Kampus – HBD and Capital & Centric.
A manifesto for modern living
How do you build a brand and create a sense of community for a place that’s still under construction? This was the challenge we faced when HBD and Capital & Centric came to us with a vision to transform a former university campus into Manchester’s newest, canal-side community. With 500+ apartments, commercial units, and event spaces planned across five buildings, Kampus needed to feel like a community people wanted to be part of before it even existed.
A large-scale, collaborative brand development project, we worked alongside a large and varied project team including HBD, Capital & Centric, Native, architects, landscape architects, interior designers, commercial operators and others to deliver a comprehensive brand strategy and identity that reflects how Kampus isn’t just a place to live, but a community to belong to.
This is evidenced in every touch point of the brand, whether that be from a retail and leisure strategy that focuses on getting independent, local food, drink and retail operators, or an interior design scheme involving the work of local artists and creatives.
The tone of voice that we developed nods towards this concept, and is strong and highly finished, yet witty and humorous, and speaks directly to its target audience of sophisticated, design-literate renters.
"Modern Designers worked with us to develop a brand that encompassed all that Kampus is – not just a build to rent scheme, but a new urban community. They helped us focus on who’d be part of that community, and created a language and visual style that targeted them directly".
Helen Aldridge, Marketing Director, Native
Kampus has become Manchester’s multi-award-winning BTR (Build to Rent) scheme, successfully establishing itself as a thriving canal-side community that residents actively choose to be part of, proving that the right brand strategy can build anticipation and belonging even before the first resident moves in.
