In the last ten years the Renwick Street No.15, New York, has gone through a series of situations, until now. The IGI-USA group have decided a new housing project and a new way of selling.
What is most important, architectural space, or the memory, identity, that may suggest that space as a place?
The condominium homes and its advertising campaign are focused on a very specific client. The price of the units range from 2 to 7.5 million dollars and among the building's facilities it includes, apart from the usual -parking, laundry and roof deck- others way more striking such as a high design boxing gym, a Zen garden and a 24-hour butler.
In order to sell these luxury apartments, developers and its advertising agency have conducted a full media performance, including costume party, with photographs taken by Henry Leutwyler, referring to an imaginary past, set in the Victorian era, years in which father and son James Renwick lived, whose name takes the street. Both have been important figures in the American society, the father was an engineer and professor at Columbia University and the son was the architect of St. Patrick's Cathedral, NY. The success of the Renwick family has served to create the characters set in that time, to call for a specific client who can identify with the character of the building.
With the intention of being more attractive to a younger audience, the campaign uses the Steampunk movement. What is Steampunk? Well, imagine Helena Bonham Carter in Sweeney Todd, but with much more glamour. American writer Caitlin Kittredge described the movement as a "sort of Victorian-industrial, but with more whimsy and fewer orphans," according to the steampunk movement's official website. Images feature extravagant characters like the astronomer, the boxer with beard and modern tattoos or the aristocratic lady.
Definitely not the typical publicity photos of a condo for sale. It is a unique way to attract buyers, trying to capture their interest through provocative images representing a story of opulence and tradition. And, if the life in New York is like that or not, is another story, I guess.
CREDITS.-
Images + Art Direction.- MARCH
Developer.- IGI-USA
Sales & Marketing.- CORE
Architecture.- ODA
Branding & Graphic Design.- IF Studio
