Case Study: Pembridge Sq, Notting Hill
19 Pembridge Square, Notting Hill, London. An exclusive residential development of five apartments, each of approx. 2000 sq ft / 180 sqm.

Task
Concept, design and production of all marketing materials for our client, Bective Leslie Marsh estate agents, and the developer. Campaign requirements included brochure, website, opening event invitations, advertising and photography.
Challenges
Matching the quality and defining characteristics of the development. These included an impeccably restored period exterior with ultra-modern interior; uncluttered, open style; an emphasis on wide, lateral spaces; originality; strong, lasting quality and great aspect, the building having windows facing east, south and west.
Art directing photography at a stage when the development was significantly unfinished.
Solutions
- photograph from dawn till dusk to emphasis the light and space granted by the aspect, at all times of the day.
- photograph rooms at the time of day most used, and group accordingly. Instead of the usual grouping of photos according to function (receptions, bedrooms, k&b), this enabled both website and brochure to take the viewer ‘through a day’. Crucially, this also draws the viewer (and potential buyer) into imagining living there.
- shoot through doorways and windows, giving the viewer a sense of position and thus, again, of being there.
- traditionally-styled brochure slip case, minimalist ‘interior’. The brochure slip case featuring the elaborate curves from some traditional plasterwork on the building, housing a minimalist, largely white covered brochure inside. To emphasis the ‘through the day’ theme, each main-section page number took the form of a digital clock style (07:00, 08:00 etc).
- floorplans and technical section on textured, cream stock, delivering an impression of high quality and a touch of lavishness.
- extensive use of width, emphasising the lateral space of the apartments. The opening event invitations, for example, which fitted a DL envelope and so were 210mm wide, concertina-ed out to double that. The brochure used a squatter, American A4 format and the website scrolled sideways, not down.
- last minute dressing, careful photo-editing and some Photoshop to overcome the unfinished condition of the development.
Results
Concept and design were greeted enthusiastically by client and developer. All materials were ready on time and successfully promoted the sale and letting of all apartments. The developer (our client’s client) went on to instruct Definition on two further developments and still retains us in relation to its corporate work.
Photography: Warren Smith
Concept & design: Jon Honeyford
Art direction, copywriting, project management: Michael Taite
A low-resolution PDF of the brochure (excl. slip case) can be downloaded for personal use here.

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