Northbank

Where Philly rediscovers the river

Philadelphia has more rowhouses than any city in America; more than 400,000. But when two renowned builders came together to breathe new life into a former industrial site on the Delaware River, it was with a vision to expand on that historic rowhouse fabric and deliver a new kind of neighborhood. Plans for 35 acres of thoughtfully designed townhomes, condos, retail, and public green spaces offer a unique combination of waterfront amenities and close proximity to vibrant urban areas.

With several years of construction ahead, Grafik developed an overarching brand identity for the neighborhood that could serve as a foundation throughout the life of the project. The name “Northbank” helps to locate the neighborhood geographically—north of downtown and above the Ben Franklin bridge—and denotes that the area is bigger than a single residence, or a small collection of homes. Northbank feels established. It is part of a town. Where Philadelphians reconnect with the water. Where locals are eager to come home.

Selling the vision

Introducing Northbank to prospective homebuyers during a global pandemic meant diverging from our typical real estate playbook and leaning more heavily into digital marketing than ever before. We worked with the project’s builders, architects, and sales teams to tell the story behind this thoughtfully designed community through a brand video, online advertising campaign, and an interactive website, culminating in a well-attended virtual grand opening that led to over 50 home sales in just the first eight weeks.

 

Creating a sense of place

The state-of-the-art sales center and collateral package we designed for Northbank helps prospective homebuyers experience first-hand what makes this place so unique, from the thoughtful contemporary architecture to the panoramic river views.

 

Authentically Philly

To position this emerging neighborhood as a natural extension of Philadelphia, the place branding and collateral for this new community needed to hit the right note of both familiar and new.