PROJECT M Place
Once a dreary corner of up-and-coming Weihai Road in Shanghai, the former China Merchants Place was in need of a major face lift. JWDK were commissioned to create a new brand position that would entice the younger generation of entrepreneurs ad professionals to the retail podium and office interior. In close proximity to Grade A developments, M-Place will offer high quality at a mid-range price – housing restaurants and cafes to help service the local office workers.
Overcoming an unappealing location next to a noisy elevated highway and general lack of colour and interesting architecture drove the idea to refresh the area with a burst of energy. JWDK generated a collection of colourful images of superheroes enjoying an array of freshly prepared food for the retail podium. The characters were created in conjunction with the office branding which speaks of the super-powered people working in the area. Implying that life always on the go, M-Place would be the stop off point to refuel and re-energise.
The logo consists of a simple letter ‘M’ which represents ‘Merchants’ from the umbrella brand China Merchants. The name M-Place is easy to pronounce and remember for the local Chinese citizens. Catchy bilingual headlines were created to build up the brand story of living ‘life on the go’, and ‘super eats’ and ‘unlimited everyday’ as a nod to the extended opening hours.
The visual identity uses a bold colourful pattern of deep green and hot red with a hint of light blue. The darker colours were taken from the former China Merchants brand to stay true to the place’s roots, while the pattern added a unique freshness.
The new M-Place brand officially launched in 2018 for the leasing programme and made a striking impact to passing traffic when seen on the corner hoarding. It has been successful in attracting new, higher quality retail tenants to the retail podium which is set to open in late 2019.
