Real estate brokerage firm Core is taking an artistic approach to marketing New York neighborhoods by releasing illustrations that depict the culture of 12 areas within the city.
These districts of Manhattan are illustrated and noted by Todd Selby and available on Core’s Web site. Since New York is one of the top real estate markets in the world, creating a whimsical campaign that embodies the neighborhoods through illustrations and facts will offer interested consumers a quick insight prior to purchasing.
“Our services are bespoke and tailored to support our clients’ real estate decisions, so the neighborhood essays are an extension of this sensibility and add dimension to the consumer experience,” said Elizabeth Kosich, director of marketing and digital strategy for Core, New York.
Illustrated exploration
Mr. Selby has previously worked with luxury brands and publications such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Vogue, Architectural Digest France and the New York Times’ T magazine.
The Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Flatiron, Chelsea, Gramercy, Lower East Side, SoHo, Tribeca, NoMad, Greenwich Village, West Village and the East Village are all represented on Core’s Web site through a single image.
When one clicks on the neighborhood of interest, they are brought to a page that offers a description of the area and several illustrations of various attractions and facts about both the area and the city. Also, a quote about New York is set in the middle of the images.
For instance, the Upper West Side image is a drawing of a T-Rex’s skeleton in honor of the neighborhood’s Museum of Natural History. Once on the page a description is at the top speaking about Woody Allen movies filmed in the area and the sidewalk cafes and marathoners and soul-cyclers that are often present.
The illustrations reflect this description with illustrations of a stationery bike for soul-cycling, the subway stops speak to the neighborhood’s access to public transportation, a bagel with lox and cream cheese represents the cafes, a dog focuses on the area’s access to Central Park and an image of Lincoln Center addresses the performances and culture in the neighborhood. A quote from Woody Allen completes the page.
All 12 neighborhoods are set up in similar fashion offering insights in a light manner.
Alternate route
Core has previously turned away from typical real estate marketing tactics.
For instance, in July, Core took an unorthodox approach to marketing a new building in the Hudson Square neighborhood of New York.
Although real estate purchases are arguably the most important commercial choices a consumer can make, real estate marketing tends to follow a dry and formulaic approach. Core sought to break away from this format by creating a campaign that resembled something closer to what a fashion brand might produce.
Narrowing in on specific regions of New York allots a space for real estate firms and publications to give more information about the city to those unfamiliar.
The New York Times also delved into neighborhoods with its “Block by Block” video series featuring locals from different areas within New York.
A new area will be highlighted each month, with the first episode looking at the up-and-coming Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Real estate agents and marketers will be able to use these videos to offer insight and context to clients looking to purchase in a specific neighborhood.
Focusing on specific locations within one city can provide much greater detail to interested buyers.
“The New York City real estate market is a collection of submarkets, all of which offer a wildly different residential experience,” Ms. Kosich said.
“Todd Selby was tasked with bringing each area to life by capturing the nuances that make each neighborhood so special,” she said. “The result is a celebration of each neighborhood’s personality, which is meant to build excitement, interest and intrigue for the consumer.”