Creator of Dubai South brand extols the values of people power

Such brash marketing will be on display this week as the annual Cityscape real estate exhibition gets under way on Tuesday.

A sample of the new Dubai South rebranding campaign. Courtesy Strawberry Frog

The agency behind the Centre of Now and Hello Tomorrow branding slogans decided to leave the hyperbole at home when it won the instruction to rebrand Dubai World Central.

The head of the agency behind the newly coined Dubai South development has said that the rebrand of the 145-square-kilometre site, formerly known as Dubai World Central, was an attempt to move away from the “sea of sameness” that has characterised the marketing of many glitzy real estate developments in the city.

Such brash marketing will be on display this week as the annual Cityscape real estate exhibition gets under way tomorrow.

The decision to rebrand Dubai World Central – a project that was launched in 2006 as the world’s first purpose-built aerotropolis with Al Maktoum International Airport at its core – was announced by its government-owned master developer last month.

Scott Goodson, founder and chief executive of New York-based advertising agency Strawberry Frog, said his aim was to create more of a “values-driven”, community-based city rather than one that was “product-driven” and simply based on its proximity to Al Maktoum International Airport.

“We call it a cultural movement campaign,” said Mr Goodson.

Strawberry Frog was invited to pitch for the rebrand following its work elsewhere in Dubai. His firm also created the Centre of Now tagline for Emaar Properties’ Downtown Dubai district and the Hello Tomorrow campaign for Emirates airline. But his agency still had to compete against others to win the commission. He declined to comment on how much the agency has been paid for the work.

“I personally penned the name of the city, Dubai South, as well as the motto City of You,” he said. “The City of You campaign is based on substance – Dubai South’s core proposition is the belief that to foster happiness, today’s cities need to put the real needs of human beings first – how they live, how they work, how they commute, and how they do business.

“The Dubai South City of You marketing campaign is a powerful expression of this platform – a city where everything is designed around you, not the other way around.”

This human element is prevalent in its artwork, Mr Goodson added, as it avoids master plans and renderings of masses of buildings.

“To stand out from the sea of sameness and hyperbole among Dubai’s corporate and residential real estate market that typically showcases new flashy buildings and developments, we commissioned one of the world’s most renowned illustrators Mats Gustafson to create original watercolour sketches that artfully capture Dubai South’s core values of humanity, dignity, optimism and community,” Mr Goodson said.

The new campaign has met with approval from developers operating within the Dubai South plot. Ziad El Chaar, managing director of Damac Properties, said that he believed the investment in the Dubai South brand would be a positive thing for all of the developers that have invested. He added that the move away from the Dubai World Central brand would make it easier for those who are marketing residential and hospitality aspects to the city.

“Dubai South is a destination,” he said.

Tariq Bsharat, executive director of strategy and operations at MAG Property Developments, said Dubai South gives DWC “its own identity and its own location”.

He said: “This is the largest master plan to come online in Dubai. It’s not just an airport and a logistics hub. Dubai South is an actual city.”

Mr Bsharat said the rebrand also gave the opportunity to “hit the refresh button” on a concept launched nine years ago.

“I feel it’s a recommitment – spending time, energy and resources thinking about what they want this project to be. It’s important for them to do that – versus it being the same thing as it was.”

He added that the government will also be keen to make sure that developers who have bought land at the site will move ahead with them to build momentum ahead of Expo 2020, which will take place within Dubai South.

“It’s important to make sure developers perform,” said Mr Bsharat. “A lot of plots were sold. I think in conjunction with this branding, a lot of developers will have to start submitting designs and breaking ground.”

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