Meme Dubai and Perpetual Childish Instincts

Dubai

Nadia Aamer

To Ami and Abu for their unwavering love and support despite everything.

1

2

[1 .Mum in Urdu 2. Dad in Urdu]

Contents 1. Introduction 2. the ‘Three Ps’

1 .......................6 .......................

id 3. Meme Dubai 4. grownfull

13 ......................25 ......................

retail 5. Cashmere Fruit 6. HyperPanda

37 ......................50 ......................

exhibition 7. Inside Out 8. Mind the Gap

63 ......................71 ......................

Introduction [ originally written by hand ]

This has been a journey inward- back to 1

the basics. At the time of writing, I am in Lahore, the city that I was born in and the city that later grew on me. This is where I began my journey of learning things and 1

comprehending

1

relationships.

Some

things are worth coming back to and I 1

am using this sojourn to be in touch with what I almost forgot, that is to write without ‘Microsoft Word’.

Once again, I am reminded of a place and time when things were done differently.

1

Being constantly surrounded by tools of modern technology, I had forgotten what it was to like to form a word by hand and think simultaneously; a natural flow of activity that I was accustomed to. And I didn’t replace every other word using the thesaurus; a habit that transcends into our lives and is probably the cause of widespread unhappiness today.

2

^Shift+Command+R in Word offers a list

of

options

to

choose

from,

^Shift+Command+R in life leads to infinite discontentment.

I begin this book with a simple memory 1

of the first few books that I began reading

from

(before

my

cognitive development was subjected to conformity through formal education).

They were square little story books weaved and hand-bound, printed in two 3

colours. The typography was set in a basic, big and black Nastaaliq’ (a font that is widely used in Urdu publishing to-date) laid out on a wheat coloured newsprint. The spacing between the lines was ample, not crammed in. A thick border in a second colour (other than black) bound the text box.

I loved reading these books simply because they were so easy to read and a treat to look at.

4

Putting this book together has brought back some of the spirit of the time that remains uncomplicated and simple.

1

1. Words that weren’t replaced.

5

3 Essential Ingredients or the ‘Three P s’ “Simplicity needs a determined effort” . [ Edward de Bono ]

The importance of which cannot be over emphasised. I think that is what made my earlier experiences in life so unforgettable.

I could be as excited about learning to make a “dog-flower” (snap dragon) talk by snapping my fingers, as moving to a new town; mainly because I kept my interests 6

minimal and focused. I was possessed and obsessed about everything that I did(Passion).

To be passionate about something you have to create and nurture that feeling and go all the way while doing it(Perseverance).

What is a piece without complete love, devotion and having fun along the way?

The latter being the ingredient that is as essential as putting in your sweat and 7

blood- (playfulness). or

the ‘Three Ps’ Passion, no.2 Perseverance, and no.3 Playfulness / Perchis* no.1

*Perpetual Childish Instincts.

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I have included some of my Perchis intermittently, so that we could have some fun along the way.

Since I live and work in Dubai, my ‘Perchis’ are more or less related to my experiences in Dubai. I have also left some blank pages at the end of the book for you to write your own Perchis.

Alternatively, you could log on to memedubai.com and share your own ‘Perpetual Childish Instincts’.

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Acknowledgments [3,123 cups of tea ]

[a plenitude of Paul Ardenism ]

+

[1,948 hours of fooling around]

[countless conversations with mum]

[2,123 hours of procrastinating]

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inspiration

[a selection of some truly inspiring, retro Urdu posters that have been instrumental in providing a nostalgic colour palette]

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Perchis [ Perpetual Childish Instincts ]

1. Drive at 30 miles per hour in the fast lane on Sheikh Zayed Road.

2. Don’t give way and ignore the flashing lights behind you. [ sounds like herkis ]

Meme Dubai Larger than life or “Larger than the rest of the World”, nothing is too big for Dubai where imagination is let to run wild and all things wacky are considered part of the culture. If it isn’t the world’s tallest or the biggest then as a citizen of Dubai I am not moved. The city has outdone and surpassed many of its competing metropolises of the world in a short time. While the city may have

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slowed down in light of the current global economic downturn but I can say with certainty that the future of Dubai is anything but bleak.

For many, Dubai is a plastic city with burrowed culture, a city that lacks originality in its identity. Like any other city of the world, it takes years for a city to develop certain uniqueness about itself and a place that people can own.

I think it’s doing a fine job for now.

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And for now I remain Dubai Loyal with all its peculiarities and its vices. After all, she has only just begun.

Meme Dubai is a collection of everything that is Dubai. The blog memedubai.com will showcase icons, trends and brands that are designing the culture of Dubai.

The book features my work and idiosyncrasies of a Dubaite.

