Introducing ELCO Yards: a newly emerging mixed-use district – poised to become a natural extension of a growing downtown Redwood City. See how we created a dynamic brand for this exciting new development.
When Greystar approached the Savage Bureau with an opportunity to create the brand for a new mixed-use project in Redwood City, we realized it wasn’t your standard office park, but an opportunity to brand an entirely new district in a historic and thriving Bay Area community.
Brand Identity
Website Design
Campaign Creation
Film Design
Motion Graphics
Branding & Identity
After several site visits, stakeholder interviews and a deep dive on the history of Redwood City, we began an extensive naming exercise. The site itself is located along El Camino Real, a main thoroughfare in Redwood City, and has long been the home of used car dealerships and auto repair shops. ELCO is a nickname for the classic Chevrolet car from the 1960's and represents one of the first “hybrid” style vehicles, combining the body of a sedan with a pick-up bed.
For the identity system, we explored a range of looks and ultimately created a mark with a classic industrial feel that was inspired by vintage automotive manuals. We paired this with a modern typography system and a timeless color palette to create a truly memorable brand.
The most crucial aspect of creating campaign materials for commercial developments is effectively articulating the key attributes that make the project unique and desirable. In this case, because the project hasn’t broken ground, we needed to create the future to show what this project will look like. We accomplished this by creating an interactive, scroll-based web experience that provides visitors a fly-through of the project. This immersive tour stops at key points of the project and gives viewer access to more information and 360 panoramas of the individual buildings.
Troy Vernon
Greystar, Development Director
