Case Study
Dubai Financial Services Authority
AgencyConstantine Corporate Communications
DesignationBrand Advisor
RoleBrand Strategist
Year2010–13
SituationDFSA was bleeding clients in the wake of the sub-prime crisis.
ChallengeBuilding a distinct identity strong enough to help reverse that trend.
BriefDesign the Authority’s annual reports.
StrategyGo into the heart of DIFC thematically and visually, clearing away prejudice and signalling clearly that the centre was open for business.
Scope of WorkAnnual reports and a reverse-engineered corporate identity.
ResultThe approach succeeded decisively, leading to a three-year retainer that expanded into reverse-engineering the Authority’s entire corporate identity.
NoteA rare experience: reverse-engineering an iconic brand from a position of presumed strength back to what it actually was.
What began as a brief to design annual reports grew into something much larger, an invitation to rebuild the Dubai Financial Services Authority’s identity from the inside out during one of the toughest periods in its history. Going straight into the heart of DIFC, both visually and thematically, helped the Authority signal it was open for business exactly when confidence in the sector was hardest to find. The three-year retainer that followed remains one of the clearest examples of a single, well-placed idea reversing a real business trend.