The sea and the mountains have come to define Vancouver’s image.
But the city was ready to add a new dimension to their story, starting with their special ability to bring art and innovation together.
Already home to two of the city’s most prestigious arts universities, we created a new identity and story for South Flats: to be the global home and local champion of Vancouver’s creative innovation
Finding a home for creativity
While Vancouver is most known for its natural beauty, it’s also a powerhouse in the gaming and entertainment industries. In fact, the city has the world’s largest cluster of animation and visual effects studios. But the most surprising discovery of all: the city was missing a spiritual home for creativity.
South Flats was poised to seize this opportunity. The district was already home to Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Centre for Digital Media, Electronic Arts, lululemon and many more creative businesses. We helped create a unifying story and shape its unique role in the city: to be the global home and local champion of Vancouver’s creative innovation. With this distinctive combination of technology and creative flair, South Flats becomes the place for ‘imagination applied’.
A different point of view
The brief was to evolve the South Flats brand into an ambitious identity that puts this district on the map. We needed to find the right tone to appeal to the creative innovation community: future-facing not juvenile, sophisticated not cheesy, welcoming not high-brow.
The result is a brand of depth and dimension. It shows how art and technology can transport you, immersing you into new worlds. Playful in its perspective shifts, it speaks to a mindset of finding a different point of view.
A sea change for Vancouver
Our chosen palette is a burst of colour in a grey city. The cherry red — derived from South Flats’ sculptural pavilion — is paired with fresher greens, blues and pinks for greater stand-out.
Bold typography opens up like a script, revealing the characters and stories that make this place unique. We show collections of imagery that fill and expand beyond the page, symbolising the way this place stretches our imaginations. With this identity, South Flats adds new dimension to Vancouver’s story, inviting the world to discover its creative side.
Photo credits: Brandon Artis, Shane Gallagher, Joel Schat
“The DNCO team immersed themselves in the city and project. We didn’t get recycled ideas from London, San Francisco, or other major cities. From the start of the project, they were adamant that what will work in Vancouver must be of Vancouver”
Adam Mitchell, Senior Vice President
Low Tide Properties
