Challenge
Every After Has A Before
Formerly one of New York City’s first power stations, 214 Lafayette was renovated to perfection and launched by the Halpern Team as “New York’s Most Unique Rental Property.” 214 Lafayette is an amazing 12,000 square foot townhouse in Soho and the first $100,000 per month listing in New York. Despite the mass press associated with the price tag, the objective was to create a press strategy that did not rely solely on the price point of the home.
Solution
The Vision
It was our intention to build a brand for the house. By launching as the first $100,000 listing and marketing via residential channels the initial push created a massive buzz, which was brought in high profile brands to do events. The events grew and brought with them film and television shoots, which generated a 214 Lafayette brand to other luxury brands. By managing this appeal and maintaining the exclusivity of the space, The Halpern Team was able to get others to pay us for items that would market the house.
The Launch
While the initial launch was quite calculated, the speed at which it unfolded was unexpected. Partnering with Donna Dotan Photography created the most iconic display of a property, trumping every other property on the market. The results were epic and led to one of the most insane public relations and press experiences.
The listing was launched online on a Thursday morning and within 2 hours had received a request to shoot for The Travel Channel’s “Jaw Dropping Rentals” and that Saturday was covered on the front page of The Wall Street Journal’s “New York” section.
Over the course of the next 60 days over 40 articles were written, including the New York Daily News’s “Industrial Chic,” The New York Times’ “Great Places to Live: Luxury Rentals,” and The New York Observer’s “Rentals That Take Your Breath Away, ” 4 TV Shows filmed including Open House New York, and all that was just from launching the residential listing.
Results
The After
Throughout the course of 214 Lafayette, the house brand has captivated the attention of many, resulting in paid brand alignment in the form of events, music videos, commercials, films/tv shows, and advertisements. The home was frequently mentioned in the news after each major event, which only served to organically foster the brand.
Year 1 started with a lot of buzz and a fair amount of rental income; By year 2 that income doubled and rented for a 3-month period to a celebrity client; By year 3 the rental income and brand status increased again; By the end of year 4 the brand presence was substantial. By organically garnering attention we maintained relevancy where other could not–successfully branding 214 Lafayette.