Lambie-Nairn designs identity for Qatari TV channel

Branding consultancy Lambie-Nairn has been working for the Qatari government on the identity of a new TV channel, set to launch today.

Taking its name from the capital Al Doha, the channel launches in advance of Qatar’s national day, held on 18 December, and is scheduled to run for several weeks.

Lambie-Nairn was appointed in September after winning a two-way second-round competitive pitch against German consultancy DMC Group. It came through a first round against four other groups.

Programme idents, a news package and on-screen presentation graphics have been developed by Lambie-Nairn to showcase Qatar’s culture, history, tourism, commerce, education and sport.

‘We only had a limited budget within which to do this,’ explains Andy Hayes, senior client director at Lambie-Nairn. ‘Our solution was graphicbased. We used animation.’

Hayes explains that the fee was modest and could have been a constraining factor. ‘The budget was a big issue,’ he says.

‘What we’ve delivered is a fairly sizeable TV project, but Al Doha felt that it couldn’t spend a lot of money as it may not be on for more than a few weeks.’

The project has been likened by Hayes to a place-branding exercise. ‘The channel celebrates the qualities of Qatar as a place to live and work,’ he explains, ‘and it needs to work for visitors, residents and inward investment.’

The longevity of the channel will depend on how it is received. It will be aired across the Gulf on Arabic satellite stations.