2019 Winners & Shortlists

WINTER AT TANTOURA

BrandROYAL COMMISSION FOR AL-ULA
Product/ServiceBRAND EXPERIENCE
EntrantBOLD AGENCY Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA
CategoryCreation of a new Brand Identity or Rebrand / Refresh of an Existing Brand
Idea Creation BOLD AGENCY Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA

Background.

Until recently, Saudi Arabia remained a mystery to the world as tourism involved only religious pilgrimages, leaving behind a cultural richness hidden. The royal commission for Al-Ula wanted to introduce the cultural and touristic festival “ Winter At Tantora” in Al-Ula county to the world by capturing the wonders of the place. Our objective was to bring the world attention to the breath-taking UNESCO World Heritage site and position it as a new world-class tourism destination as a support to the government’s efforts of enhancing the country’s image and branding. The Budget to build the brand identity was 250K$ excluding the media and PR and on ground installation. The Festival’s management has published many pictures and videos, a global PR campaign took place in addition to the launch of a website and social media pages that posts the dates and timings for event concerts and activities.

Describe the creative idea.

From the Dedanites to the Lehyanites, to the Nabataeans to the Ottomans, back to the Arabs. Thousands of years of civilizations accumulated to create Al-Ula County. Cultures that only a few knew about. With a name inspired by a sundial located in Al-Ula’s old town, used by the local population for years, as both a mode of telling time and a marker of the changing of the seasons, “Winter at Tantora” brand came to decode the history of a 5000 years ancient place. The brand tells the story of the cultural richness that the kingdom has witnessed Throughout the time derived from the civilizations that passed and connecting the travelers of the past with the travelers of the present.

Describe the strategy.

“Winter at Tantora” opened for us a window to the world by giving us the opportunity to tell the stories of our culture and heritage. Our approach presented Saudi Arabia and the festival as the authentic experience for modern travelers visiting this natural living museum in person from anywhere in the world while keeping its historical significance in mind. We wanted to maintain a high level of intimacy with the site to build sustainable tourism for the long-term as part of the country’s vision.

Describe the execution.

Designed to showcase the cultural richness of the country and the past civilizations to the rest of the world, the logo was created to reflect the continuation of the story represented by three graphical layers framing a designed typeface for the festival name. We used the open historical library at Okma Mountain, that contains hundreds of carvings on its rocky mound as a source of inspiration to introduce different symbols representing the past and present civilizations forming together a dynamic shape creating a window from the past to the present. The color palette was inspired by the natural surrounding and blended perfectly with the touch points to create a synergy with the place. From Art installations to 3D projection on mountains to wayfinding, to stage branding, “Winter at Tantora” served as an open-air museum for its visitors from all across the world.

List the results.

From a place too long hidden, to the new world tourism destination. “Winter At Tantora” has received over than 350 million impressions since its announcement. It was visited by world leaders, reporters, artists and influencers from all around the globe bringing Saudi Arabia to the global tourism map. With limited seats, the festival tickets were sold out for all concerts and activities, and the festival continued to attract investors from all around the globe similar to recently signed first of its kind partnership with The local and the international communities perceived the brand positively, and it opened new employment opportunities for the residents in the area as well attracted global investors like the Accor Hotels who became the hospitality partner for the landmark festival. This historic event is a significant step forward in drawing greater attention to the historic county of Al-Ula and celebrating the Kingdom’s vast heritage and culture.”

Credits

Name Company Role
Abeer Alessa Bold Riyadh Co. Founder - General Manager
Mohamad Baalbaki Bold Riyadh Co. Founder - ECD
Rashad Moglbay Bold Riyadh Strategic Director
Ziad Abou Rjeily Bold Riyadh Creative & Technology Director
Sarmad Hyder Bold Riyadh Business Director
Jad Fadil Bold Riyadh Senior Art Director
Nada Fallatah Bold Riyadh Senior Copywriter
Abeer Al Harbi Bold Riyadh Account Executive
Basma Al Harbi Bold Riyadh Account Planner
Ata Albehany Bold Riyadh 3D & Animation Artist
Joyce Abou Rjeily Bold Riyadh Creative Technologist
Anas Aldukair Bold Riyadh Account Manager
Links
Website URL