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inspiration

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[ A ‘meme’ is anything catchy or viral in nature. Designed in Arabic the same meme becomes an alaphbet. This option is iconic in both languages. Bingo! ]

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“meme” brand mark [ is assigned multi colours and is still recognisable because of its unique form]

[and you don’t have to look too hard to see that it can also be read as ‘me’]

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meme collateral Drive at 30 miles per hour in the fast lane on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Nadia Aamer creative director

Don’t give way and ignore the flashing lights behind you.

Nadia Aamer creative director

+971508746775

+971508746775

Procrastinate in the name of brainstorming.

Nadia Aamer creative director

19

+971508746775

meme collateral Drive at 30 miles per hour in the fast lane on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Nadia Aamer creative director

Don’t give way and ignore the flashing lights behind you.

Nadia Aamer creative director

+971508746775

+971508746775

Procrastinate in the name of brainstorming.

Nadia Aamer creative director

19

+971508746775

[ an example of a range of products that could be sold through the brand touchpoints in future ]

meme merchandise

20

[Islamic geometric pattern infused with post-modern retro colour pallette that could be used as a patent graphic element ]

Book

Book

meme graphics 21

meme book

[the graphic element incorporated as a possible option for the book cover ]

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[ a platform/web journal where designers and non designers can discuss the current trends shaping Dubai i.e. brands, culture and design.]

www.memedubai.com Identity, Design, Culture and Trends

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Perchis [ Perpetual Childish Instincts ]

3. Never indicate; especially before changing lanes.

4. Assume that the more lanes you change, the faster you will get to your destination. [ sounds like herkis ]

.. grownfull Based out of the Persian Gulf, grownfull sprouted from the natural progression of 3points advertising agency into a full fledged branding service. The name itself is as unique as the brands that it creates. grownfull or

in Arabic means clove.

Clove is widely used in the eastern culture for its sensuous fragrance, strong taste and healing qualities.

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inspiration

once upon a

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sp ce

inspiration

a clever merchant from the land of Arabia, took a clove and turned it into ‘the passion spice’.

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[ that passion spice came to be known as grownfull with five unique marks and the scent or the itar of grownfull ]

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...filling each place with its sensous aroma .. [ grownfull spice containers sent to potential clients]

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[ grownfull’s office interior, workspaces]

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[ grownfull’s office interior, parlour]

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[ grownfull’s office interior, executive room]

33

intuition

unique

basic design that symbolises regeneration and fullness.

an identity that is memorable and leaves a mark.

empathy a timeless relation that is built on knowing each other.

sensuality adds flavour, enriches and nurtures growth.

strategy combines tactical know-how and eastern design knowledge.

[ each business card carries one of the five marks of grownfull that is scented with clove ]

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and everyone in the kingdom lived grownfully ever after.

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Perchis [ Perpetual Childish Instincts ]

5. Zig-zag your way on Sheikh Zayed Road.

6. Always take the lift even if it’s only one level up.

[ sounds like herkis ]

Cashmere Fruit The aim of branding is to be memorable; yet while communicating and passing on commercial messages most brands stay two-dimensional i.e. they are visual and they have sound.

Studies suggest that we are most receptive, and most likely to form, preserve, revisit and understand a memory when all five senses are in operation.

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Cashmere Fruit is a line of cashmere clothing

differentiated

principally

through sensory branding - the smell and touch of the ‘fruits’ of cashmere.

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inspiration

75% of the emotions we generate daily are affected by smell.

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lush display of cashmere as you are hit by a rush of a fruity fragrance each time.

[ Wooden tables stacked with multi-colored cashmere ]

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[ in-store branding and display units ]

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+ sold with a unique fragrance of the fruit and a box for each colour.

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yummy names that tickle the taste buds and evoke an emotional response that you are sure to remember long after you have left with your prized possession.

available in assorted colours

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Perchis [ Perpetual Childish Instincts ]

7. Paste your SALIK card on the side of the windscreen instead of the centre for aesthetic reasons.

8. Pretend you are vacating your parking spot when you have no intentions of leaving. [ sounds like herkis ]

HyperPanda A supermarket that came to the right place at the right time. HyperPanda opened its doors at Festival City in 2007 in Dubai. The store is strategically located on the way home to many who commute to Dubai from Sharjah and International City.

Since it was HyperPanda's first store in the UAE, the supermarket required a simultaneous brand and image-building

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campaign to motivate people to come and experience something that they could take home every time.

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inspiration

Not only to provide all that is needed but knowing when it is needed and who needs it; that is convenience delivered.

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is all that.

[ and a lot more ]

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it s

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hyper convenience =

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[

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Experience]

,

[ setting the tone of voice in all communication ]

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chef will show you

[ notice the use of fresh, easy, onestop experience forever in the communication; although not necessarily in that order. ]

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Green [ a bulk of plastic bags that come from supermarkets go to the garbage after being used once; a big part of the campaign was to encourage people to use less plastic bags and use the “bag forever� and earn loyalty points ]

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A one-stop that offers a lot more.

