On March 9th, our Founding Partner and CEO Jim Moran had the pleasure of attending the mat pour event for Hines and Ivanhoé Cambridge’s unveiling of Texas Tower in Houston, Texas. The event officially launched the brand for Texas Tower, which will become the new global headquarters for Hines.

The Class AA building will be a transformative development in commercial real estate. Texas Tower, also known as T2, will be an environment built for ambition and dynamism. With flexible and customizable work spaces, T2 is designed to put people first. Offering double height ceilings, each tenant will be able to create their ideal office environment.  

The building, set to deliver in the fall of 2021, will stand at 47 stories tall and will offer over 1M square feet of office space. Designed to achieve the highest LEED and wellness standards, T2 will be fully amenitized with food and drink options, a fitness center, a grand lobby and sky atriums to let in an abundance of natural light.

We began working with the Hines and Ivanhoé Cambridge teams during the summer of 2018. Our objective: to develop an overarching brand strategy, building name, visual identity and creative brand and marketing campaign worthy of such a monumental development.

Jim, the partner-in-charge on this project stated, “Creating a brand for this transformative new commercial headquarters has been game changing – for commercial real estate and how a brand can change perceptions. Our goal was to realize the brand potential of this human-centered workspace and to redefine the office tower for today’s ambitious and innovative.”

Pictured from left to right: George Lancaster, Jim Moran, Gerald Hines, Sandra Porter

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we spent some time thinking about all of the creative work that couldn’t have existed without women. From women-empowerment campaigns to the disruptive companies launched by a team of ingenious females, searching for one creative piece to honor this month was an ambitious feat. Instead, for March’s ‘Creative That Works’ we’ve decided to celebrate women by showcasing a creative place, and we’ve put Luminary in the spotlight.

A Safe Haven for the Ambitious Girl

Creative Place: Luminary

Luminary is New York City’s premier collaboration hub for women who are passionate about professional development and expanding their networks. A work space constructed for women who are eager to succeed, Luminary provides a safe haven for those crave connectivity and a place to work free of any judgement or a sense of alienation.
But with all of the niche co-working spaces that seemingly pop-up over night, what about this space makes it so different and creative? For starters, we appreciate Luminary’s simplistic, chic interior layout that is not only aesthetically pleasing but is also conducive to productivity. While developing and designing the space, creators made sure that every detail was aligned with the grand vision of connectivity in mind. We spoke to Erica Lerner, the Chief Operating Officer and acting Chief Financial Officer at Luminary to learn a little more about what makes this place unique.

“Our space cultivates community, collaboration, connectedness and a sense of belonging that they wouldn’t otherwise have in a different type of space,” Lerner mentions, “And I think that the way that we’ve designed it and the way that it was laid out; from everything from the wine on tap, to the way the furniture is set up, you really have everything you need in one space. It’s everything relevant to what a woman needs to further herself, career and life beyond.” Lerner notes that the main component that differentiates Luminary is that “members really feel a sense of belonging.” It is unique because it eliminates the pretension typically associated with swanky clubs and allows anyone to become a member if they desire with no application required.

In addition to the design and strong community, Luminary goes beyond your standard conference rooms, pods and free cold brew and offers lifestyle-focused amenities like fitness classes and blowouts courtesy of Glam + Go. As Luminary looks to grow and welcome even more members, it will continue to search for engaging ways to gather the motivated. Stay tuned for the Luminary rooftop opening this summer and even more ways for women to create, connect and form indelible bonds.

All credit for photos goes to Luminary’s Instagram account. Follow them here.

Our ‘Creative That Works’ for April is all about Colossal Media, a company that takes an imaginative approach to outdoor media and advertising. If you live in or have visited New York, chances are you’ve seen one of their works of art. For the past fifteen years, they’ve been creating hand-painted murals featuring some of the most engaging and innovative out-of-home advertising that we’ve ever seen. We were stoked when a few weeks ago, they invited our team to their workshop in Brooklyn to hear their story and get a first-hand peek into their creative process.

