MBC.net recently announced the launch of its new online identity and brand guidelines, which were created by international brand and digital agency Start Creative. MBC.net is the online portal of MBC, the biggest free-to-air broadcaster in the Middle East, and the new online identity created by Start supports the broadcaster's strategy to become the region's digital leader.
As more than 70 million people in the Arab world interact with the MBC brand online, its web portal is increasingly important to the broadcaster. MBC appointed Start Creative, who has an international office in Dubai, to refresh their web portal and online identity. The new portal reflects MBC.net's mission to provide 'premium proactive entertainment', and offers visitors to the website a number of rewarding and surprising experiences on their journey through the site.
Start took the existing brand identity and evolved it into a more confident identity that was designed to embody quality, a point of difference and energy. The new logo needed to work across a number of media, including traditional media, on hand-held devices and in motion graphics, as well as sitting alongside existing brand identities, such as channel brands and co-branded websites.
Start also developed a set of brand guidelines for MBC's use across all media applications.
Dr. Ammar Bakkar, Head of New Media at MBC Group, said: "MBC.net plans to be the biggest entertainment portal in the region and with such aggressive plans in the pipeline, it is only natural to endeavour to make its brand and identity stronger and up to the expectations."
Darren Whittingham, Start Group's Executive Creative Director, said: "Start Creative is hugely enjoying working with some of the biggest and best brands in the Middle East from our regional headquarters, based in Dubai. We were really excited to work with such a prestigious broadcaster as MBC on this project, to make their brand identity and online presence even more engaging to their customers."
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About MBC Group
MBC Group was established in 1991 as the first pan-Arab free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World. Over the past 17 years, MBC group has grown to become a well-established media group that enriches people's lives through information, interaction and entertainment. Based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, MBC Group includes 6 television channels: MBC1 (general family entertainment), MBC2 and MBC MAX (24-hour movies), MBC3 (children's entertainment), MBC4 (entertainment for new Arab women), MBC Action (action series and movies), and Al Arabiya (the 24-hour Arabic language news channel); two radio stations: MBC FM (Gulf music), and panorama fm (contemporary Arabic hit music); as well as O3 productions, a specialized documentary production unit, and Middle East News agency (MEN), a news gathering agency. It has also several online platforms: www.mbc.net, www.alarabiya.net, and www.alaswaq.net.
About Start Creative Ltd
Start Creative Limited is a leading international branding and digital agency, specialising in devising creative communications solutions to business challenges. Founded in 1996 by Mike Curtis and Darren Whittingham, Start Creative is now a top-ten independent agency in the UK (Design Week, 2008), with international operations in Dubai, Hong Kong and Mumbai.
Start offers a wide range of branding and digital services, including brand design, strategy and management, brand engagement, writing and tone of voice, and communications and literature design. Digital services include website design, online advertising, interactive television and mobile communications. Our major clients include: Adidas, Air Asia, Barclays, BBC, Bentley, Dubai World Trade Centre, Essar (India), MTC (Russia), MBC (Dubai), Schroders, Royal Mail and several Virgin Group companies including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Galactic and Virgin Media.
www.startcreative.com
For further information please contact:
MBC
Dr. Ammar Bakkar
Head of New Media at MBC
M: + 971 50 558 9603
E: Ammar.bakkar@mbc.net
Start Creative
Alison Bonny, Head of PR & Marketing
T: +44(0) 20 7269 0187
M: +44(0) 7802 430276
E: alisonb@startcreative.co.uk
John Stapley, Account Director,
Siren Consulting
T: + 971 4 321 5351
M: + 971 50 551 1419
E: john@sirenconsulting.com
© Press Release 2009
