Our client, award-winning developer Post Road Residential, bought a plot of land in Everett, MA, and decided to build a market-leading multifamily community there, with over-the-top amenities—but how would we convince well-off Bostonians to venture across the river, into a city known more for its strip malls and scrapyards than for its untapped residential potential?
INTO THE MYSTIC SIDE
Inspired by Everett’s first settlers, who made their way into the “uncouth wilderness of timber” north of the Mystic River, we decided to form the brand around a simple idea: that we all have an innate human instinct to venture into unexpected places, and to build beautiful things there.
IN ALL ITS BEAUTY
The last thing we wanted to do was sugarcoat Everett’s tough-but-beautiful charm. We hired Boston native, Brooklyn-based photographer Toshiki Yashiro to capture the area’s unique and gritty nature.
DISCOVERIES ARE EVERYWHERE
Our brand essence carries into every aspect of the building, from the architecture to the decoration—even the door handles are shaped like old pioneer spyglasses.
THE TRUTH
“I remember when [Proverb] presented that line, ‘You Can’t Discover What You Don’t Explore’—that’s our essence. Our story. Everything we’ve done since that meeting carries the meaning of those words.”
—Andy Montelli, President & CEO, Post Road Residential
A DIGITAL JOURNEY
Inspired by the highly interactive and visual online narratives created by publications like National Geographic and The New York Times, we wanted the website to feel almost like a physical journey, guiding you through the property’s amenities as you scroll.
THE PIONEER JOURNAL
Taking cues from travel and outdoors magazines, we reimagined the typical property brochure as The Pioneer Journal— complete with interviews of local brewers, a visual diary of Everett, and two different cover editions.
SNUGGLE UP WITH THE EXPLORER’S KNIT
For a custom move-in gift, we created a limited-run, authentic wool blanket, which we called The Explorer’s Knit. We worked with the legendary Woolrich Woolen Mills to design a unique Pioneer Plaid pattern, and embroidered the blankets with contrast labels telling the story of the Pioneer.
“We wanted to build a sense of wonder and excitement into all of the shared spaces— communal areas that invite you to come inside, to explore all the amazing amenities hidden within.”
—Seelan Pather, Beinfield Architecture
“There’s a moment in the process where you feel the personality of a place come alive, and that’s where it gets exciting.”
—Andy Montelli, President & CEO, Post Road Residential