Reimagining Out-of-Home Creative, One Wall at a Time

Creative Company: Colossal Media

The concept for Colossal Media was formulated over a couple of beers in the backyard of founders Paul and Adrian. At the time, Paul was a painter and Adrian was busy running Mass Appeal Magazine. They had a crazy dream to take a process that had long since lost its public allure and form a company that could do things bigger and better than ever. Their initial vision to embrace paint over print as an advertising medium inspired the conception of Colossal.
At the start, they worked with mainly alcohol and video game clients, as these were the companies who were hoping to develop a grittier aesthetic. Colossal has since aided in the transformation of paint being an outdated artistic tool to a highly sought-after medium in the industry. Today they are working with luxury brands, including Gucci and Chanel.

Over the years, they have expanded from an office in a garage to operating their own custom-built shop in East Williamsburg, along with another active space in Los Angeles. Now with a portfolio of over 120 different walls in 7 core markets, Colossal has made quite the name for themselves and the brands they’re painting.
While today they’re thriving more than ever, they had to overcome some initial challenges when they first arrived on the scene. “The biggest hurdle was convincing people we could actually paint artwork the way they wanted it to be painted. Brands will partner with a celebrity and that face has to look exactly as it would in print. Over the years our team has proven again and again that we can do that exactly,” says Natalie Kunstadter, Creative Director at Colossal.

And paint wasn’t exactly the advertising method of choice at the time of Colossal’s inception. “Paint became less of a common medium in advertising with the rise in popularity of vinyl printing, which was much easier and cheaper. With less painters in the workforce, the quality of the product in the industry was going down, so we had to establish ourselves as a highly skilled team to keep campaigns looking the same (or better) than work from different vendors,” says Nicholas Cummins, the VP of Real Estate Acquisitions at Colossal Media.
Cummins recalls an article posted in The New York Times back in 2004, where a television network had stated that although they admired Colossal’s work, they weren’t sure if they could trust them to paint a realistic face for one of their campaigns. Flash forward to last year, and Colossal was mentioned in The New York Times yet again for executing a flawless photo-realistic mural of Kendrick Lamar’s face in a Spotify campaign. Safe to say they have proven themselves as the industry expert.

Colossal is also unconventional in the way they train their artists. Each painter has to go through a rigorous apprenticeship program, in which they learn about the specific tools, how to work in the shop, how to consolidate and mix paint and more – all before the paintbrush touches the wall. They are unique because they allow anyone, no matter their background, to enter the apprenticeship program. Kunstadter conveyed that this was necessary to build a robust team, “there’s really no talent pool from us to pull from. There are a couple painters out there in the world who do this already and we try to find them, but we’re creating our own industry here.”
As CO OPers, we were particularly interested in the way that Colossal utilizes space and real estate in an innovative way to portray a brand message. “From a real estate perspective, outdoor advertising is really place-oriented and you have to have a highly visible, highly unique location; especially if you want to sell it as a premium product and distinguish yourself from other vendors,” says Cummins. “We’re always looking to make new partnerships with developers. We work with some of the largest and smallest landlords in the country because even though we are a national company, we have a very local focus. Most vendors sell walls based on zip code. We’re looking for spots with cultural significance so our clients can reach the exact type of demographic they’re looking for.” We’re definitely hoping to partner with Colossal for on one of our real estate or hospitality activations.

As their hand-painted campaigns continue to gain popular support and attention, we wish nothing but the best for these rockstar creatives.

Check out some photos from our tour below:

Every May, the retail real estate industry descends upon Las Vegas for the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) RECon conference. As a destination brand company, our team attends each year to network, connect with clients and attend fabulous parties with the biggest and best companies in the real estate industry.

This year was the most impressive conference yet. Booths lined the tradeshow floor, all with one objective: to stand out among the masses. While many turned to the latest and greatest technology to draw a crowd, others took much more traditional approaches in order to break the mold. For this month’s Creative That Works, we’d like to round up some of the top trends and most innovative activations we saw at RECon 2019.

