Southcentre
Calgary, Canada
Redevelopment
Retail
Originally built in the year 1900, Union Station served the city of Nashville as a major local train station and epicenter for travel. The imposing Gothic design—complete with turrets and towers—made Union Station an architectural marvel in its day, delighting travelers with its beautiful detailing, including ornate wood carvings, sparkling stained glass, beautiful Italian marble, and soaring ceilings.
In 2015, new competition from new, international hotel brands began to encroach on the Union Station market and Panzano+Partners was brought into the rebrand the hotel.
We took the strengths of the historic property and the unique nature of the project, and created a position that only they could own. The Marriott or the W Hotel might be very nice and clearly modern, but no one could replicate the elegant southern hospitality of Union Station, so we set about capturing that.
The building was clearly the main focus, but the stories that are created within those walls transcend time.
Southcentre was a well established shopping center in Calgary, Canada that had seen a sharp uptick in competition, mainly due to a large competitor down the road. Five miles down the road. This competitor was bright and shiny with all the latest brands and all the bells and whistles. Southcentre was simply a familiar, traditional shopping center that had supported generations of customers. Our initial thought was, “Oh boy are they in trouble.” But when we did the research we discovered that the customers liked Southcentre. They were intimidated by the new center. They felt comfortable there. So we created a campaign that mirrored what everyone felt. It was called “Comfort Shopping”
We hired models that looked more like real people and reflected all ages.
Everything about the campaign was designed to be inviting and inclusive.
We had fun with the copy in an effort to be both comforting as well as entertaining.