Moving from a single-service to a multi-service app required a revamp of our brand, Careem.

We needed to craft a brand that represents our evolved app, yet still stays true to our heritage and retains iconic elements that people knew and loved. After months of crafting, we created a refreshed brand identity with a thought-through design system which spans across logo, graphic elements, colours, typography, photography and iconography- all coming together to form an evolved and distinct art direction.

Careem was founded in 2013, as the region’s first home grown ride hailing service. It is regarded as a cinderella story - becoming the first Middle Eastern startup to reach a $1billion valuation in 2017, before being acquired by Uber in 2019 for $3.1billion.

However, Careem had a vision to evolve their purpose to simplify lives beyond getting people from A to B. Careem had ambitions to become an Everything App - one place for all everyday services, a model that had seen success in the East, failed in the West, and not been attempted in the Middle.

The shift to an Everything App led to an identity crisis- What will the evolved Careem look like? Which elements to retain, which to drop? How do we show up to the consumer as a brand and product? More importantly, how do we stay relevant yet stand out, now that our competition is not limited to other ride-hailing services, but also includes food & grocery, financial solutions, home and entertainment services, and more.

After 10 years of being the leading local ride-hailing app in the Middle East, today we offer customers so much more. The problem? People see us as a rides app only. We needed to change their perception and sell them on our evolved app, the Everything app.

The brief was to create a brand that builds on the trust and affinity we have, yet successfully represents who we are today. To find a brand solution for our now scattered identity, allowing us to enhance brand perception and understanding of being a multi-service app.

We had two objectives: spread awareness about the range of services on our app- including food & grocery delivery, financial solutions, home cleaning, laundry, tickets, etc. Second, we wanted customers to connect with the revamped Careem, ultimately driving them to use our app.

Careem’s new art direction consists of a mix of sophisticated graphic elements, top-notch photography, CGI and curated AI, vibrant colours, and a customized typeface. Combined, they create a bespoke visual language that distinguishes our service offerings, while keeping them connected to the master brand.

Graphic elements:

3 shapes inspired by everyday actions: an arrow for mobility; a tetragon for shopping; a circle for paying. Changing, moving, and expanding, the shapes create endless possibilities, such as patterns and masks. They build the foundation of our service icons.

Colours:

Our colour palette of six primary colours is complimented by four secondary colours which are assigned to each service category allowing its elements to really pop from the screen. All our colours are designed for screen first.

Photography:

Our photography is built on diversity, showing everyday people that represent our audience, and vibrancy, avoiding over stylized imagery and opting for clean, focused compositions.