A somewhat unusual assignment: the identity for an organic model farm of the Royal House of Abu Dhabi

“The living desert” was the name of an early Disney movie. We couldn’t help thinking of that movie when we stopped to look at beehives set up in what seemed like no man’s land on our way to the farm of a member of the royal family in Abu Dhabi. They were full of life. The honey we were later allowed to sample tasted wonderful. So did the first vegetables grown from rare varieties from Morocco to Oman that we were allowed to taste at the farm: crunchy and full of flavors. Desert sand is a suitable substrate for farming.

We were commissioned to create an identity for this organic model farm. In keeping with the farm’s forward-looking mission, it should appear clear and very modern. At the same time, it should leave as much space as possible for all the already buzzing thoughts around the project.

We were looking for an iconic logo that appeared fresh, simple, understandable in all cultures, yet bold. We found the solution in a circular logo with colored rings, which relates to the circular economy in terms of content and has a powerful visual impact. We framed the brand by a clean, sans-serif typography of Latin and Arabic letters. With a toolbox of matching colors, we created the basis to distinguish the different product groups envisioned in the future, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, or baked goods.

Unfortunately, interest in this pioneering project did not last long enough. Except for the production of honey and fresh vegetables, it never really took off. But, given enough cheap water and organic fertilizer, the Abu Dhabi Organics team proved: the desert lives!