The group of properties that sits at 179 Nanjing East Rd. near Shanghai’s Bund area is rich in cultural history. The buildings are in the process of restoration into a “show window of commerce, tourism, culture and life” integrating retails brands, restaurants, culture and art, as well as brand hotels to become a new fashion landmark of Shanghai. The complex will simply be known as The Central (外滩 中央).
The developers behind the project, Shanghai Bund Investment Group, engaged us to help tell the story of The Central from its turn of the 20th century beginnings to now, and beyond to the completion of the upcoming restoration / renovation.
To capture the story of The Central, we created an animation that features the icons, fashions, characters and evolution of Shanghai that weave together the rich history of the location. The animation, titled “Then, Now, and Beyond” premiered as VJ content during a performance by The Shanghai Restoration Project at the project’s groundbreaking ceremony. The animation has since been used online and together with communications / marketing materials targeting potential investors in the project and future tenants.
比邻上海外滩，位于南京东路179的地块潜藏丰富的文化底蕴，而此次复兴方案欲将其被打造为集名品店铺、餐饮、文化艺术以及知名酒店的“商业、旅游、文化和生活”窗口式地标型商圈，而其也有一个响亮的名字，The Central (外滩 中央)。
负责该项目的开发商“上海外滩投资开发集团”邀请我们为其创作一条描述二十世纪初期至今“外滩 中央”发展变迁的故事，并展现其今后将被复兴再造的风貌。
我们创作了一条动画短片来讲述“外滩 中央”的故事，其中一一呈现了上海在丰厚文化历史进程中曾出现过的偶像、时尚、特征和演变。这条名为“过去、现在、未来”的短片在上海复兴方案的奠基仪式上以VJ形式展示，并在之后作为该计划展示内容之一被广泛运用于网络及其市场部推广活动。
