Northwood Investors | Pittsburgh, PA
New Vibe for an old ‘Hood
Located on Pittsburgh’s Robotics Row, Dock 51’s transformation exemplifies Pittsburgh’s tale of two cities: a flourishing tech industry set against the backdrop of an industrial powerhouse. LLM Design was commissioned to tell the story of this former distribution center and the vision for its future within the area’s hotbed of AI and robotics firms. Critical to our tale was changing the perception of Pittsburgh from stagnant steel to transformational tech.
Insights
Naming, Brand Identity, Interactive Brochure, Film
When Northwood Investors purchased Dock 51, a former Sears distribution center, they knew there was a great story to be told. The property sits at the end of Pittsburgh’s Robotics Row and offers rare riverfront access (hence the new name, “Dock” 51). Because it’s sited at the end of this tech district, it was important that we repositioned the property with strong ties to the robotics and AI companies that were among its neighbors. The marketing for the project reinforced this connection while also showcasing the cool neighborhood scene in Pittsburgh.
Northwood Investors, CBRE, TiltPixel
Branding and Marketing Collateral
The Dock 51 brand identity was designed to depict the new Pittsburgh, with a nod to its industrial past. We like to think it’s a pretty cool blend of vintage and modern, with a hint of industrial.
Marketing Film
The marketing campaign relies heavily on the allure of the city–its flourishing tech scene and its hipster neighborhoods–and needed to be authentically Pittsburgh. To capture that unique vibe, we shot aerial and live-action street footage of the area, its vintage shops, trendy bars, and urban street art. We combined that footage with photoreal 3D visualization to bring Dock 51’s tech potential to life.
