Localization (Arabic)

Whilst trying to find good examples of localization of Brands in the Middle East, i came across these images. Then realizing that the designer who created them was Talal Obeid, whom i had the pleasure in meeting and working with when i interned at JWT Kuwait last year. I was excited to see that he had localized these globalized brand names in Kuwait and in the Middle East.

Conversion Type

Scanned pages from my book: Arabic for Designers by Mourad Boutros

Lebanese Chips stand

From Remeya's photography

When i saw this photograph it took me straight to my childhood, and my summer visits to the mountains in Lebanon

Vintage egyptian ads

From the tumblr Vintage Egypt

Combining

Loving the way the name on the Tashkeel site combines both arabic and english.

Rana Salam

Rana Salam (Lebanese Designer)  has been a favourite of mine for quite some time ever since i became aware of the world of graphics, and i even wrote my personal statement about her to get into Chelsea.  I saw her at the Nuqat Conference back in Kuwait during my year abroad there, she gave a talk that really captured my attention. I love her prints on arabic printed products, like Chicklets and Ghandoor they are childhood favourites that we used to buy at the little shop nearby home. She also looks at the famous Coca-Cola and encorporates it into her vibrant kitschy prints. She also stays true to our culture and likes to include it into her work, always looking at the arab world for inspiration especially old movies, posters, icons and typography.She is a source of inspiration to young Lebanese Designers.

Corinne Martin

I became aware of the Lebanese Designer Corinne Martin during my Foundation year and have always admired her work. I can now finally use her as a source of inspiration for my Final Major Project.

I was reading her interview and this part stood out the most as it is the whole intention and idea behindo my FMP project! (globalization, global visual language and recognition/identity). I think it's such a coincidence that i came across it:


"Many of your paintings and photographs focus on popular soft drinks and food items with you choosing to depict their names in the Arabic script. Yet, someone unfamiliar with the Arabic script is still nevertheless able to recognise the icons of Pringles or Pepsi. Are you making a statement on globalisation through the way icons form a global visual language of their own?

Everybody has similar experiences regardless of where they live in the world. I think the meeting of East and West is a positive step for the Middle East because the East has strong, defined visions about what they want to achieve and possess the requisite financial capabilities while the West in turn provides the tools and progressive ideology to realise those visions. My work is therefore an organic blending of East and West. My Middle Eastern roots feed my passion and creativity while my Western roots have equipped me with the skills to respond to and express the latter."

Revisiting Research Presentation

Protection

Here are a couple of snapshots from my research presentation. I was so fascinated by Lebanese Trucks and their decorated exteriors. It has always been a fascination of mine since my childhood.
In Lebanon many trucks get into accidents as they drive on the main road with all the other cars and so they are adorned with protection signs (evil eye) and vernacular arabic calligraphy. Most of the writings are prayers to ward off accidents and protect those driving the truck and those driving beside the truck.
There is so much behind the back of the trucks, along with signs of warnings, indicating which side of the truck they can surpass.
In Lebanon it's always a danger to drive behind trucks, even though they are so beautiful to look at.

Interesting find

Found this on Art Kuwait's Twitter, i love the 3 dimensional quality to the pattern that looks very much like arabic calligraphy

Found Images [Old Beirut]

Found on Old Beirut, which documents Beirut in the past, collecting images to "preserve Beirut".
I found these images relevant to the project as they had calligraphy inspired shop signs.