THE DAIRY BLOCK
BRAND DNA AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION FOR McWHINNEY ENTERPRISES, SAGE HOSPITALIT Y & GRAND AMERICAN | JANUARY 13, 2016
A COMMUNITY OF MAKERS
TABLE OF CONTENTS 04 A brief manifesto 05 Our assignment 07 Brand purpose 08 Local market context 10 Primary target audiences 16 Brand story 19 Brand DNA 20 Brand creative expression 23 A Dairy Block daydream
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P R E S EN T ED B Y S T R A DA | J A N UA R Y 13 , 2016
A BRIEF MANIFESTO IN CELEBRATION OF QUALITY We believe that life is enriched in the pursuit of quality. The rare and the exceptional. Those who understand will seek it out. Quality doesn’t boast; it doesn’t need hype. It understands the power of understatement. The power of simply being itself. Quality is honest and simple and transparent in its making. Quality is small batch. Indigenous. Crafted. Original. Genuine. Pure. And proud. Quality is achieved with passion, patience and uncommon skill. And often, quality improves with time. It gets broken in instead of worn out. Richer. More complex. And more beautiful. With a patina earned from long use.
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OUR ASSIGNMENT Strada’s assignment is to build upon The Dairy Block identity and placemaking design already underway. Our goal is to further define The Dairy Block brand: what it is and who it is for. To focus on The Dairy Block as an original retail, dining, office and hospitality destination. To discover its personality and bring it to life with a distinctive look and voice that will engage our primary audiences and, over time, transform them from curious seekers to seasoned regulars.
Firehouse Block: 5
LDDRB Submittal 1. INDEX PAGE
2. SITE PLAN
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3. ENLARGED PLANS
4. ELEVATIONS
5. ELEVATIONS
6. ELEVATIONS
7. ELEVATIONS
8. 3D IMAGES
9. 3D IMAGES
10. 3D IMAGES
11. 3D IMAGES
IN ONE FOOT MEMORY IN ONE FOOT PROPHESY
BRAND PURPOSE The purpose of The Dairy Block is to create a world-class shopping/dining/hospitality/office destination that will meet the high standards of an increasingly discerning urban audience. We want to differentiate The Dairy Block by creating a destination based on a new concept in planning and design. With products and experiences you can’t get online or anywhere else in Denver. With the critical mass of a full city block. An active alley axis. Innovative brand curation. And a culture of conscious consumption.
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LOCAL MARKET CONTEXT Denver is one of the nation’s fastest growing – and fastest rising – markets. There is a burgeoning business sector. An influx of professional workers from both coasts. And an evolving, maturing urban culture distinguished by refined tastes and expectations. As a result, downtown Denver is becoming a vibrant, multi-dimensional urban environment. With the rapid expansion of nearby lofts, condos and apartments, downtown residents and workers constitute an active and affluent, “captive” audience. Looking for new, walkable places in the city to eat, drink, shop, play and hang out together. Restaurants and bars are proliferating throughout LoDo, from Larimer Square to Union Station to Coors Field, and everywhere in between. However, high-quality retail in the city has been underserved, until now, with the opening of The Dairy Block. Here is the complete package: shopping, dining, hospitality and office.
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The downtown (LoDo) urban core is encircled by a ring of hot, near-urban destinations: RiNo, Riverfront and Highlands. All just a short walk, ride or Uber away. And, because of their proximity, they have a synergistic relationship with the downtown core. The next ring outward encompasses affluent suburban neighborhoods, such as Wash Park, Cherry Creek, Hilltop, Park Hill, Country Club and Cherry Hills. Home to customers for whom the drive into the city and to The Dairy Block might be a more deliberate and infrequent outing. Nevertheless, an important audience segment. And with the arrival of light rail at Union Station, more visitors are taking the trip downtown than ever before – soon, from DIA as well.
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PRIMARY TARGET AUDIENCES SELECT RETAILERS Who we want: Iconic brands, heritage brands, and new undiscovered brands. All united in a passion for their craft and in their readiness to join with others in a community of makers. We want local, national and perhaps even international brands that are new to Denver and unique to The Dairy Block. And that add something special to our mix.
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SELECT RETAILERS What they want: + They want to minimize their risk. + They want the hot new destination in the hottest part of the city; with high visibility, accessibility and buzz. + They want to know they are in good company. + They want a smart strategy. And a smart plan. They want assurance of solid financial backing to see it through. And they want the assurance of being associated with other strong brands. + They want a venue that will attract – and keep attracting – an affluent clientele. + They want urban density; critical mass; connectivity; walkability; synergy with other urban venues. + They want the “wow.” + They want sustainable value.
