Branded Video Content Creation
Creative Direction, Strategy, Concept, Design, Writing
A Series of video initiatives that helped develop and launch sales, campaign and promotional endeavours.
Cadillac Fairview as a whole required a boost and lift to their presentation materials. Leasing managers were using the same tired templates that lacked visual appeal and did not effectively showcase the properties. To address this, a comprehensive overhaul of the presentation materials was needed.
Cadillac Fairview: Making Business Better
THE ASK
THE INSIGHT
Focused on modernizing the design elements, we looked at the way people utilized the properties. This was a challenge to sell, as the focus had always been on floor space, however when it was established that the main aspect that Cadillac Fairview could own was the facilitation of its tenants to have a better “everything”, the rest fell into place..
By creating a communication platform focused on identifying why Cadillac Fairview provides the services it does, and how they do it consistently day in and day out, it builds on their experience and heritage, and focuses on the offering which extends their story past concrete and steel - beyond what the rest of the marketplace talks about.
Facilitating better business for their clients with services and offering properties with prestige and image becomes the Cadillac Fairview experience. Simply put - they enable their clients vision for today, and tomorrow.
The Cadillac Fairview story is unique. It is rooted in a history of innovation and experience. This is a point of differentiation between them and their competitors in the marketplace. So the focus became telling the story about on people, not buildings.
• It’s the people that are driven to excel at what they do.
• It’s the people that learn, teach, listen and grow.
• It’s people that work harder, go further, offer more, every day.
So the plan began to tell a story which resonated and provided food for thought. I figured if it was done properly, heads will be nodding before the need to discuss floor plans or contracts started.
THE STRATEGY
THE BUILD
The insight and strategy created the tagline “Making Business Better”. It placed Cadillac Fairview as the ultimate facilitator of their tenants and employees success.
Presentation materials meant the UX modelling and design of entirely new assets. This included adopting a consistent colour scheme that reflected Cadillac Fairview's brand identity, integrating high-quality images of the properties, and using contemporary navigation approaches that enhanced the experience while maintaining ease of use. The presentation had been pitched to live in many areas; an iPad tour with a leasing manager, through directory boards, extensions to online from email, TV, traditional screen presentations, mobile access, website content etc.
I restructured the content to emphasize key selling points and unique features of each property. This involved creating engaging narratives around the spaces, highlighting accessibility, amenities, and the benefits of leasing from Cadillac Fairview. Clear, concise points replaced dense paragraphs to ensure that essential information could be quickly absorbed. Visuals replaced text when possible.
The creation of a video meant the creation of a script. Two fabulous copywriters worked together to create a narrative that encapsulated the concept of Making Business Better perfectly.
The presentation was broken down into multiple parts, each emphasizing how Business was made better; Amenities, Human Spaces, HR, Operations, etc. Business. Incorporating infographics and charts helped illustrate market trends, demographic targets, and financial projections. These visual aids provided a clear and compelling argument for why leasing with Cadillac Fairview was a strategic choice.
Lastly, training sessions were held for leasing managers to familiarize them with the new materials, ensuring they felt confident and equipped to present the information effectively. By revitalizing the presentation materials, Cadillac Fairview not only improved internal morale but also enhanced their appeal to prospective clients.
Cadillac Fairview’s legacy of innovation had fallen silent by the length of their tenure and sheer size of the competitive landscape. Their premiere portfolio of office and retail properties throughout North America was worth over $21 billion, but the crowded marketplace valued nothing more than the price of square footage.
The Toronto Dominion Centre was undergoing a massive $500 million dollar revitalization that brought the building to state-of-the-art setup, while carefully protecting its legacy as one of the most famous properties in Canada, and the development of a message to attract new tenants, retain existing tenants and re-establish itself on the real estate map was required.
Toronto-Dominion Centre Leasing Presentation
THE ASK
One of the key stakeholders in presenting the properties are the leasing managers and brokers. Providing them with tools at their disposal that are rich with the innovation, lifestyle and essence we are trying to promote was key. However all the leasing presentation materials were decades old; low res photography, floorplans with old branding, no video content to show and no consistent tone of voice.
THE INSIGHT
The Toronto Dominion Centre (TDC) has an authentic and important history to both Canada and Toronto itself. Designed by famed architect Mies van der Rohe, the property literally changed the Toronto Landscape when built, this is worth talking about as the address demands respect. More than just a series of towers and state with state systems, this property features a shopping concourse, an established community, access to nightlife, sporting events and local/international airports that other properties don’t have. This is also worth talking about as those looking to lease are also looking to attract a diverse level of talent.
As part of the overall material set developed, one initiative that garnered much excitement was the creation and production of a two minute video which discussed the historical importance of the property, as well as its current future role it plays. To create the leasing presentation, and in tandem with video creation, a photoshoot was setup for a six day schedule to capture all facets of life at TDC. Over 500 still photos and video footage was shot within, above, below and throughout the complex, providing extensive assets for both this video leasing presentation and housed in a repository for other promotional leasing use.
This leasing video itself was utilized before or during the main presentation, as it was outfitted with a navigation system menu to allow the presenter to pivot immediately to the various amenities, features or leasing packages as those topics arrived. The video was then extended to online, and some parts were available through kiosks and other various interactive directories.
THE STRATEGY
The Living Roof
Toronto-Dominion Centre was replacing the existing conventional roof with a new extensive green roofing system on the landmark TD Banking Pavilion at the historic TD Centre in downtown Toronto. They wanted this project promoted online and internally.
THE ASK
The original Pavilion as designed by Mies van der Rohe, has an unmistakeable grid style ceiling inside, and from a design perspective this was going to be emulated in the green roof above, separating the foliage into an exact grid.
The bank was aging so its roof needed replacement, big whoop. But what was interesting was the green aspect of the project. The new vegetated living roof provides improved thermal resistance, reduces urban heat-island effect and limits stormwater run-off. In addition, the design preserves the existing roof grid pattern which is a protected element of the designated heritage building.
This story needed to be told.
INSIGHT
STRATEGY
Working with a photographer, we set up an immense multi time-lapse photoshoot of the entire process from demolition through construction through planting. The goal from this was to garner ourselves enough interesting footage to put together content in various forms, primarily in video and print.
Being able to provide people a birds-eye view would help in explaining the process and the benefits.