[ adding loyalty cards to their existing shopping experience meant that not only could the store offer value to their customers but it also enabled them to be socially responsible collectively ]

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[ vehicle branding for the image building campaign ]

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Perchis [ Perpetual Childish Instincts ]

9. Ways to pretend that you are vacating your parking space: a) Walk around flashing your car keys. b) Open the doors from a distance using your automatic locking device. c) While you are in the car, turn in the ignition but don’t leave. [ sounds like herkis ]

Inside Out Inside Out was a collective exhibition of 33 eclectic minds from Asia, Africa, North and South America and the European Union. Brought together under a single interdisciplinary postgraduate course, MA Design Studies at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London.

The exhibition showcased the work that tackled the future of design in media,

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culture, arts, product and fashion.

Branding

and

organising

the

launch of this event at the OXO Tower in London entailed breaking into new and unconventional touchpoints where the target audience could be reached most effectively.

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inspiration

First I hesitated to go INSIDE then I didn’t want to be OUT.

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[ each participant was assigned a poster with a unique colour combination and a headline that functioned as a teaser for their project containing the words “inside” and “out”. ]

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Combined these posters appeared one after the other outside the exhibition space.

[ creating an effective touchpoint for all the particpants ]

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and a custom made self adhesive tape that carried our message across (literally).

[and so we went around, ‘pasting the town’ in multicolours]

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Signage for INSIDE OUT. [ Southampton Row, London in Dec-Jan 2006 ]

[ Posters were also placed outside the OXO Tower London ]

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Perchis [ Perpetual Childish Instincts ]

10. Be late for meetings and blame the traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road.

11. Press the close button in the lift when people are trying to get in.

12. Smoke everywhere. [ sounds like herkis ]

Mind the Gap [ part of ‘Inside Out’ ]

Mind the gap was a vlogumentary that was released in short video clips online which explored the current trend in the user generated media and distribution.

The film touched on the subject of ‘perception verses reality’ and the adverse affects of negative imagery by the media following a terrorist attack such as the 7/7 bombing in London.

A guerilla project like that required

some guerilla tactics, for instance, one of the tactics employed involved pasting the posters in the sensitive areas such as the London Underground Tube Stations just a day before the commencement of the exhibition and the release of the vlogumentary.

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inspiration

“An idea that just sits there is worthless. But an idea that moves, grows, and infects everyone it touches...that's an ideavirus�.

[Seth Godin, Unleashiung the Idea Virus ]

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[colour, usage and guidelines ]

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[ OXO Tower, London in Dec-Jan 2006 ]

spreading mindthegap.com 76

WARNING! THIS IDEA CONTAINS A MIND VIRUS. DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO BE INFECTED. THE INFECTION MAY AFFECT YOUR MIND IN A SUBTLE WAY OR ALTER YOUR THINKING INSIDE OUT. getmindthegap.com

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Enter at your own risk! [ before entering the exhibition space, OXO Tower, London ]

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[ advertisment no. 2 for the vlogumentary, 2005-2006 ]

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Watch your step and mind the gap.

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[ the vlogumentary was downloadable in small video clips free of cost online.

The website received 20, 000 hits within the first week of its launch ]

[Mind the Gap also received a letter of appreciation from the mayor of London Ken Livingston ]

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Perchis [ Perpetual Childish Instincts ]

13. Pass discriminatory statements against other nationalities especially in large social gatherings.

14. Procrastinate in the name of brainstorming.

15. Waste time. [ sounds like herkis ]

Perchis

16. Write or draw your own Perchis in the space below.

[ Perpetual Childish Instincts ]

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About the Author With a strong portfolio of multinational and local brands, Nadia has over 10 years of experience shaping and creating communication and design. She has worked with JWT as an award winning senior art director for Sunsilk, Lipton and LUX in South Asia.

Recently, she has worked on key Middle Eastern brands such as Saudia, Alswani and Etisalat to name a few.

Nadia began her career after graduating in Graphic Arts from National College of Arts in Lahore Pakistan. She moved to London in 2005 to pursue a postgraduate degree in design from Central Saint Martins, London, UK. Her highly acclaimed Vlogumentary/Viral was exhibited live at the OXO Tower in London and subsequently viewed around the world on the web.

Over the years Nadia has built a knowledge pool for her practice and experiments on cognitive psychology, persuasion, interaction design, brand development, female culture, viral and experiential marketing. She is the author of Viral Juice, a blog on current trends and contagious ideas.

In 2009, Nadia launched a web journal on design and cultural trends. It investigates and reports on the rising popularity and uniqueness that creates and drives Dubai.

Nadia lives and works in Dubai at 3Points as an associate creative director. The company has recently been included in the top 100 Fast Growth companies in Saudi Arabia. Nadia believes that a true global economy means being a citizen of the world and exposing yourself to as many different cultures as you can, while continuously regenerating yourself.

“The challenge is not in finding new things to do, but finding different ways to look at the same thing�.

Nadia Aamer

© memedubai.com’ 2010