Dock 51
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New Vibe for an old ‘Hood
Located on Pittsburgh’s Robotics Row, Dock 51’s transformation exemplifies Pittsburgh’s tale of two cities: a flourishing tech industry set against the backdrop of an industrial powerhouse. We were commissioned to tell the story of this former Sears distribution center and the vision for its future within the area’s hotbed of AI and robotics firms. Critical to our tale was changing the perception of Pittsburgh from stagnant steel to transformational tech.
The site is unique on the Pittsburgh waterfront in that it has two zoned dock opportunities. This aided in the naming effort as the address is 27 51st Street. When combined we get Dock 51. The brand mark is derived from the idea if the square icon docking into the K, much the same way a boat docks on the slip. The vibe is industrial, yet modern enough to represent thee forward thinking nature of Pittsburgh.
The Teaser Film
The marketing campaign relies heavily on the allure of the city–its flourishing tech scene and its hipster neighborhoods–and needed to be authentically Pittsburgh. To capture that unique vibe, we shot aerial and live-action street footage of the area, its vintage shops, trendy bars, and urban street art. We combined that footage with photo real visualization to bring Dock 51’s tech potential to life.
