226. Arabic Versions of Global Packaging Logos.

Like I promised, here are a few samples of Arabic packaging logos to compare to their Western counterparts. Most packaging I found had both English and Arabic logos on the same package, but this isn't always the case. (I wasn't as concerned with the packaging per se - but the logos.) Again, some versions are better than others and a few stand out for their attention to detail and type-worthiness. I also added more shots of the retail identities in the previous entry. When I get back to the states I may post a few more design-related things that I found interesting on my trip to the Middle East. Enjoy.

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Update on Jan 23, 2009 at 06:51PM by jj

Check this out - Ministry of Type just posted a wallpaper version of the Arabic Tide packaging (which was one of my favorites by far.) Well done!

Comments

[Stephen]

I'll go with Kotex, Special K, and Coke, but the rest are pretty stinky. In fact, the modern mash up is pretty filthy in general. Here's hoping for innovation sometime in the not too distant future.

[jj]

i agree - the packaging design overall is crazy - supermarket - in your face - but the translations from english to arabic are interesting nonetheless. They all feel like they need to outshout each the next package over. Thanks for the comment, Stephen.

[Elisa]

Interesting how some brands mirrored the images to match the right-to-left reading (see Huggies), but most of them just ignored this fact with some disturbing effects, like Schweppes for example.

[Rodrok]

very interesting the design for mountain dew, gatorade, froot loops. its funny how everything has to be designed to be read from right to left. thanks for sharing this.

[Carlo]

I don't understand the lipstick tube for Kotex???

[Sarah Badr]

@Carlo, basically the reasoning behind whoever designed that was 'Kotex is for women, and women like lipstick'. I've been to supermarkets in Cairo that have equally garish examples...

[Brad McCall]

I really enjoyed this post as well as the one on global brands - thanks for taking the time to put it together. I remember going to Canada for the first time when I was a little kid, and saving all the packaging I got my hands on because it was in French and English. It's interesting to see how brands transfer across languages and cultures.

[Philip]

I'm currently living in Dubai, and thanks to your images being hosted on Flickr, I can't see any of them! (Flicker is blocked as the telco regulator reckons it's a pornographic site).

Not sure if you have 7UP in your gallery, but that is my favourite as they cleverly manage to retain the 7.

[jj]

interesting - I actually loaded these images onto my flickr account while i was in Dubai. I think the cable internet service was called Du.

Yeah, 7up is crazy!

[Pete]

Kotex is a sanitary towel and all the packagings have some strong red colour on them, like a flower, lipstick, or high heeled shoes.

It was a move to target women who didn't want to be coy about menstruation, and was very successful.

See http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/en/About-Design/Design-Disciplines/Packaging-design/Examples/

[hanna]

i just want the cream cheese spread! we don't have that in wv! :)

[tiffany]

I was struck by this in Morocco as well. Sprite's can looked pretty cool: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanybrown76/2914967893/

And bottled Coca-Cola retains its distinctiveness, in part because of the bottle's shape.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffanybrown76/2913788917/in/photostream/

[Yahya Hautamäki]

Salam from Oman guys, just my 5 baizas... We need to remember that the arabic writing is fonetic: for example CSS would be ceeeses and how long the baseline is determines the lenght of that sound in pronunciation. ;)

[Moe]

Interesting!
I think Pringles did a good job there.
It is not really easy to apply an Arabic design to a package that was originally thought of and designed by a left to right mind. That applies to a wide range of designs, concepts, campaigns...etc.