Winners announced at Transform Awards MEA 2022

Now in its ninth iteration, the Transform Awards MEA continued to celebrate the transformative power of branding and rebranding in the Middle East and Africa. The very best in corporate and consumer-facing rebranding and brand development in the region were assessed by our esteemed judges before being rewarded for their flair and creativity.

In an awards event which demonstrated superb quality across the board, there was still a clear winner on the night. Saffron Brand Consultants’ project with AD Ports Group ran riot throughout the evening, scooping up a sensational five gold awards, including in the categories of ‘Best use of a visual property’ and ‘Best use of typography,’ before claiming the highly coveted ‘Grand prix’ to cap off a fruitful night.

With the aspiration of becoming a top-quality trading partner, AD Ports had its brand examined by Saffron Brand Consultants. After addressing the creative strategy and brand architecture, judges could find no fault with the work. Summing up just how deserved the project’s success was, one judge described the project as “extremely well done in a challenging category.”

Meanwhile, another big winner on the night, and picking up the ‘Best overall visual identity,’ was Solitaire and Balcony8. The agency’s work with the lifestyle development included wayfinding, physical branding and the visual identity itself. Described as a “clear, beautiful and functional” project by one judge, it picked up two gold awards in ‘Best wayfinding or signage’ and ‘Best visual identity from the retail sector,’ along with a further two silver awards and one bronze award.

Andrew Thomas, publisher of Transform magazine and founder of the Transform Awards MEA, said, “Tonight’s Transform Awards Middle East and Africa is a true celebration. Yes, we are honouring great work by celebrating the transformative power of brand strategy and design. But also, after two years where the Transform Awards Middle East & Africa have been held with reduced numbers, travel embargoes and general uncertainty we are now finally assembled, coming together to celebrate with our colleagues, our clients and our peers.

“Regardless of whether you win gold, silver, bronze or highly commended everyone at tonight’s Transform Awards really does have much to celebrate. Congratulations to every winner; your success is well and truly deserved,” he added.

The winners were announced at the lavish V Hotel, Dubai.

The full list of winners is as follows:

CONTENT

Best use of a visual property
Gold – AD Ports Group and Saffron Brand Consultants
Silver – Origins Koffee Lab & Kitchen and Arada
Silver – Mono Mini Me and JansenHarris
Bronze – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Bronze – THE RIG. and Landor & Fitch
Highly commended – Hungry Wolves and Arada

Best brand architecture solution
Gold – AD Ports Group and Saffron Brand Consultants
Silver – Careem and Bellwether
Bronze – NAMA Women Advancement and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Saudi National Bank and Landor & Fitch
Highly commended – KAUST Innovation and BOND

Best use of copy style or tone of voice
Gold – Oodi and Bellwether
Gold – Saudi German Health and Landor & Fitch
Silver – COCO Logistics and Brand Lounge
Bronze – New York University Abu Dhabi and ALL ABOUT BRANDS
Highly commended – Badiri Academy and Brand Lounge
Highly commended – Saudi National Bank and Landor & Fitch

Best brand experience
Gold – Careem and Bellwether
Silver – Government of Dubai Media Office and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Brown-Forman Middle East and JansenHarris
Bronze – Manchester City Football Club and ALL ABOUT BRANDS
Highly commended – THE RIG. and Landor & Fitch

Best use of packaging
Gold – COCO Logistics and Brand Lounge
Silver – Origins Koffee Lab & Kitchen and Arada
Bronze – SunKiss and JansenHarris
Highly commended – Beaugrand Et Fils and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)

Best wayfinding or signage
Gold – Solitaire and Balcony8
Silver – Happy Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics – HKD and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Bronze – Royal Commission for Riyadh City with FAST Consortium and Nour Massah Company for Industry

Best use of audio branding
Gold – Saudi German Health and Landor & Fitch
Silver – Etisalat and Sixième Son
Bronze – Akhbar Alaan and Bellwether
Bronze – Saudi National Bank and Landor & Fitch

Best use of typography
Gold – AD Ports Group and Saffron Brand Consultants
Silver – Solitaire and Balcony8
Bronze – COCO Logistics and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Dubal Holding and KNOW Creative
Highly commended – Badiri Academy and Brand Lounge

Best place or nation brand
Gold – RAKTDA (Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority) and Sputnik Floyd
Silver – Solitaire and Balcony8
Bronze – THE RIG. and Landor & Fitch

PROCESS

Best external stakeholder relations during a brand development project
Gold – Government of Dubai Media Office and Brand Lounge
Silver – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Bronze – Family Development Foundation – FDF and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)

Best internal communications during a brand development project
Gold – KAUST Innovation and BOND

Best implementation of a brand development project
Gold – Kitopi and Main Division
Silver – Happy Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics – HKD and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Silver – HCT and Bellwether
Silver – Oodi and Bellwether
Bronze – Badiri Academy and Brand Lounge
Bronze – KAUST Innovation and BOND

Best localisation of an international brand
Gold – Haier KSA and Onsor Mosha Advertising
Silver – Virgin Mobile UAE
Bronze – Franklin Templeton and Mirum Agency

