued to support the brand since.
We are very proud to announce we are now members of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce.
Since our inception, Aeron has been honoured to work closely with some of the most exciting and successful brands across the Middle East. To help demonstrate our continuing ambition for and commitment to our partners in the region, we therefore decided it was time to join the ABCC.
The ABCC is devoted to promoting trade and economic co-operation between the UK and the Middle East. We are delighted to be a member of such a forward-looking and valuable organisation and excited for future opportunities in the region with the support of the ABCC.
Category: ThinkingTags: Middle East, News, Trade | Comments Off on A proud member of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce
