Dragoman breakthrough brands

Discipline: Brand communication

  • Leap

    Leap

    Leap

    From financial services to startup community

    THE CHALLENGE

    The brand had to achieve two key objectives; appeal to the startup and founders community and support DIFC’s innovation journey.

    HOW WE WORKED

    We used Leap’s “Hyper Driven” philosophy as the anchor, then designed the brandmark, typography, colour, graphic language, tone of voice, messaging and values so every element pointed to smarter, faster, safer business growth. We kept language crisp and operational, avoiding fluff. 

    THE SOLUTION

    We defined Leap as “the growth platform to accelerate and scale your business smarter, faster, and safer,” with a brandmark that captures forward motion, a flexible graphic system that uses colour and movement to signal momentum, and a tone of voice that is clear, intelligent, inspiring and confident. The message house emphasises the DIFC ecosystem of capital, talent and community and the values operationalise the brand through agility, delivery, energy and inquisitiveness. 

    The future of business is;
    Hyper driven,
    Hyper innovative and
    Hyper connected
    The future is here.

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Brand positioning and narrative 

    Brandmark, typography, colour and graphic language system 

    Tone of voice guidelines and message house 

    Values and behaviours 

    Brand applications toolkit and Brand guidelines 

    THE RESULTS

    Leap now has a cohesive, future-facing brand that is simple to use and consistent in market: a dynamic identity that signals acceleration, a concise voice that talks like the audience, and messages that make the DIFC community’s advantages clear. 

  • Arena

    Arena

    Arena

    Arena Private Market: Making capital work for you.

    THE CHALLENGE

    Introduce a new private market from DFM in a way that clearly explains the offer to founders and accredited investors: eligible private companies gain access to growth capital while retaining control; investors can participate in growth companies earlier on the path to a potential IPO. The brand also needed to preserve DFM’s credibility and attract both sides of the market.

    HOW WE WORKED

    We created a simple brand language referencing positive market signals and built practical tools for consistent use. We launched at Dubai Capital Market Summit and supported the team with the keynote, launch video, website, and brand governance.

    THE SOLUTION

    We positioned Arena as DFM’s private market platform connecting eligible private companies with accredited investors. We defined a direct value proposition and produced guidelines and launch assets so the brand could be deployed consistently across presentations, video, and web.

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Brand strategy

    Brand positioning

    Brand identity & design system

    Brand architecture

    Launch video

    THE RESULTS

    A clear, credible market introduction that explains the offer, signals DFM trust, and enables efficient rollout across summit, video, and web.

  • Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC)

    Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC)

    Royal Commission  for Makkah City and Holy Sites

    A renewed experience  

    THE CHALLENGE 

    In 2018, the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC) was established by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dragoman was appointed to create the identity, design systems and all brand assets. This was then approved at the highest level by HRH Salman bin Abdulaziz Al–Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.   

    As a new brand and organisation, it was imperative for extensive brand guidelines to be created to ensure the consistent rollout of the brand, both internally and across external communications.  

    THE SOLUTION

    The guidelines introduced the brand strategy and showcased how to use the RCMC brand assets correctly and confidently. It also influenced how they speak as an organisation and will be used long term to assist in the development of their company culture.   

    The document includes all guidelines around the new brand identity, to ensure it is used with the utmost respect and always reproduced using the official artwork files.  

    The identity guidelines were supported by a unified set of brand assets and a colour palette that are distinctively RCMC. These allow the brand to visually express itself while staying coherent and considered.  

    Additionally, photography was used as the primary method of visual brand storytelling. The guidelines included a library of images that can be utilised across all types of communication.   

    These visual components were paired with the introduction of a dual language font, to reflects the brand’s ambition for clarity, legibility and accessibility.   

    The guidelines detailed the application of the brand across a broad range of internal elements and communication collateral, including stationery, employee welcome pack, staff apparel, livery, publications, website, digital advertising, social media and corporate office interiors.   

