I arrived in Dubai in late February of this year—with the prospect of working in the Middle East and being exposed to new cultural aspects, I became more aware of stories relating to the region and those that were particularly Arab focused in content.

One story that caught my attention was an interview with publishing entrepreneur Naif Al-Mutawa, founder and CEO of Teshkeel Media Group. He aimed to create a comic that would be published in Arabic and be distributed initially in Arab-speaking countries. The intrigue for me was that the comic was to boast a staggering collection of 99 superheroes—all characters born of an Islamic archetype. “The 99”, as they would be called, were created based on the ninety-nine attributes of Allah. The concept of superhuman powers in the comic are held within the individual stones of three sets of prayer beads, with each one having thirty-three stones.

Thanks to my teenage son, who is a comic enthusiast and collector, I know that the creation of the comic superhero Superman during the 1930’s was a direct response to fascism with some of the early comics showing Superman fighting the Nazis in Europe.

The catalyst for the creation of “The 99” was to counter the often, negative perceptions some people have of Muslims. It seems the project’s purpose is to elevate the perception of Islam and provide positive roll-models to Arab children throughout the world. The comic’s characters are a multi-ethnic and international mix, which opens it up to a diverse global audience.

As a business idea the project has been a phenomenal success, the comic is currently published in eight languages and is distributed across 12 countries—President Obama even made a special mention about The 99 and its creator in a speech given recently at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship. The 99 now has its very own theme park in Kuwait and the comic is being developed as an animated series.

Recently, Naif Al-Mutawa spread The 99’s message of tolerance and understanding in a special report to CNN. His words exude passion, and purpose for an idea and a brand that is truly seeking to make a difference in the world.

The bios for The 99’s extended team of writers, editors and designers display a vast array of professional experience. But in working for The 99, these professionals now also share a unique sense of purpose to promote tolerance and peace.

Will this unified sense of purpose help to create a brand that truly changes the world? What other purpose-driven brands do you admire?

Brendan McCormick is a creative director for the Siegel+Gale Dubai office.