Best Creative Activations at ICSC

Activations from: 2019 ICSC RECon Conference

Sugar Rush
It’s no surprise that after a long day of networking (and late night out the day before), you find yourself needing an afternoon pick-me-up in the form of sugar. Many booths offer sweet treats, but Washington Prime provided a fully stocked candy bar from Ohio-based confectionary, Shelby’s Sugary Shop. Equipped with individual plastic bags, guests of the booth could fill up with their favorites. We liked that instead of just offering something grab and go, this activation requires a bit more engagement and personalization.

Via Instagram (@ICSC and @WashingtonPrimeGroup)

Immersive
2019 was definitely the year of immersive experiences. From a Tesla Model 3 that you could get into to pop-up homes that make you feel like you’re far from a convention center, this year’s trade show upped the ante on human engagement. A crowd standout was definitely Candytopia’s massive pit of marshmallows. At first glance you just see a massive pile of what appears to be packing peanuts. However, as you get closer, you realize that the real estate developers in their navy suits are actually wading through a pit of fluffy marshmallows. This activation was a perfect combination of creativity and comic relief.

Via @thecanytopia Instagram

Fun & Games
Who says that networking needs to be a traditional exchange standing at a high-top table? Washington Prime impressed us again with The Yard; an interactive gaming area modeled after their signature activation for their portfolio of properties. Decked out with branded corn hole boards, musical instruments and more, this booth was certainly one that we didn’t want to leave. Similar to the Candytopia activation, we really enjoyed booths that disrupt the typical and pushed the attendees out of their comfort zones.

Art  
So many companies pulled out the creative stops this year. We saw art in the form of amazing interior design, light installations and photography. One that stood out to our team was DJM’s subtle yet flawlessly executed “Where People Thrive” wall. This black and white illustration wrapped the entire DJM booth and we admired how well it captured the ethos of their brand.

Finally, two other art activations that stood out were created by none other than Washington Prime (the guys killed it)! On the interior of their booth, they showcased a vibrant gallery wall that you couldn’t help but spend a few minutes staring at.

Via @washingtonprimegroup Instagram

Washington Prime’s most creative and impressive activation had to go to their live mural located on the outside of their booth. Tradeshow attendees were able to watch a mural get painted in real-time. The name and theme of the mural was “Making our Mark on the Retail Canvas,” and we can absolutely say, we couldn’t agree more.

Via @washingtonprimegroup Instagram

As a company that specializes in branding, we love to see businesses taking the initiative to rebrand. Revivifying a brand’s image can achieve a number of things, from reflecting internal change and growth, to altering an existing consumer base and rising above competition. Whether drastic modifications have been made within your industry, or you just want to stay relevant amongst a sea of flashy logos, rebranding seems to be the most viable solution.

We’ve had a busy few months here at CO OP but that doesn’t mean we haven’t noticed all of the companies out there who have rebranded this summer (especially since some of them are platforms that we use here in the office). This special summer edition of ‘Creative That Works’ is all about featuring a few of the rebrands that have caught our eye this season.

Basecamp

As avid Basecamp users, we couldn’t help but notice that the smiley green mountain has been swapped for a more simplistic, clean logo. We think this fresh iteration gives the brand and logo a more grown up, refined persona.

Divvy

Divvy, a business budgeting app that we also use here at CO OP, has upgraded their look as well. They’ve gone for a more abstract black and white design. Both Divvy and Basecamp seem to be shifting from a demeanor that is borderline ‘too friendly’ to one that targets the polished professionals that utilize their platforms the most.

DocuSign

Yet another rebrand that aims for modesty, DocuSign’s logo no longer has the frivolous ‘handwritten’ aspect to the typeface. The new logo is uncluttered and gives the brand a more contemporary feel. This rebrand reminds us that as brand recognition increases, the need to visually illustrate what a company is or does within the logo itself becomes less and less necessary.

Snapchat

Snapchat has been bold this summer… The new application icon features their signature ghost shaped logo outlined in a thick, bold line. As brands start to lose their initial attraction, sometimes the best way to retain loyal followers is to ensure the brand doesn’t go unnoticed. Users definitely won’t miss this new icon when they unlock their screens.

