266 Liberdade
Avenue
Brand Identity
Graphic Design
Editorial Design
Digital
2019
Newsflash: we could never replace, upstage or forgo an homage to the historic richness and architectural importance of this building.
An iconic landmark at the beginning of the most prestigious and luxurious avenue in Lisbon — Avenida da Liberdade — this building was originally built in 1940 and designed by Pardal Monteiro, winning the Valmor architectural distinction.
But, most important of all, this building was conceived to house a beloved and well-reputed national newspaper: the Diário de Notícias. This newspaper was made by extraordinary Portuguese artists, writers and poets (such as: Eça de Queirós, José Saramago, Cesário Verde, Almada Negreiros, among others.). Works of art by Almada de Negreiros still adorn the inner halls.
The iconic neon gothic letters remain on top of the building, recalling a long-gone era of last-minute headlines and huge print-churning machines. Newspapers and turn-of-the-century iconography were, definitely, the ground inspirations for the whole project. The values of truth and integrity became a part of the project's DNA and the will to build a tribute — without the sad nostalgia throwback — was Blug’s main purpose for the 266 Liberdade project.
The brand was inspired in newspapers' headlines and the chosen typography paid a specific homage to Diário de Notícias. The contemporary feeling to the brand was added through a recreation of the classic DN font, bringing it closer to the architecture's purpose: to customise and give a new breath of fresh air to an iconic Lisbon institution.
The blotted grey is paramount to the brand's identity: instead of black, we chose Black Onix, a graffite grey inspired by the handling of the newspaper and the traces it leaves in our hands, leaving a trail of knowledge and reading we wished to associate with our building. The Green Mint evokes the light and the freshness of the tree-lined avenue, built in a different time, when people were able to enjoy walking and noticing the surrounding details.
Stating and proving that the ultimate luxury is the ability to write one's history, to create one's most cherished memories, to draw a path for the life one wishes to live, Blug made sure "house-buying" translated as "life-changing" to all those who were lucky enough to aspire to live here. This positivity was paramount to the whole project, enabling a way to give a new life, both to the building, to its legacy and to the people who were going to live with this heritage every day.
"Rewrite your story" became the main claim for this fortunate and exclusive adventure.
So Blug went the extra mile, inviting the prospective buyers to become the storytellers of their own lives. They were given the chance to create a new story for themselves.
Stories - may they be told, experienced or imagined - were the building blocks of a new way of life in Lisbon. One where personal narratives were given prominence, where the heritage aspects were strengthened and where sophistication and luxury were a given.
The communication was key — and the brochure used the former iconic frontpage, as well as emulating a newspaper form — to extend the tribute to the building's character and history. 266 Liberdade, with the inverted address to create differentiation and it's glamourous past, became the ultimate symbol for our prestigious and iconical project. High-end, contemporary apartments find a home at this previous news hub, where everything new always found a way to light.
There was a specific distribution campaign, with beautiful newspaper tote bags designed to create buzz. We also enlisted the help of newspaper boys and the old use of the wooden markers to present the brochure - a beloved club tradition, allowing you to read the paper. All in all, a turn-of-the-century experience, with an innovative and inspiring reinterpretation.