    Finally, the production specifications and paper stocks were rigorously selected. Highgrade proof testing, across digital and offset, was completed to ensure a premium reproduction of the colours and metallic finishes.   

    The first round of these guidelines are now complete and being introduced internally through a brand ambassador program. Further iterations will continue as we work with this long term client.

    PROJECT DELIVERABLES

    Insights and research
    Brand strategy

    Brand identity

    Design systems

    Brand guidelines

    Brand management


     

  • Gate Avenue

    Gate Avenue

    Gate Avenue

    Sounds. Surrealism. Selfies. Sushi.

    THE CHALLENGE

    Create a brand that fits the DIFC portfolio, strengthens the destination brand and most importantly, gets people to visit Gate Avenue. Additionally reposition from a premium mall to an accessible, community-led urban destination with multiple experiences. Goal: increase footfall.

    HOW WE WORKED

    We reviewed the market and built on the DIFC destination positioning to carve out a distinct retail role. We defined a brand positioning, personality and tone that stay energetic and adaptable to the fast-changing nature of retail. We designed connected systems linking online and offline for a seamless end-to-end experience.

    THE SOLUTION

    We articulated Gate Avenue as the urban spine that runs the length of DIFC. The visual system uses four gates as entry portals, paths that guide people to eclectic experiences across retail, food, fashion, art and entertainment. The identity is bold, dynamic and more accessible, introducing youthful energy while maintaining DIFC credibility. Messaging focuses on everyday discovery and community engagement.

    OUR DELIVERABLES

    Insights & research
    Brand positioning & proposition
    Brand identity (brandmark & visual language)
    Design system & brand guidelines
    Launch campaign & video

    THE RESULTS

    A clear, distinctive destination brand that sits comfortably within the DIFC portfolio and invites broader audiences to visit, driving a 50% increase in footfall and elevating DIFC’s overall destination appeal.

  • Eve List

    Eve List

    Eve List

    Equivalency.

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    PROJECT OVERVIEW  

    We worked with the NGO Eve List to create a new brand to engage a broader audience and give some energy to their purpose.

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    WHAT WE DID  

    We worked with the founder to really get under the skin of the issue and create a brand that could not only engage multiple audiences, but also create a platform for conversation, ultimately towards creating understanding and equivalency in our workplace environment. We are better when we are working together to solve these societal challenges and as such the brand was centred around the idea of coming together and enhancing each other. This was done through graphic symbols of +, x and ≡, an engaging and open tone of voice and a range of colours for energy.

     

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    PROJECT DELIVERABLES

    Brand positioning
    Brand strategy
    Design systems
    Brand identity

  • DIFC — Harnessing Local Talent campaign

    DIFC — Harnessing Local Talent campaign

    Dubai International Financial Centre

    Harnessing Local Talent campaign — 82% increase in leads

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    Project overview

    DIFC wanted to support the UAE’s 2021 Vision of empowering local talent, supporting SMEs and promoting entrepreneurship within the country.

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    What we did

    Dragoman and the team at DIFC conceptualised the Harnessing Local Talent (HLT) competition. A national campaign aiming to attract local designers and homegrown brands, with the winners given the opportunity to set up a retail presence in The Design House, DIFC’s dedicated space for SMEs.

    Dragoman worked on the communication architecture and endorsement strategy, recommending that the HLT competition be linked back to the DIFC masterbrand. This enhanced DIFC reputation for supporting entrepreneurial talent and fostering creativity.

    The campaign ran across paid digital, social media, print, PR and environment branding, with strong targeting on creative audiences and the SME community. The campaign’s creative style visualised the many different aspects of design craftmanship, aimed at enticing SMEs from diverse sectors.

    The campaign produced an 82% increase in retail leads for DIFC. The initiative was so successful that it is now in its second year and is currently sponsored by the Dubai government’s cultural department, which has led to further funding and national exposure.

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    PROJECT DELIVERABLES

    Insights
    Brand architecture
    Communications strategy
    Design
    Animation
    Campaign management

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