A neighborhood based identity

The public’s perception of the Plaza over the years, combined with 3 years of construction and a global pandemic, have changed the way people shop at the Plaza. Instead of taking their time to explore the street, shoppers have developed the habit of taking quick trips to specific stores to buy what they need.

Tux quickly realized this issue was rooted in behaviour. In order to change people’s perception of the Plaza, we first had to change their shopping habits. That’s why we opted to create a content-driven ad campaign for the Plaza that aimed to stop shoppers on the street and encourage them to take a closer look at what was on offer. Specifically, the campaign content shone a spotlight on the Plaza’s lesser-known hidden gems and introduce shoppers to what is actually an unparalleled commercial and cultural destination. Where else could you find a street in Montreal where hip restaurants, a medieval boutique, an XXX cinema, plus Latin and African delis sit side by side?

The campaign signature we developed was Juste sur la Plaza (Only at the Plaza), which came after we took our own journey to discover all the Plaza had to offer. Tux’s offices are located on the Plaza, which gave us ample opportunity to try out restaurants, speak to workers and shoppers, and get a real feel for this unique place. It didn’t take us long to realize the goal wasn’t to reinvent the Plaza, but rather focus on what’s already there. And that’s exactly what we did.

We started with a series of posters that focused on different well-kept Plaza secrets. We hung these on large vacant storefront windows throughout the street to attract the attention of passersby and invite them to explore the Plaza a little more in depth. We took inspiration from what we found on the street itself and in storefronts to create the fonts, colours, and various visual elements used in the posters.

Since there were more hidden Plaza gems than vacant storefronts, we created an additional set of posters that we printed, glued, and hung up ourselves in a series of wild postings—a way to honour the Plaza’s tradition of DIY innovation and resilience. We also developed social-media content that showcased these hidden gems and the store owners themselves, and installed various pieces around the neighbourhood directing shoppers to visit the street.