17 LISKA + ASSOCIATES, NY
In creating this print promotion for a real estate development, Liska + Associates, NY, went deter­minedly against the grain. DISTRICT is the name given to a new luxury condominium building being constructed amidst the classic architecture of lower Manhattan. To sell units in it to the target demo­graphic of the young and the moneyed, Liska de­signers discarded the classic tropes of the luxury real-estate brochure—coated stocks, embossing, arrays of finishes—in favor of a more atmospheric, even romantic solution.

Film noir was the inspiration, says creative director Tanya Quick—or to be more precise, the sought-after effect was “noirish.” Specifically, the model was that late (1957) classic example of the genre, Sweet Smell of Success, an acerbic tale of a ruthless newspaper columnist and those who fawn over him. It’s a quintessential New York movie, says Quick, and because it’s about news papering, it was very much in line with the design solution the Liska team had in mind for DISTRICT. “We wanted to show the building as if it was its own city, so we took the newspaper format for the brochure,” she says. An added benefit was that the tabloid served as what she calls “a portable billboard” as potential buyers tucked it under their arms on the way to the train or cab. Romantic yet edgy photography was shot by Sean Kennedy Santos: stills for print, web, signage, environmental graphics and associated collateral; moving footage for a short film housed at the website, Districtny.com. And although the newspaper metaphor was apparent in the brochure, its oversized format (18½ x 23 ½ in.), superior stock (Mohawk Superfine) and fine printing clearly signaled a luxury appeal. by Tom Biederbeck

Liska + Associates, NY | Creative Director: Tanya Quick | Designer: Jenn Cash | Masthead/logo Designer: Emily Schwartzman | Photographer: Sean Kennedy Santos | Printer: Taylor Tocci & Co. | Client: DISTRICT | Contact: www.liska.com