The “Ugliest Building” in NYC?

Sabey Data Centers called upon CO OP to help them reposition one of the most controversial buildings in New York, the mammoth concrete tower better known as ‘The Verizon Building.’ Sabey and their broker partner, CBRE, needed to raise the caliber of tenants and also secure a premier commercial tenant for their new office space. Our biggest challenges were overcoming the reputation that the building was known as one of the ugliest buildings in NYC, the location was inaccessible, and “data” was not a compelling sell. 

Visualizing the Power of Data

To overcome these obstacles, CO OP proposed a simple but compelling idea to Sabey and CBRE: “If this building was going to succeed, it had to have its own playbook and ways of differentiating itself.” Maybe “ugly” is a four letter word, but how do we make “ugly” COOL and turn it into an OPPORTUNITY? Our approach was to visualize the power of data by leveraging the mystery of the building in order to create intrigue and drive leasing.

Talking Technology to Techies

Our brand idea was based on a simple idea: “Step into the Data Machine,” graphically making the building look like a new sort of coding language. We created a new way of talking about office space, amenities and location that spoke in a relevant manner to the TAMI companies we wanted to attract: future-focused companies.