A ‘place brand’, or location brand, is a powerful tool used to shape the reputation of a place – be it a neighborhood, city, region, or entire country. It encompasses more than just a logo or slogan; it also includes the emotions, experiences, and associations that people have with the place. As such, a successful place brand can influence tourism, investment, and civic pride.
Some examples of successful place brands include “I LOVE NY“, the famous slogan and logo of New York that has been replicated around the world. Another standout example is “Incredible India”, a place branding campaign that has succeeded in projecting India as a tourist destination with rich cultural and geographical diversity. On a more local scale, the “Puerto Madero” place branding initiative in Buenos Aires has transformed the old port into a modern and attractive tourist destination. These are just a few examples of how well-designed place branding can change the perception and appeal of a place, generating economic and social benefits for its residents.
In the case of the Concha y Toro neighborhood in Santiago, Chile, the locals and residents, supported by Sercotec, contacted the Hey Design agency due to their experience working with the BARRIO ITALIA BRAND. Here we tell you the details of how the project was carried out.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ITS PROJECT
The Concha y Toro neighborhood is a historical jewel in the heart of Santiago, Chile. Named after the Concha y Toro family (and not the vineyard), this neighborhood is famous for its architecture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Walking through its cobblestone streets is like traveling through time with its old mansions. It should be noted that the neighborhood is also home to a lively cultural scene, with numerous bars, restaurants, and art galleries, however in recent years it has been losing its former luster and the number of visitors and tourists has decreased.
One of the major challenges for the neighborhood is ensuring that its significant historical and cultural heritage is preserved in the future, while also focusing on positioning the neighborhood as a recreational and cultural space in a calm and family-friendly environment. To do this, a group of locals and residents embarked on creating a place brand for the neighborhood with the graphic design studio Hey.
The neighborhood is a unique place in the center of Santiago that offers a heritage, cultural, and family experience to whoever visits.
MAIN CHALLENGES
Creating a ‘place brand’ involves a number of challenges. First, it is fundamental to understand and respect the unique identity of the place, its history, its culture, and its people. Each place is different, and the Concha y Toro neighborhood brand should reflect its unique characteristics and values. It’s not about imposing an external image, but discovering and expressing the essence of the neighborhood in an attractive and meaningful way.
Second, a successful place brand must be inclusive and participatory. It should involve all stakeholders, including residents, local businesses, visitors, and public authorities. The creation of the brand must be a collective process that has the support and approval of the entire community.
This last point is perhaps the most difficult to manage and that’s why the Hey Design team developed an inclusive brand that doesn’t focus on any specific heritage building or facade.
Our main challenge was to rescue the essence of the Concha y Toro neighborhood in a broader way, so that both residents and business owners felt reflected and heard. To achieve this, we began a search in which we thought it was interesting to rescue the essence of the streets of the neighborhood, since they play a fundamental role in its history. Since its beginnings, they were built organically, evoking the European neighborhoods of the early century. This peculiarity has become an integral part of its identity, its curved and diagonal streets are not common in the Santiago plan. In addition, we observed that semicircular arch windows are a characteristic element in the heritage buildings of the neighborhood. These windows convey a sense of spaciousness and heritage value, making the neighborhood an oasis within Greater Santiago. The typographic choice and color palette achieve a duality between the modern and the historical, presenting the neighborhood as a diverse, multicultural site with a view to the future. We found it fascinating to highlight these singularities without focusing on a particular building and in this way, be able to represent all its inhabitants, we found a point where all voices converged.
Dannia Ardiles, Senior designer at Hey Design
THE PLACE BRAND BARRIO CONCHA Y TORO
The brand is developed on three fundamental pillars:
- The diversity of its inhabitants, each contributing their own perspective and creativity to create a unique meeting place.
- The combination of tradition and innovation, where history combines with creativity to create a unique experience.
- The community is the heart of the neighborhood.
The logo of Barrio Concha y Toro is inspired by the essence of the place and its organic construction in the style of last century’s European neighborhoods. Its objective is to represent all its residents without focusing on a specific building. The presence of semi-circular arch windows in local architecture becomes a distinctive element that conveys spaciousness and heritage value, encapsulating the diversity and multiculturalism of the neighborhood.
The logo’s typography is chosen with serif to evoke a sense of tradition and historical roots, while the word “Barrio” is presented with a sans-serif font, creating a duality between the modern and the historical. This choice reflects the neighborhood’s ability to maintain a balance between the heritage of the past and evolution towards the future, just like its icon. The logo seeks to capture the uniqueness of Barrio Concha y Toro and its rich architectural history, presenting a visual representation that embraces its distinctive and welcoming identity.
The creation of the place brand for Barrio Concha y Toro not only helps to revive the neighborhood’s unique identity but also positions it as a standout cultural and recreational space in Santiago de Chile. The Barrio Concha y Toro is not just a neighborhood, it’s a brand that represents its rich history, its vibrant cultural scene, and its community spirit. Come and live the experience of Barrio Concha y Toro!