Background and brand context

In his efforts to uplift the standards of Bahrain photography, Press Association accredited photographer and proprietor, Phil Weymouth, runs Bahrain Life, an online photographic journal which captures the real side of life on the island. His work portrays an authentic island view which is often overlooked by glossy advertising campaigns, brochures and editorial works. Phil Weymouth is a field photographer with 25 years international experience working for household news and image agencies such as Bloomberg, Getty Images, Associated Press and Lonely Planet.

Bahrain photography needed a change

From his time in the country, Phil new that a lot of the essential nature of island life in the Kingdom was being lost. Phil felt that the culture and traditions of Bahrain should be preserved for future generations. That he needed to help tell the story of Bahrain’s dignity and determination through authentic coverage of the Kingdom’s community. That his brand could add value to Bahrain photography, capture and retell the story of life in Bahrain, as the island moved from one era to another.

Branding challenges

Our challenge was to help put a face to this photographic brand in a way which didn’t over power the photographic imagery but supported its presentation. We needed a brand which would represent the reportage of the photography but without coloring the viewer’s interpretation of the imagery. Lastly, we needed a brand that captured the essence of the Island’s laidback culture in a respectful way.

A creative brand strategy

Our strategy was built on a new vision – to capture the moments of our history that tell the story of our lives. We also created a clear and empowering mission: To tell a story of everyday life in Bahrain. Finally we drafted two brand values of Truth and Respect. These were all the values we felt were required to capture the essential nature of the project and the photographic approach to the brand. The brand was summarised in the positioning statement: An open window on everyday Bahraini life. The brand promise was: To present an authentic story, a visual journey and photographic journal of Bahrain life.

Bahrain Life’s brand results

The new brand identity has been shortlisted for the ‘Best Visual Identity’ at the Transform MENA Awards 2017. Brand now has an identity and message which is uniquely able to convey its offering to islanders and has helped Phil to reframe his perspective of life in Bahrain. The new responsive site is updated daily and has captured a sizeable audience at home and overseas.

Services delivered:

Brand identity, brand strategy, design, digital.

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