Doha, Qatar, 23 February 2020: As part of Qatar Post’s mission to connect people to what matters to them the most, the national postal service is launching a groundbreaking new campaign, ‘Al Wasl’, that celebrates the Arabic language and its role as a social connector. 

 

On the occasion of the UN International Mother Language Day celebrated by UNESCO, Qatar Post’s parcel boxes, postcards and stamps turn into mediums to remind public in Qatar of the importance of connecting to one another, using a special design based on specific Arabic wording that celebrate human values. ‘Al Wasl’ fuses the unique typography of Arabic with the notion of language as a symbol of identity, communication, social integration, education and development. 

 

Commenting on the occasion during a launch event, Hamad Al-Fahida, Qatar Post Chief Operations Officer, said: “Connections have always lived at the heart of our Arab culture and is even reflected in our Mother language. As we know, isolated letters can form meaningful words only when they come in touch with one another, through the art of connecting called ‘Al Wasl’. This is true of us as individuals, as well. Qatar Post hopes that every day we will be able to connect to find affection, respect, happiness, pride, gratitude and much more, through each of our postal offerings”. 

 

Unlike Western languages where letters are placed next to each other in a linear fashion to create words, Arabic language relies on physically connecting one letter to another to create meaning. ‘Al Wasl’ in Arabic translates as a ‘link’ or a ‘connection’. In this context, the links used in the Arabic manuscript to form words become the very tool that reminds people of the bonds they share. 

 

Alberto Manzo, Head of Sales and Marketing at Qatar Post, elaborated on the campaign's offering. “Our campaign aims to inspire our people to connect to each other through their mother language by emphasizing how meaningful connections are to their daily lives. Qatar Post thought of bringing this important message to life through a unique consumer experience that encourages human connections in today’s high-tech, fast-paced and global world that increasingly disconnect us from our roots – be it our community, our family or our language'. He added: 'A series of powerful Arabic words, such as Pride, Glory and Gratitude, will reach our public soon in the form of beautifully designed Qatar Post parcels, postcards and stamps, conveying the power of connections'.

 

The design of the new products has been created using strokes from the Qatar Post logo, whereby lines intersect and connect to form letters and words embodying the essence of Qatar Post’s philosophy. 

 

The perforated ‘peel this’ tag on the box will allow the user to connect the letters themselves to form a word. As the letters connect, the box gets opened, revealing the message: “It is only when individual letters are connected, that they have meaning. The same is true of us as individuals”. The parcel boxes are expected to become a collector item. 

 

Moreover, the postcard series, comprising a set of 2-4 cards in one envelope, will feature slots to be joined together to reveal the word. As for the stamp series, every first day cover will hold 2-5 stamps depending on its value. The unique experience here is that its only when one tears off the letters and places them next to each other will they form a word that reminds them of connections. 

 

Qatar Post, as part of its social responsibility, is encouraging members of the public to explore its new campaign as a way to keep ‘Al Wasl’ alive among them and cherish and celebrate the bonds they share.