Today, we can all agree that the Fenway neighborhood is a hot and exciting place to be anytime of day. In 2013, on the cusp of this massive development flow, Korn Design teamed up with real-estate developer and fearless creative Steve Samuels and his team at Samuels & Associates on one of the most “off-the-hook” placemaking assignments we could have imagined: to help to bring The Fenway to the forefront of people’s minds as a distinctive neighborhood when they are thinking about where to live, locate their office or simply relax. Our strategy– bring to light the tried and true vibrancy and eccentric character of this neighborhood and its residents to let the neighborhood speak for itself. Bordered on one side by Kenmore Square and The Charles River and on the other by the Fens and The Emerald Necklace, and powered by cutting edge music, entertainment, a kick-ass culinary scene, green spaces and fun, this is The Fenway that lived under the radar for decades. A neighborhood that will always be proud to call Fenway Park and The Red Sox neighbors, but not the only thing that defines it. Korn’s unconventional approach kicked into high gear with a guerilla messaging campaign, an aggregator website to give all the amazing residents a voice, and killer leading-edge partners in Isenberg Projects and Best Dressed Signs. The rest is history . . .

Our solution was a combination of zesty poster-wheat-pasting of the neighborhood with messaging around the Who, What and Where things are already happening, with “There’s Never An Off-Season” leading the charge. (Although completely environmentally-friendly, city officials’ didn’t like this component too much) The most recognizable and enduring component, the Fenway identity, was executed as a singular, connected mark, visually translating the many relationships throughout the area. The mark riffs on neon sign language to reference the around-the-clock nature of everything the neighborhood has to offer. The brand’s visual dimension and messaging wrapped everything from pedi-cabs to construction barricades and had a lively presence online with a vibrant social media strategy brought to life by our friend and creative partner, Isenberg Projects.

We expanded the typographic palette further when partnering with Best Dressed Signs to create a mural incorporating the phrase “There’s Never an Off Season.” Using the color palette in the identity, they interpreted the letters dimensionally to wrap the message in repeat around the building, which has since been razed to allow for the Samuels & Associates luxury residential project, The Point Boston.

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We are excited to share 25 pivotal projects, partnerships and creative moments with you over the next six months. Subscribe to our Newsletter to get monthly updates of our 25 years of projects. Follow us on Instagram to see more behind the scenes at Korn over the last 25 years!