A sleeping giant for the past few years Damas has not been on the top of peoples mind. In true Asil Attar style, I wasn't about to just take on a role, I never do, this role had to have impact…immediately. Those who know me, know that my style is to disrupt, inspire and lead. I had to take the bull by the horn and make a statement and a statement I made. I decided that the only way to get everyone’s attention a few weeks into my joining and to let them know that change was coming was to take our billboard on the Sheikh Zayed Rd, next to all the luxury brands, Tiffany, Van Cleef, Dior and simply say that we are reclaiming Damas, March 19th 2019, we launched our first campaign #damasreclaimed.
DISRUPT, INSPIRE & LEAD
RAMADAN CAMPAIGN - MAY 2019
There are many firsts in Damas, but this is one of my favorites. Their first ever Ramadan Campaign. I wanted to create something elegant, on brand with all our colours and that showcased an editorial approach to all our campaigns. My approach to anything pretty much starts with how can we lead. Globally, all luxury jewellery brands tend to use product as their hero, for me, women are the hero.
Remember, I am a hybrid, a hybrid Gemini, though some people argue that I have more than two heads, as a matter of fact they are convinced. Every single creative detail of every campaign that I have done and do is completely driven by me. The theme, colours, (when I mean colour, I mean the gradient). I have an incredible eye for tone, my chairman says its my Indian heritage, to have that colour sensibility.
I have a vision for everything that I do and I visualize everything, then I drive everyone around me crazy, pushing them to achieve every single detail of what I see. Perhaps, I am a perfectionist, oh, come to think of it, I am. I know exactly what I want. This was a beautiful campaign.
DUBAI MALL FLAGSHIP LAUNCH & FEEL PRECIOUS CAMPAIGN
This stayed for a month and created a frenzy, everyone was asking what it meant, what was going on with Damas, what are they reclaiming. My reply, “We are reclaiming our place as No.1” simple. Myself and the team worked overnight to create our first marketing campaign and launch of our Dubai Mall flagship store. I wanted to come up with something that no global campaign had ever done. To do a photoshoot without product, yet something that embraced our heritage as goldsmiths, introduced our new brand colours and our new focus on the female customer. Damas was traditionally a male dominated brand that spoke to a male consumers (bizarrely). They thought I was mad (not the first time) no product, what do you mean…
There’s only one way to achieve this, find our muse and cover her with 24K gold leaf and make her up in our brand colours. She (women) would be the focus, they are the centre of our attention, they are the jewel and that’s when “Feel Precious” was born. Our first ever marketing campaign under the new reclaim strategy. It was genius, even if I do say so myself. It took Dubai by storm.
We then launched our new “Feel Precious” campaign and store opening in March, 2019. We took over Dubai Mall inside and out, rebranded our social media platforms and using a few simple hashtags, #damasreclaimed, #damasNo.1 #damas1907, #damasrocks, #feelprecious. It was fantastic, we invited 100 VIP’s, over 200 showed. Press loved it, customers loved it, Damas was back.
