Transform proud to announce MEA 2023 winners

With the Transform Awards MEA having been celebrated in the Middle East and Africa region for the past decade, Transform is delighted to once again reveal its list of winners. As always, Transform’s winners reflect the transformative power of brand strategy and design and the awards recognise best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work.

Along with being awarded a remarkable four Golds, two Silvers and three Bronzes, Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge capped off a lucrative evening by being awarded the prestigious ‘Grand prix’. The branding project for the watch and jewelry atelier blew judges away, who were particularly impressed by its “daring” nature and ability to connect with its target audience, unquestionably making it the star performer on the night.

Also having a successful evening at the luxurious, five-star Raffles Dubai hotel, Right Grain and Gene Branding picked up golds in ‘Best naming strategy’ and ‘Best visual identity from the food and beverage sector’, before being announced as the ‘Best overall visual identity’ winner. The project, which sought to give the new grab-and-go bakery a strong identity, caught judges’ eyes for being “original, beautiful and wonderfully executed”.

Another big winner, capping off a memorable night in Dubai, was Nakheel and Ochre, whose efforts won them three Golds, two Silvers and three Bronzes. All entries were assessed by Transform’s esteemed panel of judges, who this year hailed from the likes of Sky News Arabia, PepsiCo and Etihad Airways. The judges carefully scoured each and every project before concluding their respective merits.  

Andrew Thomas, publishing editor of Transform magazine and founder of the Transform Awards, says, “For the past 10 years, the Transform Awards has benchmarked the best of brand strategy, creativity and design in the Middle East and Africa region. I would like to thank everyone who has supported the Transform Awards, whose work over that time has made it such an emphatic success. Tonight’s ceremony truly demonstrated the transformative power of brand strategy and design, and we look forward to carrying on these celebrations over the next decade.”  

Transform would also like to thank our sponsor Principle Global and our supporting partner PRCA MENA, whose terrific support helped make this evening possible.

The winners were announced at the lavish Raffles Dubai hotel.

The full list of winners is as follows:

 

CONTENT

 

Best use of a visual property

Gold – Hayat Biotech and Brand Lounge

Silver – Dubai Holding and BOND

Bronze – Nakheel and Ochre

Bronze – Radio Bahrain and Unisono

Bronze – Sahtin Manage Restaurants and Trade with The Creative Union

Highly commended – Al Hallab Street and The Creative Union

 

Best brand architecture solution

Gold – Nakheel and Ochre

Silver – ADNEC Group and All About Brands

Bronze – Katara Hospitality and Hilton with The Creative Union

Highly commended – Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation and Brand Lounge

Highly commended – Dubai Holding and BOND

 

Best use of copy style or tone of voice

Gold – Hayat Biotech and Brand Lounge

Silver – Otto and Ochre

Bronze – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge

Bronze – Radio Bahrain and Unisono

Highly commended – Careem and Mana Creative

 

Best brand experience

Gold – Otto and Ochre

Gold – Siemens and KNOW Creative

Silver – District 2020 and Ochre

Bronze – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge

Bronze – Chicos and Electric Brand Consultants

Highly commended – Right Grain and Gene Branding

 

Best use of packaging

Gold – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – Pepsi MO Can LTO

Silver – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge

Bronze – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – Pepsi x MO

 

Best wayfinding or signage

Gold – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and ADinB

 

Best use of audio branding

Gold – Aramco and MassiveMusic

Silver – alrajhi bank and MassiveMusic

Silver – Visit Saudi and Sixième Son

Bronze – 360 ONE and Ochre

 

 

Best use of typography

Gold – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge

Silver – Nakheel and Ochre

Silver – Watania Takaful and OHI Leo Burnett

Bronze – Al Manahil Investment, KSA and Keane

Bronze – Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) & Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) with ADinB

Highly commended – The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) with Zan Agency

 

Best place or nation brand

Gold – Atlantis Dubai and FutureBrand

Silver – Bilaj Al Jazayer and Unisono

Bronze – Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority with Skyne

 

Best expression of a brand on social media channels

Gold – Pizza Hut Middle East and Power League Gaming (PLG)

Silver – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge

Bronze – Emirates Development Bank and LivingRoom Communications

Highly commended – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and ADinB

 

PROCESS

 

Best external stakeholder relations during a brand development project

Gold – Family Development Foundation and ADinB

Gold – FANN Media Discovery Platform and Brand Lounge

Silver – Hayat Biotech and Brand Lounge

Bronze – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge

Highly commended – Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation and Brand Lounge

 

Best internal communications during a brand development project

Gold – Morouj Commodities and Skyne

Silver – Infracorp and Unisono

Bronze – SOLV and ADinB

 

Best implementation of a brand development project

Gold – Dubai Holding and BOND

Silver – Family Development Foundation and ADinB

Bronze – Dibba Bay Oysters and Skyne

 

Best localization of an international brand

Gold – Atlantis Dubai and FutureBrand

Bronze – Franklin Templeton

 

STRATEGY

 

Best creative strategy

Gold – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge

Silver – 360 ONE and Ochre

Silver – FANN Media Discovery Platform and Brand Lounge

Bronze – Bilaj Al Jazayer and Unisono

Bronze – Nakheel and Ochre

Highly commended – Impactiv and Brand Lounge

 

Best brand evolution (business)

Gold – iLearning Engines and Liwa Content Driven

Silver – Signature Living and Skyne

Bronze – Capital Catering + Services, ADNEC Group and All About Brands

Bronze – Mubadala Energy and Omnia

Highly commended – Majan University College and Zeenah

Highly commended – Quantum ESCO Saudi and Skyne

 

Best brand evolution (consumer)

