A Monumental Rebrand for a Maritime Legacy

With a newly designated future as a floating-hotel, the world’s most famous ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth 2 was in need of a refreshed brand that would communicate its reinvigorated purpose while encapsulating its rich maritime history. Working closely with the leadership team at PCFC Investments, MBLM created an exciting new brand that is truly an amalgamation of old and new.

MBLM spearheaded the three encompassing stages of QE2’s programme: defining its essence, developing its narrative, and creating an experience to build an intimate brand. Vital however, was ensuring that this fresh representation embodied its new chapter, whilst simultaneously adhering to the authenticity of its past.

Following an extensive audit, we created a comprehensive strategic platform to define the QE2 brand’s essence, which ultimately distilled into the tagline “Still making history”. The promise confidently preserves the ocean liner’s legacy, yet expresses her continuing journey of excellence.

To further support this promise we developed a considered identity and design system that both signal the brand’s entrance into the modern world. The refreshed visual language incorporates the bold and sophisticated designs of the QE2’s bygone era with streamlined, complementary colour palettes and typography for a simpler, more modern look.

The accompanying narrative consisted of crafted messaging leveraging the rich history of QE2 across every touchpoint from marketing collateral to uniforms to a unique wayfinding system, encapsulating heritage and injected with contemporary elegance.

The entire brand programme is a fusion of past and present, elevating a legacy of hospitality tradition to a new level with the latest technology and a touch of Dubai flair. New and revamped experiences such as the mobile app, teaser microsite, website and wayfinding system were designed to create greater intimacy with customers and a unique brand experience.

Besides delivering a comprehensive strategic and visual revamp, the brand programme and digital activations provided a significant amount of positive media around the opening of the QE2. The initial landing page that announced the soft launch received more than 16,000 visitors during its first quarter. Additionally, the newsletter subscriptions boasted over 1,200 new subscribers within the first month of the opening.

Less than 6 months after the launch, the QE2 hosted H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. Other notable events including the Arab Fashion Week and the launch of Virgin Hyperloop in partnership with DP World also took place at the QE2, reinforcing the message, “Still making history”.