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JBG Smith

Engineering the future of live, work and play

  • Brand Experience
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  • Brand Foundations
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  • Brand Futures

The challenge

National Landing is one of the largest destination and placemaking projects in the U.S, including the new home of Amazon HQ2, with $12B in public and private investment and a daily community of 60,000 residents and commuters. 

 

Our challenge was to build an end‑to‑end masterbrand design and activation strategy to position, launch, and drive engagement, visitation, and tenancy as the neighborhood shed its past and moved into a new future.

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We used a mixed‑methods, discovery‑driven approach to ground the work in real behavior and shifting expectations.  The pandemic accelerated how people relate to home and public space; culture, everyday experiences, flexible work, sustainability, and a strong community became non‑negotiable.  From research, we identified the critical experience elements that attract residents, businesses, and visitors amid changing lifestyles and demographics, then assembled a set of strategic pillars to anchor the development as a beacon of modern placemaking. 

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We created a masterbrand strategy and platform—“Home to More.” It expanded the meaning of home for residents and visitors, established cultural proof points for the placemaking vision, and tied the brand directly to JBG SMITH’s portfolio, urban planning, and architecture.  The platform positioned National Landing as a lifestyle‑led ecosystem for live, work, and play – and came with a full suite of brand assets, guidelines, and tools to flex across B2B and B2C touchpoints and channels.  Activation spanned PR and social storytelling, a monthly newsletter, an Experience Center, and the website, alongside a Smart City narrative to engage investors, partners, and B2B audiences.

As momentum built, we extended the ecosystem with new branded offers: Catalyst, a data‑driven flexible workspace sub‑brand; and SymPark, a frictionless parking product designed and launched from brand through marketing execution.

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National Landing has taken hold as a beacon of successful placemaking and destination development, with the brand and experience translating into tangible neighborhood change and sustained interest from residents, employers, and visitors.  Early outcomes point to a younger, more diverse resident base and visible growth indicators across technology, hospitality, retail, and street‑level activity – aligned with the “Home to More” promise.