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END USERS Who we want: We want to attract affluent, urban-oriented, well-traveled people of all ages. People with refined tastes. Cultural creatives, professionals, hipsters, especially the early adopters. Quality seekers. Fun seekers. People who vet, validate and communicate through social media. Kindred spirits. Different networks will converge here at The Dairy Block: for instance, the hotel guests will mingle with the office workers and the upscale urbanites and the craft connoisseurs and the foodies, geeks and hipsters, and the hospitality workers stopping by at the end of their shift, and the upscale suburbanites in town for a lark. We want this wide-ranging mix to animate The Dairy Block and infuse it with a rich, complex city vibe. And not only that – we want them to want to come back again and again. To make The Dairy Block part of their routine. Their favorite place to be. The kind of discovery they want to share with family and friends.
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END USERS What they want: + They want to be part of the hot new destination in the city. + They want the “wow”; the element of surprise; the fun of discovery. + They want to find; to savor; to indulge the senses; to participate in a genuine, personal connection. And they want to be entertained. + They want to share this experience with their friends and family; they want a place that convenes their community. + They want the good stuff; high quality; high design. + They want original. They want to feel it in the place, the experience and the product mix. They want authenticity; the genuine article. + They want the story. The proof of provenance, the maker’s story that gives meaning and value to the craft. They want to be conscious consumers.
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CURATED CRAFT
ONLY AT THE DAIRY BLOCK
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BRAND STORY The Dairy Block is a progressive and cumulative experience – a movable feast for the eyes and all the senses. It’s not one thing. It’s one thing after another. It’s a convergence of products, services, moments, intriguing sights and sounds – things new and old, and old made new, things large and small, beautiful and delightful, permanent and fleeting, resulting in a fresh and ever-changing experience. The Dairy Block is a micro-district in and of itself – compressed into one city block. And when people and products are brought together in this way, something happens. Cross-pollination. Symbiosis. One shop creates something that pairs nicely with something in another shop down the alley. Or something offered by one shop is incorporated by another. Which creates an ecosystem that is inherently more dynamic and synergistic. More than the hum of its parts. More self-sustaining. And definitely more interesting.
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And yes, it is about beautiful things. Yummy, tasty, luscious things to eat and drink and wear and touch and look at. Things that generate their own gravity and pull you toward them. They change the flow. These are products distinguished by their quality, originality and passionate expression of a particular craft – whether it’s a cocktail or a handbag. Great brands are everywhere out there in the world, it’s true, but not like this – concentrated, connected and curated – in this one place, together. But then it’s not just about things. It’s just as much about the spaces in between things. Pathways, doorways, steps, linkages. Spaces connecting places. Large and small, high and low, nooks and crannies, inside and outside, big reveals and little out-of-the-way surprises. These spaces flow into one another, like tributaries into a river. It’s about moving, meandering, wandering, browsing, lingering, and stopping along the way to smell the espresso. Which brings us to this fundamental point about The Dairy Block: it’s about the flow. The parade of people, sounds, sights, smells, tastes and touches. And you’re part of it. Both participant and observer. This is the theater of the street. And it winds its way from the outer edge through various passages to the core. The theater of The Alley.
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AS COME YOU ARE Welcome to The Dairy Block, a feast for the senses in the heart of LoDo. The perfect place to hang out and enjoy the day ‌ to share in the pursuit of rare things, good food and good company ‌ and to savor the joy of the find.
BRAND DNA It’s worth noting that everything we do and say about The Dairy Block, as members of the team, is an expression of the brand. So it’s important to have a simple set of guidelines to help all team members stay “on brand.” WE ARE CURATORS OF UNCOMMON SHOPPING, DINING, OFFICE AND HOSPITALITY. + We carefully select and present a distinctive array of offerings from small-batch to iconic, heritage brands. + We celebrate the artful and the unexpected. + We are dedicated to quality in all things.
WE ARE A DYNAMIC MICRO-DISTRICT IN THE HEART OF LODO. + We celebrate the convergence and collaboration of our brands, products, services and experiences. + We facilitate cross-pollination within our block, resulting in new pairings and unique combinations.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF MAKERS. + We are united by our passion for the craft. + We value story, provenance and transparency. + We invite our guests to be part of our community as both participant and observer.
