I am passionate about creating ‘platform’ ideas for brands—those big concepts that help organizations clarify the deeper meaning behind their products and services. These ideas serve as fertile ground for years of future executions.
Over the years, I’ve helped develop several impactful ideas, including HSBC’s global brand concept, "Supporting Human Ambition," as well as brand strategies for Dubai-based companies such as Majid Al Futtaim and Dubai Holding.
To communicate a brand idea to an internal audience, such as employees or consultants, a brand manifesto can be a powerful tool. It conveys what a brand stands for in a more engaging way than the typical jargon-heavy brand models.
The manifesto I cherish most is the one I crafted for our own agency, Nomads (discussed in another blog post). However, my favorite among those created for clients is the manifesto for flydubai, the Middle East’s largest regional airline. After developing the airline’s brand idea, "Who’s your next destination?" I collaborated with Adam Fierman to write the manifesto, which we transformed into a video using found footage and a DIY recording of my voice.
We wrote it in early 2016, and upon revisiting it recently, I found the core idea still resonates as fresh and meaningful. The copy feels personal and original, while the footage is authentic enough to inspire a desire to travel and meet new people.
Unfortunately, due to changing circumstances within the airline, the brand idea was never developed into a campaign.
Here's the manifesto:
These are layouts we created to bring the brand idea of 'Who's your next destination?' to life:
