Today’s youth face several challenges, from peer pressure and lack of confidence to substance abuse. Al Maghaveer is a UAE-based youth program, with the aim of empowering young people to make positive changes in their lives, through workshops and training events.

Most non-profit youth programs employ an authoritative tone of communication, which has the opposite effect than intended: driving youth away. Through conducting in-depth research, we knew the answer was to focus on individuals and their interests, and that offering young people tools is more effective than telling them what to do. We wanted to avoid stereotypes and create something innovative, genuine and fresh. Our ingenious solution helped the brand to connect with the youth of today genuinely.

To break the mould, we made the youth the central part of the brand identity. The brandmark acted like a frame to highlight the youth and the cause. We proposed a powerful strategy that would invite the foundation’s target audience to submit videos of their day-to-day lives that Al Maghaveer could share across social media. This led to Al Maghaveer being perceived as a more participatory brand that really ‘listened’ to and understood the youth of today – in other words, a great success!

The brandmark uses a modern approach to the traditional Kufi calligraphy with the flexible use of the Arabic letter Meem (م). The idea was to pay homage to UAE’s traditions while reflecting the forward-thinking nature of the region. We added a vibrant colour palette to express the dynamic view of today’s youth. By appealing to the youth in this way, the Al Maghaveer brand has not only gained authenticity but also inspired and empowered them in a way that feels genuine.