The North Sydney CBD unveils fresh look via Frost*collective for North Sydney Council

The North Sydney CBD has been relaunched under a revitalised brand developed by Frost*collective on behalf of North Sydney Council.

The new brand follows a major review into North Sydney as a destination for business and residents that included workshops and interviews with local business leaders and community members.

This uncovered the insight that North Sydney offered a unique work/life balance, which comes from combining the densest CBD in the country with leafy green harbour front surroundings that promote wellbeing.

The strategy was brought to life through a creative concept centred on the tagline “Happiness works here”. The concept has driven a content and experience-driven campaign opening up new ways to communicate with target markets and new partnerships with local workers and businesses.

Frost*collective’s brand and design agency, Frost* Design has created a striking logo that embodies this “happy balance” by populating the letters “NTH SYD” with vibrant colours, geometric shapes and juxtapositions of images from the local area.

As part of the brand launch the streets of the CBD have gained a new lease of life with colourful banners featuring the new design as well as revitalised street furniture, which have been painted in vibrant colours. Billboards featuring the new designs will soon also sell the benefits of work/life balance and opportunities to participate in local events.

To create a genuine community groundswell around the brand, Frost*collective digital agency, The Nest has created a content strategy and website to source content from the community in line with events held throughout North Sydney. The crowdsourcing concept puts the content into the hands of current and potential North Sydney workers to represent the perspective of those who work in the area. There is also a dedicated Spotify playlist to represent the feeling of happiness in North Sydney.

Says Vince Frost, CEO, Frost*collective: “By working off a brand idea that has a central truth for people in North Sydney we have been able to get them involved in brand delivery as well as partnering with Council to create events and experiences that further prove this positioning.

“The great thing about this is rather than just selling North Sydney we have given it a revitalised sense of its own identity and a cause for people to rally around. As specialists in destination branding this is central to our belief that places need to clearly articulate what they stand for and engage locals in building positive perceptions.”

The new creative launches online and across the North Sydney CBD this month.

North Sydney Council’s general manager, Warwick Winn said the collaboration had been a productive one.

Says Winn: “North Sydney was a challenging project because the CBD had developed a reputation for being boring. We are very pleased with the positioning and strategy that Frost* has developed for the Centre. It would have been easy for an agency to just deliver a fresh logo and communications materials. Frost* Design’s understanding of place making means we have a holistic campaign and the initial feedback has been very positive.”

Client: North Sydney Council

Senior Producer: Daniel Mulligan