Winners of Transform Awards MEA 2021 announced

The Transform Awards MEA have been celebrating the transformative power of branding and rebranding in the Middle East and Africa for the past eight years. Transform magazine is proud to announce the winners of the Transform Awards MEA 2021, which reflect the agencies and creative teams exhibiting exemplary work in brand strategy and development.

The star of the night was by far Amaala and Landor & Fitch, which, after sweeping up several golds, including ’Best place or nation brand,’ ‘Best creative strategy,’ and ‘Best visual identity from the lifestyle and wellbeing sector,’ won the most sought-after prize, the ‘Grand prix.’ As a luxury destination, Amaala worked with Landor & Fitch to develop a brand positioning around the concept of sustainability, harnessing the desire of high net worth individuals to have a meaningful impact on the world. For the visual identity, Landor & Fitch created an eye-shaped pattern that includes visual cues to the region’s coral reefs and sand dunes, which judges defined a ‘stunning creative solution.’

Another notable winner was Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Bellwether, which won gold ‘Best use of a visual property,’ ‘Best implementation of a brand development project,' and ‘Best visual identity from the public sector,’ and also took home the ‘Best visual identity’ award. To help the brand stand out among other prominent Dubai-based entities, Bellwether created a logo that acts as a unifying device across the identity. The logo, centered around the alif character, highlights  Dubai Culture’s partners and operations while still lending an recognisable visual cue on behalf to the organisation.

"Over the past eight years, the work we have seen entered in the awards programme has been consistently good, both here and globally. The biggest change, however, has been in teh appreciation of that work, in increasingly tanbile ways. Everyone who has won this year should be proud of their accomplishments. We, in turn, are produt to present the eight year of Transform winners with their Golen Butterflies," says Andrew Thomas, publishing editor of Transform magazine and founder of the Transform Awards.

Judges were impressed by Shahid and Landor & Fitch, which took home various recognitions including a gold in ‘Best brand experience’ and ‘Best brand evolution’ and a highly commended in ‘Best use of a visual property.’ Zohoor and Unisono also took home several awards, including ‘Best internal communication during a brand development project,’ a silver in ‘Best use of typography’ and a highly commended for ‘Best visual identity from the retail sector.’

Winners were announced last night at the stylish V Hotel in Al Habtoor City, Dubai.

Transform Awards MEA 2022 are now open for entries. For more information click here.

The full list of winners is below.

CONTENT

Best use of a visual property
Gold - Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Bellwether
Silver – Hala and Bellwether
Bronze – Yelo and Landor&Fitch
Highly commended – Dusit Thani, Sri Lanka and RUYA
Highly commended – Shahid and Landor&Fitch

Best brand architecture solution
Gold – Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) and Landor&Fitch
Silver – MKU and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Waqf Sulaiman AlRajhi and Brand Lounge

Best use of copy style or tone of voice
Gold – Black Stripe and Unisono
Silver – Piramal Mahalaxmi and RUYA
Bronze – Ministry of Tourism and Bassmat Integrated & Digital Agency
Highly commended – Al Fay Park and All About Brands
Highly commended – Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts and Brand Lounge

Best brand experience
Gold – Shahid and Landor&Fitch
Gold – TYM and MBLM
Silver – Ministry of Tourism and Bassmat Integrated & Digital Agency
Bronze – Razin and Blue Hat
Highly commended – Dubai Airports and KNOW Creative
Highly commended – Etihad and Sixième Son

Best use of packaging
Gold – PepsiCo and PepsiCo Design & Innovation
Silver – URBO and Landor&Fitch
Bronze – Bushra Meat and OHI Leo Burnett
Bronze – Messinis Olive Grove S.A. and Multiply Marketing Consultancy
Highly commended – Almarai and Lonsdale

Best wayfinding or signage
Gold – Al Fay Park and All About Brands

Best use of audio branding
Gold – Etihad and Sixième Son
Silver – Majid Al Futtaim and The Sound Agency
Bronze – National Commercial Bank (NCB) and Landor&Fitch

Best use of typography
Gold – ZY and Skyne
Silver – SARVEST by Waqf Sulaiman AlRajhi and Brand Lounge
Silver – Zohoor and Unisono
Bronze – The Emirates Nation - UAE Government and RUYA
Highly commended – Hinu and Skyne

Best place or nation brand
Gold – AMAALA and Landor&Fitch
Silver – Public Diplomacy Office and Landor&Fitch
Bronze – The Emirates Nation - UAE Government and RUYA
Highly commended – Hinu and Skyne

PROCESS

Best internal communication during a brand development project
Gold – Zohoor and Unisono
Silver – Salehiya Healthcare and Brand Lounge
Bronze – TGT Diagnostics

Best implementation of a brand development project
Gold – Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Bellwether
Silver – Ma'an and All About Brands
Bronze – OSN and Bellwether
Bronze – Salehiya Healthcare and Brand Lounge
Highly commended – Mobily and Bellwether
Highly commended – Nupco and Bellwether

STRATEGY

Best creative strategy
Gold – AMAALA and Landor&Fitch
Silver – Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Bellwether
Bronze – Yelo and Landor&Fitch
Highly commended – Nupco and Bellwether
Highly commended – OSN and Bellwether

Best brand evolution
Gold – Shahid and Landor&Fitch
Silver – OSN and Bellwether
Bronze – Saudi Sports for All Federation and Landor&Fitch
Highly commended – Mobily and Bellwether
Highly commended – OneHive and Skyne

Best strategic or creative development of a new brand
Gold – Yelo and Landor&Fitch
Silver – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and Gulf Advertising in Business (ADinB)
Silver – Hala and Bellwether
Bronze – Pitstop Lagos and Arden & Newton
Highly commended – SARVEST by Waqf Sulaiman AlRajhi and Brand Lounge

Best development of a new brand within an existing brand portfolio
Gold – SARVEST by Waqf Sulaiman AlRajhi and Brand Lounge
Silver – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and Gulf Advertising in Business (ADinB)
Bronze – TGT Diagnostics
Highly commended – Ajyal Space and Landor&Fitch
Highly commended – Kenya Commercial Bank and Landor&Fitch

Best naming strategy
Gold – MKU and Brand Lounge
Gold – Yelo and Landor&Fitch
Silver – OneHive and Skyne
Bronze – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and Gulf Advertising in Business (ADinB)
Bronze – Ardova and Arden & Newton
Highly commended – SARVEST by Waqf Sulaiman AlRajhi and Brand Lounge

TYPE

Best corporate rebrand following a merger or acquisition
Gold – Ardova and Arden & Newton
Silver – MAG Group and RUYA

Best brand development project to reflect changed mission, values or positioning
Gold – Yelo and Landor&Fitch
Silver – Saudi Sports for All Federation and Landor&Fitch
Bronze – Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Bellwether
Highly commended – AMAALA and Landor&Fitch
Highly commended – OSN and Bellwether

Best rebrand of a digital property
Gold – Goody Kitchen and Landor&Fitch
Gold – Papercut Factory and Brand Provoke Consultants
Silver – TYM and MBLM
Bronze – OSN and Bellwether
Highly commended – Ajdan and Unisono
Highly commended – Barka Desalination and OHI Leo Burnett

SECTOR

Best visual identity by a charity, NGO or not-for-profit
Gold – Click Learning and Epic Lion
Silver – Elevate an initiative by Nama and Brand Lounge
Bronze – GoLokal and Skyne
Highly commended – Shamsaha and Unisono
Highly commended – Waqf Sulaiman AlRajhi and Brand Lounge

Best visual identity from the education sector
Gold – Click Learning and Epic Lion
Gold – EYSC – Ministry of Culture & Youth and RUYA
Silver – Ajyal Space and Landor&Fitch
Bronze – Abu Dhabi Youth Barzah - Ministry of Culture & Youth and RUYA

Best visual identity from the energy and utilities sector
Gold – TGT Diagnostics
Silver – Ta'ziz and All About Brands
Bronze – Ajman Sewerage and Brand Lounge

Best visual identity from the engineering and manufacturing sector
Gold – Trans Asia Pipeline Services and Jpd

Best visual identity from the farming and agriculture sector
Gold – TYM and MBLM
Silver – Fertiglobe and All About Brands
Bronze – OneHive and Skyne

Best visual identity from the financial services sector
Gold – National Commercial Bank (NCB) and Landor&Fitch
Silver – Esterad and Unisono
Silver – Vested and Ellae Branding Agency
Bronze – NBK - National Bank of Kuwait and Landor&Fitch
Highly commended – ADQ and All About Brands
Highly commended – SARVEST by Waqf Sulaiman AlRajhi and Brand Lounge

Best visual identity from the FMCG sector
Gold – URBO and Landor&Fitch

Best visual identity from the food and beverage sector
Gold – Knorhoek Gin and Navy Creative
Silver – Goody Kitchen and Landor&Fitch
Bronze – Almarai and Lonsdale
Bronze – Black Stripe and Unisono
Highly commended – Lexx at Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi and Fludium

Best visual identity from the healthcare and pharmaceuticals sector
Gold – Nupco and Bellwether
Silver – Digitum - An initiative by Salehiya Healthcare and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Salehiya Healthcare and Brand Lounge

Best visual identity from the lifestyle and wellbeing sector
Gold – AMAALA and Landor&Fitch
Gold – URBO and Landor&Fitch
Silver – Saudi Sports for All Federation and Landor&Fitch
Bronze – RWRD and RUYA
Highly commended – Le Joyau d'Olive and Tagbrands

Best visual identity from the professional services sector
Gold – HLO and K&i
Silver – Kayishha and Skyne
Bronze – Raees & Co and Unisono
Highly commended – Gulf Researcher and Unisono

Best visual identity from the property, construction and facilities management sector
Gold – Chaimaa Avenue and RUYA
Silver – MAG City and RUYA
Bronze – Aldyar Alarabiya and Brand Lounge

Best visual identity from the public sector
Gold – Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Bellwether
Silver – Saudi Sports for All Federation and Landor&Fitch
Bronze – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority and Gulf Advertising in Business (ADinB)
Highly commended – Abu Dhabi Youth Forum - Ministry of Culture & Youth and RUYA
Highly commended – Public Diplomacy Office and Landor&Fitch
Highly commended – The Emirates Nation - UAE Government and RUYA

Best visual identity from the retail sector
Gold – Rasasi and Landor&Fitch
Silver – Royse and RUYA
Bronze – Mo'an and Skyne
Highly commended – Zohoor and Unisono

Best visual identity from the sports, travel, leisure and tourism sector
Gold – AMAALA and Landor&Fitch
Silver – Hinu and Skyne
Bronze – Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts and The Adroit Agency
Bronze – PURA and RUYA

Best visual identity from the technology, media and telecommunications sector
Gold – OSN and Bellwether
Silver – Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) and Landor&Fitch
Bronze – Mobily and Bellwether

Best visual identity from the transport and logistics sector
Gold – Hala and Bellwether
Silver – Yelo and Landor&Fitch
Bronze – Bahri and Landor&Fitch

Best overall visual identity
Winner – Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Bellwether

Grand prix
Winner – AMAALA and Landor&Fitch