branding paradise // the parmelee key brand development process

The thick, warm ocean breeze pushes turquoise waves along a pristine white sand beach. Rustling palm fronds and fluttering wings of an American Bald Eagle soar above 40 unspoiled, undeveloped acres on Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

Developer Victor Ballestas, Principal of Integra Investments, came to helium creative with his passion project – the development of 10 private, exclusive estate homes in paradise just 1.5 hours from Miami and Key West. He needed a way to communicate the rarity of this development and wanted something picturesque and concise to convey the exclusivity of this one-of-a-kind project. The helium team eagerly took on Victor’s amazing project named Parmelee Key. Day trips to Islamorada, working with sketches from acclaimed landscape architect Raymond Jungles – yes, please. We jumped at the opportunity to create an impactful brand so prospective buyers could truly understand the incomparable experience offered on the island while they pictured themselves living the incredible lifestyle on one of the ten, 4-acre estates at Parmelee Key. That’s what we live for.

During a quick discovery session, the helium team walked Victor through a mood presentation for the Parmelee Key brand, which we pretty much nailed! We proposed an indulgent lifestyle like no other, where refined wilderness reigns. The natural elegance of a tropical oasis – a refined, simple + timeless lifestyle leading to an inspired existence, where primal beauty meets the everyday. The palm fronds play an important role as design elements, as well as the prominent blues of the clear waters to create the ultimate private island experience on Parmelee Key.







  


The preliminary logo we designed was a hit as well. We wanted to create an icon that represented the tropical Islamorada lifestyle so a palm frond seemed fitting. Then we matched the icon with an elegant typeface, such as Butler, to marry all the elements in total perfection. Logo design = approved during the discovery session! Amazing! See how easy it is to work with helium?! On the spot logo approval doesn’t always occur as we encourage client feedback, but when it does work out that way it sure feels good.



With the brand foundation solidified, the helium team took an inspiration trip to Islamorada to experience paradise in person. Twist our arms.










After visiting the development land we knew what really inspired the brand was the land itself; 40 completely natural, pristine acres in Islamorada, the high-end island of the Florida Keys. We wanted to embrace the old world Florida charm and bring the notion of a place preserved in time to life. A native Florida Keys ecosystem – a place where the Florida pine meets the coconut palm and tightly woven mangroves, an American Bald Eagle soaring above, in harmony with a contemporary gated community and sustainable development. We wanted to conjure the feel of an exclusive private island with the amenities and ease of being connected to the mainland.

After seeing internationally acclaimed landscape architect, Raymond Jungles’, sketches of the grounds design we knew illustrations were the perfect way to lend a human, nostalgic element to the brand. Personalized hand drawn sketches overlaid on photographs of crystal blue water, white sand beaches, lush greenery and lifestyle imagery of people immersed in island living give the exact essence we wanted to convey. A concept that naturally gave way to the tag line “Immersive Island Living,” where the buyer recognizes the value of the natural world and embraces the beauty of the pristine escape that’s away from it all yet within arms reach of any possible desire.

Inspired by Jungles’ initial drawings, Chris drew more sketches to use in the marketing collateral and website; he illustrated the masterplan overview and a map of the Florida Keys, and re-worked the jungle enshrouded entrance and guest bungalow.




After a dramatic trip to Fedex Office where the scanner almost shredded the drawings to bits, the artwork was digitized.






The feather represents the land set aside for the American Bald Eagle and its carefully crafted nest, a future neighbor for prospective buyers.
We are loving the direction of this brand and can’t wait to show you how personalized details can elevate the overall brand experience and distinguish a product in an extremely crowded marketplace. To see the final results follow @heliumcreative on Instagram, Facebook + Twitter! We’d love to hear what you think!!


0 comments: