Place Montreal Trust assumed a new identify on the streets of downtown Montreal, Canada last year and repositioned itself as a retail medium through which local residents could connect with the very spirit of their city. At the heart of that transformation is “My space. My place. My Montréal,” the advertising campaign the center developed with the help of agency Zoum Armada.
There are a couple of ways to discover a city: by taking the high road or the one less traveled. But if you really want to get to the essence of the place, you’ll need to do both. It’s the kind of urban spiritual journey on which Place Montréal Trust proposes to take its shoppers.
The “My space. My place. My Montréal” campaign not only speaks to the breadth of the center’s fashion merchandise mix, but also to the instinctive creativity of residents who feed off and contribute to the city’s highly diverse urban culture. This constant inflow and outflow of creative energy and inspiration provided the basis for the ad campaign, which focuses on three elements that best represent the city’s eclectic mix: fashion, culture and society. The result is a visual collage of evocative images—from the famous underground and distinctive neighborhoods to notable architectural features and everyday fashion mavens.
“The cornerstone of Place Montreal Trust’s new identity is the MontrealMinspire.com micro-site. It offers avant-garde navigation through a colorful, fragmented environment,” explained marketing director Mélanie Auger.
“The microsite represents a constantly evolving online universe of urban chic inspiration and includes exclusive Place Montreal Trust articles about Montreal living, written by Elle Québec [magazine].”
The site also offers a look at the latest in street fashion—literally. Photographer Marianne Larochelle scoured the streets of Montreal, taking snapshots of city dwellers with a unique style. Then, for six months, fashion journalist Véronique Cousineau picked 10 photographs each week to present and comment on in the microsite’s Urban Chic blog, as well as on ElleQuebec.com.
Meanwhile, stylist Véronique Delisle zeroed in on accessories featured in the street styles and looked for their alter-ego within the shops of Place Montreal Trust before telling site visitors about her latest finds.
Médias Transcontinental was Place Montreal Trust’s partner on the project, which enabled the center to gain valuable exposure on many of the broadcaster’s websites, including those of Elle Québec, Coup de Pouce and MokaSofa.
The cornerstone of Place Montreal Trust’s new identity is the microsite. It offers avant-garde navigation through a colorful, fragmented environment.
Besides its on-site visual communication and online meeting place, Place Montreal Trust also created spin-off programs from its ad campaign, including the Urban Chic contest that it ran last spring.
From May 11 until June 21, shoppers could register online and at the interactive terminal located at the customer service desk for a chance to win a $5,000 prize package.
The grand prize included a shopping spree and night out, based on one of three available themes: Gastronomic Adventure, Indie Culture or Glam Evening. The prize also included the services of a private chauffeur, an overnight downtown stay, center gift cards and a digital camera, courtesy of Dumoulin, a center electronics retailer.
While the center inspired shoppers to satisfy their need for creative expression through fashion and other cultural experiences, it also called on them to connect with the less fortunate among them through initiatives such as its ongoing clothing drive.
For well over a year now, shoppers have been able to drop off their used garments in the center’s recycling container. All donations are sorted and delivered to Accueil Bonneau and Chaînon, two local charities. To encourage donations, the center held the Eco Chic contest. Up for grabs was a complete outfit that ecological fashion designer Samsara created using clothing that had been reclaimed from the drop-off container. The prize also included a night on the town with a dinner at a local restaurant and a shopping spree to accessorize the Samsara outfit.
This year, Place Montreal Trust intends to bring forth its human side, calling on three local personalities who have each made their mark in the center’s three areas of interest—fashion, culture and society. According to Auger, the marketing goal will be to highlight the center as an enthusiastic, human, vibrant, connected, original and influential brand.
Location: Downtown Montreal, Canada
Owner/Manager: Ivanhoe Cambridge
Number of Retail Outlets: 70, including shops, eateries and service retailers within a 320,000 square-foot GLA. Five majors: Indigo, La Vie en Rose & Cie, Mexx, Winners and Zara.
Recent Updates: In 2002, Ivanhoe Cambridge injected $15 million into Place Montreal Trust to renovate the center’s food court and Garden level. This followed the $20 million investment that the company made to acquire the center in 1999 and position it as a major player in the downtown core’s revitalization plan.
Clientele: Place Montreal Trust’s highly diverse clientele reflects the convergence of cultures, traditions, creative influences, fashion styles and businesses that define the City of Montreal. The center attracts more than 15 million visitors annually.
Public Amenities/ Service Highlights: Tourist guides and maps on Montreal, exclusive promotions for tourists, indoor parking valet service, accessibility for low-mobility shoppers and customers with special needs, interior five-storey high water fountain, direct access to the Underground City of Montreal and quiet rooms for nursing mothers.
Loyalty Programs: These include “A Card for a Cure,” Place Montreal Trust’s gift-card program, whose proceeds benefit the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation
Communities: Place Montreal Trust is a partner of charities and non-profit organizations that include Accueil Bonneau, Le Chaînon, Montreal Children’s Hospital and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.
Source: Place Montreal Trust
Collateral Material
On-site
Online
Source: Place Montreal Trust.
Tool Time at Hillside
