Xintiandi is one of the most iconic social and cultural destinations in Shanghai. The area is famous for being a shopping, eating, and entertainment district with unique ‘shikumen’ (stone gate) style architecture, pedestrianised areas, and al fresco dining. Since launching in 2001, the name Xintiandi has grown to represent the wider affluent community surrounding the commercial development.

Property developer, Shui On Land, commissioned JWDK to build a brand story for Xintiandi’s 20th Anniversary. The strategic campaign would solidify the place as Shanghai’s most prominent social and cultural destination, further connecting it to the ‘creative classes’ of China.

Our campaign logo was inspired by a literary Chinese character used in the lunar calendar – ‘廿’ (nian), meaning twenty. The distinct shape of the character makes it diverse – when inverted, it forms the letter ‘A’ representing ‘anniversary,’ and resembles the distinctive ‘shikumen’ doorways  at Xintiandi. The ‘廿’ character is layered on top of a numerical ‘20’ as a complimentary icon to the main Xintiandi logo.

A powerful campaign slogan #由新创造 (#CreatedInXintiandi) was adopted to celebrate the unique Chinese creative talent that Xintiandi has been cultivating since their launch 20 years ago. The slogan will pay tribute to the creators that have been involved in shaping and co-creating the Xintiandi brand and call on more creatives to join the aspiring Xintiandi community.

Finally, JWDK fashioned a set of unique patterns from the ‘廿’ character and its inverted ‘A’ shape. The connected lines of the repeat pattern serve as a base for added narratives that are linked to various events and activities being held throughout the anniversary year.

Xintiandi will collaborate with brands and artists throughout 2021 to develop new patterns that enhance the creativity and impact of the 20th Anniversary campaign. Check out the example patterns we’ve put together that demonstrate the diverse elements of the Xintiandi brand: social, culture, fashion, food, and art.