STRATEGY

Best creative strategy
Gold – AD Ports Group and Saffron Brand Consultants
Silver – RAKTDA (Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority) and Sputnik Floyd
Bronze – Oodi and Bellwether
Bronze – Solitaire and Balcony8
Highly commended – Alphaiota and BOND
Highly commended – THE RIG. and Landor & Fitch

Best brand evolution        
Gold – CCHI and Bellwether
Gold – Qaweem and Blue Hat
Silver – Akhbar Alaan and Bellwether
Bronze – HCT and Bellwether
Highly commended – Al Jazira Football Club and ALL ABOUT BRANDS
Highly commended – Wimpy and matter

Best strategic or creative development of a new brand
Gold – Oodi and Bellwether
Gold – UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Arada
Silver – Saudi National Bank and Landor & Fitch
Bronze – VO and Bellwether
Highly commended – Al Farah Gourmet and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Highly commended – Weem with Landor & Fitch and Hogarth

Best development of a new brand within an existing brand portfolio
Gold – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Silver – Family Development Foundation – FDF and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)

Best naming strategy
Gold – Smidgin and Bellwether
Silver – Careem and Bellwether
Bronze – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Bronze – Karma Solar and Brand Lounge
Highly commended – THE RIG. and Landor & Fitch

TYPE

Best corporate rebrand following a merger or acquisition
Gold – Saudi National Bank and Landor & Fitch

Best brand development project to reflect a change of mission, values or positioning
Gold – Dubal Holding and KNOW Creative
Silver – AD Ports Group and Saffron Brand Consultants
Silver – Badiri Academy and Brand Lounge
Bronze – Akhbar Alaan and Bellwether
Bronze – KAUST Innovation and BOND
Highly commended – CXG and OMNIA
Highly commended – HCT and Bellwether

Best brand consolidation
Gold – Careem and Bellwether
Silver – Saudi National Bank and Landor & Fitch
Bronze – Government of Dubai Media Office and Brand Lounge
Bronze – KAUST Innovation and BOND
Highly commended – CXG and OMNIA

Best rebrand of a digital property
Gold – Amakin and Epic Lion
Silver – Akhbar Alaan and Bellwether
Bronze – Happy Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics – HKD and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Highly commended – Karma Solar and Brand Lounge

SECTOR

Best visual identity by a charity, NGO or NFP
Gold – Siyakwazi and JansenHarris
Silver – Badiri Academy and Brand Lounge
Bronze – NAMA Women Advancement and Brand Lounge

Best visual identity from the education sector
Gold – HCT and Bellwether
Bronze – KAUST Innovation and BOND

Best visual identity from the energy and utilities sector
Silver – Karma Solar and Brand Lounge

Best visual identity from the farming and agricultural sector
Gold – UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Arada

Best visual identity from the financial services sector
Gold – Saudi National Bank and Landor & Fitch
Silver – Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and ALL ABOUT BRANDS
Silver – YAP and Livingroom Dubai
Bronze – The BENEFIT Company and Superunion

Best visual identity from the food and beverage sector
Gold – Wimpy and matter
Silver – Origins Koffee Lab & Kitchen and Arada
Bronze – Smidgin and Bellwether
Bronze – Hilton: OTB and Keane
Highly commended – Beaugrand Et Fils and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Highly commended – Kitopi and Main Division

Best visual identity from the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector
Gold – Happy Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics – HKD and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Silver – Alphaiota and BOND
Bronze – American Hospital and Bellwether
Bronze – Saudi German Health and Landor & Fitch

Best visual identity from the industrial and basic materials sector
Gold - Dubal Holding and KNOW Creative

Best visual identity from the lifestyle and wellness sector
Gold – THE RIG. and Landor & Fitch
Silver – The Carlton Tower Jumeirah: The Peak Fitness Club & Spa and Keane

Best visual identity from the professional services sector
Gold – Hope Ventures and Limefish Design
Bronze – CXG and OMNIA

Best visual identity from the public sector
Gold – Family Development Foundation – FDF and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Silver – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and Gulf Advertising in Business FZLLC (ADinB)
Bronze – CCHI and Bellwether
Bronze – RAKTDA (Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority) and Sputnik Floyd

Best visual identity from the retail sector
Gold – Solitaire and Balcony8
Silver – BinSina / AKI Group and Livingroom Dubai

Best visual identity from the sports and leisure sector
Gold – THE RIG. and Landor & Fitch
Silver – The Carlton Tower Jumeirah: The Peak Fitness Club & Spa and Keane
Bronze – ADNOC Group (Al Ruwais Golf Club) and ALL ABOUT BRANDS

Best visual identity from the technology, media and telecommunications sector
Gold – Akhbar Alaan and Bellwether
Silver – Oodi and Bellwether
Silver – VO and Bellwether
Bronze – Al Ain News and OMNIA

Best visual identity from the transport and logistics sector
Gold – AD Ports Group and Saffron Brand Consultants
Silver – Weem and Landor & Fitch and Hogarth
Bronze – Emirates Post and Livingroom Dubai
Highly commended – COCO Logistics and Brand Lounge

Best visual identity from the travel and tourism sector
Gold – RAKTDA (Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority) and Sputnik Floyd
Silver – Noor Riyadh and OMNIA
Bronze – Elaf Group and JPD

Best overall visual identity
Winner – Solitaire and Balcony8

Grand prix
Winner – AD Ports Group and Saffron Brand Consultants