2011 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

The Omani youth lives in a constant struggle to balance local customs with the ever growing western influence. Our goal was to tap into this cultural tension with a positive attitude, creating a brand that was both international and unmistakably Omani.

The Brief

Our client needed to create the visual identity for their new radio station, Merge 104.8, an English-language radio targeting young Omanis in Muscat.

How the final design was conceived

We chose to embrace the change and celebrate the mix of cultures. We would do that by merging elements of local and western cultures. Since calligraphy is deeply rooted in local culture, typography became the strongest element of our solution. The idea was to take this traditional art form and make it appealing to our target audience and relevant to our concept. Works of art that portray traditional local elements with a modern perspective were commissioned to Arab artists, including a renowned Arab calligrapher. These were used as part of all designs to create a strong and lively identity.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

The radio station is still due to launch soon, but initial business to business activities saw a great response to the fresh new identity.