Project Overview
Hutch & Hutch is a boutique residential warehouse conversion with quality, detail and elegance at its heart. The 26 apartment development is located in what was once the industrial northern edge of Surry Hills. It partially inhabits the shell of an existing factory building with apartments spiralling from a central core. As the building rises, the interplay of new and old gives way to a glass and metal volume, topped with intimate roof gardens overlooking Surry Hills towards the city.
Surrounded by a variety of remnant warehouse buildings and small terraces and itself incorporating the character of an old industrial building marked by a century of use, materiality and form are prominent virtues of Hutch & Hutch. Various types and textures of brickwork are used to integrate the development with the existing streetscape while identifying new structures from old.
As the website attests, Hutch & Hutch is ‘A venue of inspired thought set in the creative epicentre of Surry Hills.’ It has a ‘... striking architectural presence of reserved elegance and contemporary prowess…’ and ‘is a celebration of refined luxury & classical heritage.’
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Anthony Andreatta: Director - BRIDGELANE
William Tait - Assistant Development Manager -BRIDGELANE
Nicholas Sammut - Creative Director - TOAST
Ramiro Rey - Art Director - TOAST
Catherine Morales - Project Manager - TOAST
Tim Rees - CBRE
Yana Walter - Project and Marketing Coordinator - CBRE
Project Brief
Toast was appointed to bring creative marketing flair and edge to this heritage building conversion. Collaborating with Bridgelane, CBRE and award-winning architects SJB, Toast was responsible for creating the brand and brand identity to drive an on and offline marketing campaign that had its own unique character.
Project Innovation/Need
Starting with the name, Toast took inspiration from both the build’s contemporary sophistication and the area’s nostalgia drawing on the names of surrounding streets to arrive at a playful mashup of Hutch & Hutch from Hutchinson Street and Hutchinson Lane. The name has a dignified British character, in keeping with the history of the Surry Hills area and frames a confident brand, with faint echoes of an imaginary law firm, or architectural practice.
Research on the area and the site itself revealed that the site was home to Brunswick Records, the first factory to manufacture vinyl records in Australia. This informed the vintage record-label vibe to the brand and the rock-like attitude around which the brand concept was centred. Interviews with the architect, interior designer, developer and sales agent ensured this approach was accurate and representative of the development and local area.
Design Challenge
The challenge was not only how to be part of this vibrant, diverse range of styles and expressions where cool elegance meets rock 'n' roll, but also to find and articulate this uniqueness to lift the conversion to one of interest amongst the community and for the locality. The look and feel of the brand needed real cut through. In a precinct that has built its reputation over the last decade on being the epi-centre of Sydney’s creative community, it sought to find a genuine point of difference amongst its creatively astute target market.
Effectiveness
This concept was brought to life across all aspects of the development’s launch in a bid to top the conversation charts. An integrated mix of on and offline communications included:
• Concept and brand creation
• Copywriting and photography direction
• Brochure and sales book designs
• Website design and development
• Sales suite concept and implementation
• Outdoor signage
• Press advertising
• Online banner design
Hutch & Hutch revitalised an unknown or forgotten part of Surry Hills’ history in a way that is fitting with the area’s image, while establishing an impactful identity of its own. This suite of edgy, eye catching marketing collateral paved the way for Hutch & Hutch to find its place and stand out amongst the noisy, urban buzz of this inner-city suburb. The brand’s nostalgic inspiration caught the imagination of those looking to call this thriving community and its history, their new home.
The sales results were outstanding. The development sold 80% of apartments on the opening launch weekend which attracted a high level of media interest. The record breaking levels of enquiry were in line with the sales outcome. The client has confirmed that enquiries generated post campaign totalled 3,870 with 965 in the first week of the campaign,136 enquiries of these generated specifically from print advertising.
Graphic Design - Identity and Branding
This award celebrates creative and innovative design in the traditional or digital visual representation of ideas and messages. Consideration given to clarity of communication and the matching information style to audience.
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