Zayed International Airport, a key player in UAE aviation, holds position as the second largest airport, boasts connectivity to over 120 destinations, and Is served by 30 airlines. Recently, it unveiled a cutting-edge terminal designed to accommodate up to 45 million passengers annually.

We were approached by Plaza Premium Group to create the positioning and brand for a new airport lounge. The lounge would have a sweeping view of the runway with floor to ceiling glass windows and other premium highlights including shower facilities, indoor and outdoor bars, numerous meetings rooms and multiple dining areas. While airport lounges tend to follow the same cookie-cutter template, our challenge was creating a lounge experience that was both elevated and high-end enough to be worthy of the magnificent architecture of Terminal A.

Working closely with Plaza Premium Group and Abu Dhabi Airports, we created a brand strategy positioning the lounge as an "oasis amidst the energy" of a busy, international airport.

We arrived at the name Pearl Lounge. Paying homage to the nation’s coastal heritage, it aligned beautifully with the inspiration behind the airport architecture. The brand identity features a crafted brandmark, subtly incorporating the pearl in a luxurious manner, with the visual language consisting of fluid and organic patterns illustrated in warm terracotta, rich cream, and metallic silver colours. Production finishes included tone-on-tone embosses as well as various foiling techniques, adding a layer of luxurious texture.

Our chosen photography style - warm, understated, and aspirational - is beautifully voiced with copy that adopts a tonality that speaks to the sense of calm felt in the Pearl Lounge.

As the deadline was extremely tight, we had to be able to work with interior renderings that were continually evolving. This meant that we needed to be agile and responsive to any and all last-minute changes, whilst ensuring the brand positioning, identity and interior came together seamlessly.