Honorable Mention

‘Starbucks Creative Expression’

While this isn’t a new logo or rebrand, we wanted to give a special ‘Creative That Works’ shout out to Starbucks, who have created the ‘Starbucks Creative Expression’ website this summer. This site acts as a platform for the company to showcase their brand guidelines and be more transparent about their creative process overall. Bravo, Starbucks. Check it out and get a peek at their full brand guidelines here.

These are just some of the many rebrands that have been launched this summer. We’re looking forward to seeing plenty of others and inspiring new creative this fall.

As a leading destination brand company, we are constantly expanding our realm of destination expertise and trying to stay on top of trends- whether it be modular housing, new hospitality concepts, or the boom of cannabis. We had a chat with the founders of InnDica, Rick and Monique Fitzgerald, to hear their thoughts on the evolving cannabis industry and cannabis branding itself. InnDica is an online travel resource that is helping to shape and unite the cannabis community.

It’s an exciting time for the cannabis industry. What are your thoughts on the industry from a branding perspective?
Although there are many creative opportunities in the cannabis space there are just as many hurdles when developing a cannabis brand. Regulations are strict and ever-changing and limit marketing opportunities. You have to stay up on compliance and be ready to pivot with any change in regs. These restrictions should only challenge the industry to find more creative solutions. 

Is there any brand in the cannabis space you feel is leading the pack from a brand perspective? How so?
Lowell Farms is one of the leading cannabis brands and one of my personal favorites. They have beautiful branding that is carried across their entire business, from products to services. They’ve always found creative ways to engage with their current and future clients all while maintaining strict compliance to the cannabis regulations. They’ve been able to create a buzz on their social networks and host regular private events for their customers and fellow brands to gather and learn more about them. They have also diversified their offerings significantly; starting as a cannabis product they are now opening the first cannabis café in the United States, located in West Hollywood, CA.

Do you think anything in the industry can be improved? If so, what and how?
Diversity, communication and education are lacking in the cannabis space. There are so many folks running toward the “green rush” without doing much, if any, investigation on the history and current issues surrounding this space. Social equity, expungement, gender equality are all extremely important but barely touched upon by many in the industry.

Do you have any predictions about the future of the industry and what this will mean for cannabis brands? 
I think the Federal Government will decriminalize cannabis in the next few years but it will come with significant changes in regulations. Cannabis brands and services need to be involved in the legislation process for any and all regulations at the local and state levels. This will help guide federal legislation when it’s finally being drafted. Otherwise we’re completely at the mercy of the folks that enact these regulations.

In what ways do you view cannabis as a destination/what ways do you think the cannabis industry can use physical space to its advantage?
The cannabis industry is ripe with tourism and travel destination opportunities. Everything from cannabis-friendly lodging and lounges to dispensary and grow tours. Platforms like ours, inndica.com, are emerging as a resource for cannabis enthusiasts to find their next cannabis friendly destination and activities. There are many existing businesses and services incorporating cannabis into their business model. Cannabis tourism is trending now as more and more people travel to explore this emerging wellness movement. It isn’t necessarily about having a cannabis vacation, I believe it’s more important to be able to incorporate cannabis into our lifestyle, including travel and leisure.

Rick Fitzgerald and his wife Monique, founders of InnDica.

This month we wanted to share an incredible exhibition that our team attended called ‘Beyond the Streets,’ located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Heritage Equity Partners and Rubenstein Partners, who were working on the commercial space at 25 Kent Avenue, collaborated with ‘Beyond the Streets‘ to create an activation that would attract tenants who are true to the culture of Williamsburg. We’re always looking for new and creative ways to activate the destinations and places we brand, so we decided to check it out.
The exhibition itself is a tribute to ‘society’s most pervasive mark makers and rule breakers,’ displaying work from over 120 unique artists. Viewing the collection of graffiti and street art was an immersive and intriguing experience for all of us. Photos from the exhibition can be viewed below.

Taking It to the Streets

Creative Exhibit: Beyond the Streets

Art Direction/Lead Curator: Roger Gastman
Producer: Ian Mazie / Pressure Point Creative
Co-Creators: Evan Pricco, David CHINO Villorente,
Sacha Jenkins SHR