Riverwalk is a trailblazing new living destination that consists of dual high-rise towers connecting Philadelphia’s University City and Schuylkill River Trail with Center City’s western riverfront and bustling business district.
In fact, this is an exceptionally significant property not just for our long-term client, East Coast real estate developer PMC Property Group, but also for the city itself.
Designed by esteemed architecture firm Gensler, Riverwalk occupies one of the last coveted remaining parcels along the Schuylkill River waterfront to the west of Logan Square — the former site of an expansive surface parking lot bound by a SEPTA rail bridge. Staking its claim on a unique niche within the Philadelphia mixed-use development rental market, the property offers not only luxury living spaces and modern micro-units, but also boasts a flagship 65,000-square-foot Giant™ grocery store and other exclusive amenities that include an infinity pool surrounded by an expansive sun terrace, yoga and pilates machine classes, a field house featuring a wide array of outdoor athletic courts, and much more.
The project and its offerings are so consequential, in fact, that it is being deemed a new neighborhood unto itself — one that is so far undefined, but which has the potential to take on the “Riverwalk” name through combined promotional efforts and strategic community partnerships.
Drawing on our long relationship with PMC and our understanding of this rapidly evolving market, we developed and presented a brand strategy pitch for their executive team that covered a wide array of possible branding initiatives. We created a positioning strategy that would help PMC lean into the concept of true luxury in order to stand out against a sea of other firms promoting "luxury apartments" in the city. We drew inspiration from imagery, messaging, and collateral vehicles normally reserved for luxury brands, including the Rolex Watch Book and a collection of city guides from the iconic Louis Vuitton.
The presentation included everything from website concepts and collateral materials to unique and bespoke items like a Riverwalk “passport,” hardcover city guide, welcome gifts, signature scents, and on-site photo opportunities to generate promotion, just to name a few. As part of this process, we curated a collection of high-end imagery to represent the property’s amenities and the residents’ aspirational lifestyle across all materials and social media outlets.
Moving ahead on a selection of approved options, we worked collaboratively with the PMC team to design an identity system and logo, including a wordmark, emblem, and the compelling new tagline that will define this property going forward: Urban Oasis. The phrase reflects that this new destination on the riverfront features unparalleled indoor and outdoor spaces with connections to the river, Schuylkill River Trail, and more.
Using a digital-first approach, we created a marketing landing page that served as a temporary lead collector while we conceptualized, designed, and implemented a turnkey microsite integrated with PMC’s third-party property management and CRM software vendor, Yardi. The site not only conveys the property’s truly unique offerings and interactive floorplans through stimulating visuals and copy, but it offers viewers an exciting sneak peak at nearby attractions that include dining, shopping, cultural, and nightlife destinations, as well as colleges, universities, and major city employers. In fact, more than just a brochure for the property, the site is architected to be a resource for this new neighborhood, including its businesses and public amenities, with a content marketing approach designed to capture traffic or related user journeys in order to make them aware of living at Riverwalk, as well. Throughout, the pages are infused with calls to action that encourage visitors to learn more, schedule a tour, or join the waitlist.
Pulling the design concepts through full circle, we designed a complete collection of collateral materials that include direct mailers, referral and business cards, a property folder, stationery, exterior signage, city-wide signage for PMC’s other properties, and more. Throughout this process, we both sourced imagery and worked with a photographer on the curation of custom imagery and video that support a cohesive high-end look and feel across all initiatives.
Current and ongoing initiatives are focused on digital promotional efforts, including targeted email, customized audience landing pages for pet owners, eds, and meds, and a highly targeted digital marketing effort to reach prospects as the client prepares for a robust lease-up period.
