GEMS EDUCATION
Year
2020
Client
GEMS Education
Branding
Creative Direction
Multimedia Design
Copywriting
Social Media
THE CHALLENGE
GEMS Education is the largest K-12 private education group in the world. With almost 50 schools in the GCC and many more managed schools world-wide, their name is synonymous with education. However, the company’s brand was defined by the schools they operated and not their intrinsic identity. Moreover, most brand communication focused on individual schools over the corporate messaging. This left an opportunity to define the core of GEMS Education and communicate a pervasive identity to unify the network under one brand.
Defining the brand
After a comprehensive brand audit, I put a strategy to define the GEMS Education brand in a detailed report. I then evolved this into a revised Brand guidelines that covered core values, language and communication, typography, colour, and key components every school school should have to tie to the GEMS Brand (I called this the ‘GEMS Halo’ that pervaded every school). This offered a complete guide on how the brand should be presented at every touchpoint.
Expanding the brand
With the brand rules firmly in place, I sought to recharge their brand premise of ‘We See Genius in Every Child’ with a reimagined application of this positioning in a campaign to be implemented across all channel across the network. This would form the base for GEMS to really thrive as a brand with a platform that suggested that they were ‘more than schools.’
This led to the creation of expanded projects that would expand on the GEMS brand position to provide a holistic approach to cultivating genius. This included:
Family First: A platform focused on building family values
Determined Genius: A programme to instil grit and drive in all students
Beyond100: A longevity programme to promote healthy living
The Premier Music Academy: A dedicated Music Academy in partnerhsip with Steinway & Sons.
I was responsible for building these sub-brands and ensure they complied with the primary positioning of GEMS Education. I also contributed to many schools collateral as well including logo designs and rebrands, marketing collateral, and brand guidelines.
FAMILY FIRST
The Family First initiative seeks to place the family at the heart of everything GEMS does. This includes a dedicated Café in every school (The Family First Café) that promotes family bonding through activities and specialise families-only offers. I created the brand guidelines for the initiative as well as the café. I also assisted with master visuals for all collateral to ensure this sub-brand integrated within the network.
DETERMINED GENIUS
The Determined Genius programme is dedicated to cultivated a grit and determination in student to drive them to success. This included entrepreneurs that want to share their innovative ideas with the world via the Determined Genius Global Innovation Challenge as well as an initiative to incorporate Bear Grylls into an event to bring out the best of GEMS students in physical and mental challenges. Determined Genius would also be integrated into the curriculum with masterclass from world experts. I managed the implementation of this programme including creating master visuals for collateral, scripting, directing and editing promotional videos and directing, and scripting the outlines and directing the presenters for the masterclasses.
BEYOND100
The Beyond100 programme is focused on building daily habits in all students (and families) to live healthier lives both physically and mentally. It is integrated into every schools’ curriculum with dailt lessons from dedicated teachers. I managed the implementation of this programme including creating master visuals for collateral and directing promotional videos.
GEMS PREMIER MUSIC ACADEMY
From classical to jazz, rock to pop, vocals to beat drops, GEMS Premier Music Academy (PMA) offers a breadth of musical disciplines under one harmonious roof. I created the branding and guidelines for PMA, scripted and edited promotional videos, and developed all master visuals for collateral as PMA continues to be a flagship Academy for the organisation.
The finest school in the world
All of the above initiatives and programmes would not be possible with a firm base for the GEMS Brand. This renaissance for the brand came full circle with the opening of GEMS Schools of Research and Innovation that would be the company’s flagship school. I was on the founding team that brought the school to life with contributions to branding and marketing including initial iterations for the logo, master visuals for collateral, and assistance with the schools branding. I also developed the branding and guidelines for the brand’s exclusive high net-worth club, The Forum.’
Niv is a multidisciplinary creative director who helps ambitious companies uncover their core “why” and translate it into powerful, cohesive communication reflecting a string identity. Blending high-level strategy with intelligent design systems, he crafts purpose-driven brands that cut through the noise, shape perception, and command true connection in an increasingly automated world.