Tsubaki Studio started the branding project of GMBB in 2018. GMBB’s brand has to be different from other shopping malls to make a strong impression in a mature market. So as to put emphasis on the differentiation factor of the brand, which is novelty and artisanal, we benchmarked not only the domestic shopping malls but also Taiwan’s and Hong Kong’s to discover the possibility of various concepts, and ultimately got the final look and design befitting GMBB through multiple brainstorming sessions and revisions with the client. We realised during our field research that GMBB stood out primarily because of its strategic location within the city and its potential to promote itself as the next creative hub in Southeast Asia.

GMBB, which stands for GM Bukit Bintang, is not just a commercial business centre, but a creative hub that is set to bring together creative professionals and artisanal enterprises across the region into one retail destination, which could simultaneously accelerate the creative economy, establish a sustainable engine for creative growth, and support creative entrepreneurships.  

Our design solution for the GMBB brand identity delivered impact and was designed to reflect the tagline: ‘together creates’. Whereas, the ‘Modern Exotic Royalty’ design concept was influenced by the cultural backgrounds of the people in Malaysia. Present-day Malaysians embrace their rich and colourful cultural identities. Therefore, to truly experience “Together Creates”, the formation of various shapes from straight lines are used as part of design elements in the branding of GMBB, reflecting the commercial units inside the mall as well as the architectural structure of the mall. As for the colour, one of the primary colours, which is gold, was used to fit the concept.