Eastridge Center
POV: You made the mall fun again.
Goal: Malls aren’t fun. But someone forgot to tell Eric that. Eric wanted to convince everyone that malls could still fun. And if he would do that by turning his favorite mall, Eastridge, into San Jose’s favorite mall brand.
Results: Eric launched a brand refresh that was complimentary to existing architecture but with an expanded brand system. He also turned Eastridge into the most followed mall in San José (as of April 2024) and produced content that generated +2.5 million impressions in a little over a year. The mall saw a 41% increase in its following on Instagram, 98% increase on Tik Tok, and 100% increase in people sharing Eastridge’s chaotic shit-posting.
The Fun Mall
Eric saw a disconnect between the brand that Eastridge aspired to be and the impression the wider community had of it. Seeing this as an opportunity to differentiate itself from its higher-end competitors, Eric introduced a lighter, sarcastic voice that plays into the mall’s reputation. People don’t take Eastridge seriously, and neither does Eastridge. The change has brought a notable increase in user engagement from 2023. Eastridge Center ranked first in social media strategy at Pacific Retail Capital Partners and across its entire portfolio of 20+ properties. In June 2023, the Eastridge Instagram page surpassed Westfield’s Valley Fair, which it continues to outperform (as of May 2024). Eastridge also dominates all other directly competing malls in San Jose and the South Bay in terms of social media engagement and social following.
Brand Refresh
In 2024, Eric completed a brand refresh for Eastridge Center. As an existing brand for more than 52 years, Eastridge’s current identity was defined by the recent 2016 renovation. Inspired by that renovation, and to ensure the brand refresh complimented the properties’ existing architectural design, Eric embraced these existing elements, while still aiming to create a refresh that was modern, efficient, and embrace the fun character Eastridge had become on social media
Key Challenges
Reinforce existing branding while updating the core visual language.
Reinforce Eastridge’s fun, cheerful appeal.
Create simple, efficient collateral that can be edited and updated easily.
