In 2019, when Lennar Multifamily Communities (LMC) was developing a luxury project in Scottsdale Quarter, a mixed-use development with a high-end outdoor shopping area in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company approached Denver-based marketing agency Ellen Bruss Design (EBD) to name the project, develop brand identity collateral, and design temporary and permanent signage for both the interior and exterior.
After carefully considering the beautifully modern finishes and inspired by the resort-style experience offered to residents, EBD landed on Vitri for the project’s name.
“The shopping center where Vitri is located has a valet drop-off. Lamborghinis aren’t an unusual site,” says Ellen Bruss, owner and creative director at EBD, in the award application. “The architecture for the building is clean, modern, with a lot of glass. We named the project Vitri, glass in Latin, to reflect the architecture, and also the high-end location.”
With a brand and collateral budget of $110,000 and a target audience of upscale millennials, empty nesters, and baby boomer snowbirds, the EBD team built style and usage guidelines and established lifestyle photography for marketing touch points prior to designing all of the business and leasing materials.
Hotel-style details inspired the physical collateral and included foil-stamped business cards and an office stationery suite, sleek black and gold leasing folders with ribbons and hangtags, branded sell sheets, and floor plan inserts. Turquoise was used as an accent color, a reference to an upscale and familiar jewelry box.
EBD also designed temporary marketing signage with photography and messaging for the shopping area around the exterior perimeter during construction and on building banners during pre-leasing, in order to capture car and foot traffic in the surrounding area.
To complete the branding on the inside of the building, EBD designed the permanent interior signage package for all entry, wayfinding, unit numbering, and common amenity spaces.
“Investment in a strategically designed, cohesive brand system that is highly appealing to the target audience cannot be undervalued, as it will stand the test of time and require little additional cost to be refreshed over the years,” continues Bruss.
Vitri began leasing in October 2019. During pre-leasing, the team secured 44 net leases sight unseen and since opening they’ve received 454 gross leases and 340 net leases. Renewal average to date is 54%, and stabilization was achieved on April 19, 2021, according to the application.