WE ARE TRUE DENVER. + We are relaxed and come-as-you-are. + We have style without pretense. + We are genuine.
WE ARE A PROGRESSIVE EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE A SYNERGY OF PAST AND PRESENT.
+ We are creating a sensory journey – a succession of intriguing spaces and events.
+ We respect the history of our location and the complex character of our evolving LoDo neighborhood. + We believe that the old is made more interesting when juxtaposed with the new. And vice versa.
+ We invite our guests to linger, get comfortable and enjoy the day, with its changing rhythms and flows.
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+ In form and function, we are an evolutionary step – a new concept for Denver, found only at The Dairy Block. P R E S EN T ED B Y S T R A DA | J A N UA R Y 13 , 2016
BRAND CREATIVE EXPRESSION An initial exploration of The Dairy Block brand in copy and graphics.
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CREATIVE EXPRESSION
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CREATIVE EXPRESSION
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A DAIRY BLOCK DAYDREAM I step out of the elevator and into the lobby on a quest for a decent cappuccino and maybe a bite of something sweet. The late flight into Denver left me frazzled and I didn’t get a good look around the Heyday when I checked in. But now I can see, this place is different. Good different.
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IT CREATES A WELCOMING AND DOWN-TO-EARTH TWIST ON A TRADITIONAL HOTEL
I find myself heading not for the front of the hotel but to the back … The Alley. Strolling past what looks like a rather intriguing bar called Poka Lola Social Club. I make a mental note to stop by for a cocktail later. Something old-fashioned perhaps, like … an old-fashioned. Through the “out” door is more like through the looking glass. I’m turned around for a second. The back is the front. But the front is the front, too. Inside is out and outside is out. Music bounces off the walls and finds me all the way down the corridor of this urban amphitheater … a guy wearing a porkpie hat pulls a bow across the strings of a cello. The music is
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THE ALLEY MOOD
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original and uncategorizable, somewhere between classical and jazz – which somehow fits this place. And then I spot it, Black Eye Coffee. I make a bee line for the counter, place my order and watch the barista create my Platonic ideal of a cappuccino. She’s an artist with foam and espresso. But what to eat? Under the glass I see Blue Star Donuts and Ritual Chocolates … imported from next door. So, I go local. Really local. And the chocolate concoction I pair with my cappuccino is so good it now feels like the music is coming from inside my belly. I have to sit down and savor … all of it. The breakfast, the ambiance … even this early in the morning, it’s an interesting crowd. People are coming in from Union Station, some with suitcases, headed for the hotel. A good-looking older couple (like, in their 40s) walk their bikes through The Alley on their way to brunch at Kachina, browsing the stores along the way. A younger couple is tying their dog to a post outside the coffee shop. It’s a mishmash of people from all walks of life. Some are wearing aprons. The people who work here are part of the scene, too. I hear snippets of conversation at another table. One guy is
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P R E S EN T ED B Y S T R A DA | J A N UA R Y 13 , 2016
showing his new Shinola watch, that he found just a few doors away. I have to admit, it’s pretty cool. I join the conversation about the new resurgence of “made in America” … which morphs into another conversation, and another … the dog-couple joins in, others leave … and before I know it a couple hours have gone by and I’ve even gotten some work done online. The cello has turned into a jazz trio. Some professional types, I assume because they’re wearing suits, stroll through with some kind of power drinks in hand, headed toward a power lunch. Guess I should get moving, too. I wander by some of the shops: Aviator Nation, Mohawk General, Toms, Union Made, Filson … along with pop-up stores and places where people are actually making the stuff they’re selling. I pop into some of the shops and talk to the merchants and craftsmen. What I come away with are some very cool things – along with fascinating personal stories, stories about their craftwork. And a real sense of pride.
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I find myself at the end of The Alley so I keep going, around the outside, and back in again through Blake’s Passage … only to discover more cool shops, and more surprises. My phone reminds me why I’m in town: I have a meeting in ten minutes. I Uber my way uptown and just make my meeting. Good meeting. I tell some of my associates to meet me at The Dairy Block for dinner and drinks later. They have no idea what they’re in for. I head back to the Poka Lola. Alex, the bartender mixes me an old-fashioned, with Leopold Brothers Whiskey. The good stuff. And I think to myself, wow. Denver just got interesting.
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P R E S EN T ED B Y S T R A DA | J A N UA R Y 13 , 2016