Gold – FANN Media Discovery Platform and Brand Lounge

Silver – Freshqa and The Creative Union

Silver – Morouj Commodities and Skyne

Bronze – Watania Takaful and OHI Leo Burnett

 

Best brand evolution (corporate)

Gold – Nakheel and Ochre

Silver – Morouj Commodities and Skyne

Bronze – ADNEC Group and All About Brands

Bronze – Al-Dabbagh Group and Bladonmore

Bronze – OHI Group and OHI Leo Burnett

Highly commended – Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation and Brand Lounge

 

Best strategic or creative development of a new brand

Gold – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge

Silver – Beban and Limefish Design

Silver – Otto and Ochre

Bronze – Al Manahil Investment, KSA and Keane

Bronze – Ministry of Culture and Accenture Song

Highly commended – Impactiv and Brand Lounge

Highly commended – TGT Diagnostics

 

Best development of a new brand within an existing brand portfolio

Gold – Dubai Holding and BOND

Silver – Shams+, Al Masaood Power and All About Brands

Bronze – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) – Child Data and ADinB

Bronze – Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) – Leaders for Impact and ADinB

Bronze – Ministry of Culture and Accenture Song

Highly commended – TGT Diagnostics

 

Best naming strategy

Gold – Right Grain and Gene Branding

Silver – Aid Medical and Zan Agency

Silver – SOLV and ADinB

Bronze – 360 ONE and Ochre

Bronze – Beban and Limefish Design

Highly commended – Dubai Holding and BOND

 

TYPE

 

Best corporate rebrand following a merger or acquisition

Gold – Watania Takaful and OHI Leo Burnett

Bronze – Franklin Templeton

 

Best brand development project to reflect a change of mission, values or positioning

Gold – Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation and Brand Lounge

Silver – ADNEC Group and All About Brands

Bronze – Franklin Templeton

Bronze – Yaqeen Capital and Skyne

Highly commended – OHI Group and OHI Leo Burnett

 

Best brand consolidation

Gold – The Palmyard Hotel – Amriya Group and Interstate Creative Partners

 

Best employer brand

Gold – Dubai Airports and KNOW Creative

Bronze – Zan Agency

 

SECTOR

 

Best visual identity by a charity, NGO or NFP

Gold – Ghoroos and Zan Agency

Silver – Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development and Proctor + Stevenson

Bronze – Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation and Brand Lounge

 

Best visual identity from the education sector

Gold – FANN Media Discovery Platform and Brand Lounge

Silver – APG School and inovaline

Bronze – Majan University College and Zeenah

 

Best visual identity from the energy and utilities sector

Gold – Mubadala Energy and Omnia

Gold – TGT Diagnostics

Silver – Shams+, Al Masaood Power and All About Brands

 

Best visual identity from the financial services sector

Gold – Infracorp and Unisono

Silver – Zenda and KNOW Creative

Bronze – Argos Expertise Comptable and ADinB

Bronze – First Abu Dhabi Bank and FutureBrand

Bronze – Watania Takaful and OHI Leo Burnett

Highly commended – 360 ONE and Ochre

 

Best visual identity from the FMCG sector

Gold – Morouj Commodities and Skyne

Silver – Sahtin Manage Restaurants and Trade with The Creative Union

 

Best visual identity from the food and beverage sector

Gold – Right Grain and Gene Branding

Silver – Magna Hospitality Management LLC and Keane

Silver – Morouj Commodities and Skyne

Bronze – ERTH Restaurant and Latitude

Bronze – Hilton Garden Inn and Keane

Highly commended – PepsiCo Design & Innovation – 7UP x Ramadan 2022

 

Best visual identity from the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector

Gold – Hayat Biotech and Brand Lounge

Bronze – Aid Medical and Zan Agency

 

Best visual identity from the professional services sector

Gold – Capital Catering + Services, ADNEC Group and All About Brands

Silver – ALN with Brand Husl and The Contented Agency

 

Best visual identity from the property, construction and facilities management sector

Gold – Nakheel and Ochre

Silver – SOLV and ADinB

Silver – The Palmyard Hotel – Amriya Group and Interstate Creative Partners

Bronze – Al Manahil Investment, KSA and Keane

Bronze – Edamah and Unisono

Bronze – Signature Living and Skyne

Highly commended – Saada and Unisono

 

Best visual identity from the public sector

Gold – Great Arab Minds and Abjad Design

Gold – Ministry of Culture and Accenture Song

Silver – Family Development Foundation and ADinB

Bronze – Tamkeen (Labour Fund)

 

Best visual identity from the retail sector

Gold – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge

Silver – Dubai Holding and BOND

 

Best visual identity from the sports and leisure sector

Gold – Yabeela and Unisono

Silver – Seef Entertainment and Unisono

Bronze – Bahrain Rugby Federation and Unisono

 

Best visual identity from the technology, media and telecommunications sector

Gold – Radio Bahrain and Unisono

Silver – Beban and Limefish Design

Silver – Ministry of Culture and Accenture Song

Bronze – Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) & Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) with ADinB

Bronze – FANN Media Discovery Platform and Brand Lounge

Highly commended – iLearning Engines and Liwa Content Driven

 

Best visual identity from the transport and logistics sector

Gold – Otto and Ochre

Bronze – Careem and Mana Creative

 

Best visual identity from the travel and tourism sector

Gold – Bilaj Al Jazayer and Unisono

Silver – Atlantis Dubai and FutureBrand

Bronze – Katara Hospitality and Hilton with The Creative Union

Highly commended – ADNEC Group and All About Brands

Highly commended – Earth Hotels and Sputnik Floyd

 

Best overall visual identity

Winner – Right Grain and Gene Branding

 

Grand prix

Winner – Charles Zuber and Brand Lounge