Project Overview
Habitus Sth Melbourne comprises 27 unique vertical townhouses in South Melbourne, designed to reflect the values of Beulah International; which is creating spaces of wonder with premium design and materials to elevating inhabitants quality of life through holistic development.
With contemporary forms used to construct a rich, fulfilling and integrated living experience for its residents, the five-level townhome’s architecture is carefully considered and design-driven.
Our brand idea was to capture this distinctive design by changing the way property is marketed (with the standard set of collateral), and in particular, to give the cookie cutter property movie a makeover. Beulah International breaks boundaries so we knew we had to as well.
Also, a point of difference was the unbelievable display suite that replicated the actual size of the townhomes on sale. Located in an old warehouse on the Habitus site, (unlike anything else in Melbourne) we were determined to make the most of it, and from this ‘Crafted Moves’ came to life.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Project Brief
Beulah is not one for doing things by halves, so the brief was for us to surprise them with a unique idea that would stand out from the multitude of other products on the market.
There needed to be a strong consistency through not only the brand collateral and property video but also the physical display too.
The marketing strategy outlined the need to create a memorable experience, while establishing a new trend within the Australian property scene, one that took cues from art and fashion and put Beulah’s brand at the forefront. Beulah put it to us to come up with an out of the box idea, one that went against the grain and challenged the norm of property campaigns. To do this, we looked closely at the architecture and interior design of Habitus for inspiration.
Establishing that Beulah International set out to offer a new typology of townhouse with Habitus, the architecture is shaped internally by the desire to create flowing living spaces, generous kitchens and bathrooms, all the components for modern living.
To capture this in film we explored the contemporary forms of the design and visualised the desirable lifestyle residents will have within the townhomes. In our eyes, the only way to represent the flowing living spaces and joy of living at Habitus was through dance.
Always looking to transcend property, Beulah requested that the dancer capture an aspirational persona, a character that lives the best of Melbourne’s inner city lifestyle.
Project Innovation/Need
With the challenge of exciting not only Beulah but the target market too, we took liberty in changing perceptions about property marketing by creating a video that excluded the use of renders or location footage.
Aspiring to embody a non-property approach to the campaign, we looked to reinforce the Beulah brand as an innovative, future-thinking, lifestyle-focused developer instead.
Further, catering to an urban demographic looking for the best in luxury, high-end living on the edge of the CBD, it was important to capture the flowing living spaces and elation returning home to Habitus.
Here was born the concept of ‘Crafted Moves’ mini-movie, that followed a dancer as he glided through the display suite to feel-good music inspiring a feeling of conscious joy and aspiration.
Launched with a teaser inspired by Johnnie Walker’s short film ‘The Gentleman’s Wager’, the film utilised the Habitus display suite showcasing off the flowing floor plan and luxurious finishes.
This notion carried through the branding, with photography of the dancer and use of tactile materials such as leather and forest green suede to emphasise the luxury nature of the project.
Design Challenge
Understanding that our approach of breaking property boundaries could cause issues in terms of cut through with the target audience and wider property industry, we knew the project video needed an added touch to gain the attention it deserved.
To gain traction and ensure the project as a whole (as well as the video, brochure and display) was noticed, we decided to tap into Melbourne’s love of AFL.
Following discussions internally and with Beulah, we decided to approach Alex Rance from Richmond Football Club who we felt encapsulated the aspirational lifestyle the target market desires.
Upon contract negotiation with his management, Alex came on board, bringing not just a handsome face, but also a huge fan base and endless publicity opportunities.
The challenge here, however, was his intense training schedule with timelines constantly changing.
A challenge was also presented when the display faced delays impeding on the film schedule. As a resolution, we utilised the bare warehouse (where the display was located) creating teaser videos that channelled Johnnie Walker’s short film ‘The Gentleman’s Wager’.
Creating a layered story and more touch points to interact with potential purchasers, the teaser gave us content to marketing before the full film was shot in the display and released.
Effectiveness
Measuring the effectiveness of this video, and the corresponding project branding, began with the Habitus launch which included a grand unveiling of both the movie and display in one evening.
The publicity around the film that followed included the teaser release on Channel 9 news, with a focus on Alex Rance’s acting debut. Further coverage was achieved on the AFL Footy Show and in the Herald Sun. In a stellar year for Alex Rance, he also went on to win the Grand Final with his fellow Richmond teammates.
Winning a Gold Vega Digital Award, the film contributed to Habitus selling 95 per cent of residences in six weeks and underpinning an incredibly successful property campaign.
The build on Habitus is now underway, with the development expected to be completed in 2020.
Video film & production credit: Burning House
Marketing - Film or Video
This award celebrates creative and innovative visual and audio corporate communications that place an emphasis on design values. Consideration given to the technical, conceptual and aesthetic elements, viewer engagement and message delivery.
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