Uptown Dubai | DMCC
Experience the wonder
As a highly anticipated mixed-use masterplan that drove DMCC’s evolution to world-class developer, Uptown Dubai’s brand identity was a complex puzzle to solve. Not only demanding a reengineering of DMCC itself, the work had to consider Uptown Dubai’s role as the anchor of numerous sub-brands, including an internationally renowned hotel brand. The powerful creative approach developed by Fifth Estate harmonised these many elements, creating a vision for Uptown Dubai that exceeded every expectation.
- Brand Strategy and Positioning
- Brand Narrative
- Brand Identity and Visual Language
- Floorplan
- Print and Outdoor Campaign
- Digital Campaign
- Outdoor Branding
- Experiential and Spatial Design
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While the original scope of work concentrated on rebranding the 10 million square metres of land existing in the free zone owned by District Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), Fifth Estate recognised the many narrative threads of Uptown Dubai’s story and set about fine tuning them. At the time, DMCC was a highly successful licensing body with no experience as a developer, meaning that trust and reverence needed to be acquired through the refining of its brand – a pivot that would require sign-off by the executive chairman himself and redefine the company’s trajectory.
Similarly, the SO/ Sofitel hotel offering, part of Accor Group, had been locked in as a key partner, but the brand required an uplift to ensure it embodied the heights Uptown Dubai was aiming for. This too had to be signed off at the highest level. Through the reimagining of the brief to incorporate these vital details, alongside completely rethinking the partially created brand for the seven towers, central plaza and branded residences, Fifth Estate was able to embed a solid strategic foundation for the awe-inspiring creative expression of Uptown Dubai.
As we were announcing the arrival of an exceptional development, led by a newly anointed visionary developer (DMCC), we pushed for creative approaches that were bold and whimsical. The creative expression embodied the masterpiece of Uptown Dubai and sought to generate the levels of interest and excitement that would inspire people to live, work and play there. It was highly glamorous and hyperbolic, always exciting, never gaudy. Mastering this fine line required meticulous planning and creative direction, particularly throughout an intensive photoshoot inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Producing a suite of assets used in numerous touchpoints, we invite audiences to fall down the rabbit hole and desire a vision for luxury they’d never seen before.
Through our extensive strategic thinking and creative development, Fifth Estate presented a tangible hook for people to trust the vision and buy into Uptown Dubai. The multi-faceted strategic proposition that extended to DMCC itself as well as its masterplan, supported by our awe-inspiring creative executions grounded in storytelling, guided Uptown Dubai’s rise to its Zenith and helped DMCC secure the title of nine-time consecutive free-zone winner of the year.
Developer: Madinat Al Foutain, Oman
Fifth Estate paved the way for Uptown Dubai to not only transform from concept to reality, but ensure it hit every note that was promised in concept phase.
Inspiring Wonder
Uptown Dubai’s exciting, luxurious and dynamic energy was embodied creatively through a high-concept photo shoot to see the unique spin on Alice in Wonderland adapted, updated and pivoted to the Uptown Dubai context, allowing entirely new and original assets to generate interest and cut through the noise.
A New World
We generated enormous volumes of creative executions and assets to embody DMCC’s masterpiece that is Uptown Dubai. From the powerful strategic foundation grew a wealth of outputs including sales experience and customer journey assets, detailed floorplans, photography, colour palettes, fonts, typography, rich storytelling through impactful copywriting and more.
