Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment / Egypt / 2016Design & Packaging
Downtown Fonts (Khotout West El Balad).
A Cairo property developer turned six old hand-lettered shop signs from Downtown Cairo into free digital Arabic typefaces.
- Brand
- Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment
- Agency
- J. Walter Thompson Cairo
- Market
- Egypt
- Region
- MENA
- Year
- 2016
The challenge
While restoring buildings in Downtown Cairo, Al Ismaelia found the historic facades covered in Plexiglas, LED-lit signs. The craft of the old hand-painted Arabic signage was disappearing with them.
The idea
J. Walter Thompson Cairo picked six signs from different eras and redrew each as a contemporary digital font, naming it after a piece of Downtown culture. The fonts were released free for artists, businesses and retailers, with the aim of encouraging young designers to use Arabic lettering again.
Results
- Within about four months the fonts were picked up by designers, jewellery makers, galleries, musicians, food and drink brands and newspapers, according to the agency's Creativepool entry.
Case study source: Arabian Marketer Source ↗
Awards
- Cannes Lions 2016Design Lions – Typography: Brand, Corporate & other Communication DesignSilver
- Cannes Lions 2016 Silver (Design – Typography: Brand, Corporate & Other Communication Design)
Credits
- Creative agency
- J. Walter Thompson Cairo
- Executive Creative Director, J. Walter Thompson Cairo
- Mohamed Hammady
- Business Director (Exec), J. Walter Thompson Cairo
- Mostafa Shady
- Managing Director, J. Walter Thompson Cairo
- Mai Azmy
- Account Executive, J. Walter Thompson Cairo
- Malak El Nahas
- Design Director, J. Walter Thompson Cairo
- Ibrahim Islam
- Senior Copywriter, J. Walter Thompson Cairo
- Adam Mourad
- Senior Art Director, J. Walter Thompson Cairo
- Nardine Shenouda
