CINCINNATI RIVERFRONT
just give me a sign
The Cincinnati riverfront has an inherent problem as all riverfronts do — it floods. This made it extremely difficult to develop what otherwise could be pristine real estate. Then came 2008. Brilliant engineers developed a plan to bring the area out of the floodplain by building a monstrous 2-story high, 5-block wide underground garage as the base. And, it worked! Numerous engineering and planning awards later and a decade of unparalleled growth along the river and the development was a success. Except, the garage (officially named Cincinnati Riverfront Garage) had an awareness issue because, well, um, it was underground. The restaurants and condos that used it as a stage also hid its very existence. That’s where we came in. Our job was to give the garage a noticeable brand while directing harried drivers to the most convenient entrance.
This part-branding, part-wayfinding project was fantastic. We created a clean mark that represented the hidden gem below ground and the not-so-hidden gems above. The color palette incorporated the existing wayfinding system — with each color signifying a different quadrant of the enormous garage. Entrances, which previously had no identification, now had CRG-branded signage. Ticket booths were wrapped in CRG pride. Art was created for apparel, collateral, special event banners, and everything else you could think of. The garage was definitely noticed and immediately began to enhance visitors’ experience to our great city.
TRAVEL TIP
When you visit downtown and park in Cincinnati Riverfront Garage, remember that red signage represents the quadrant closest to the Reds stadium, orange is closest to the Bengals stadium, blue is closest to the river, and green is closest to the land.
The Cincinnati Riverfront Garage Gallery
“The team at Pop ran with this one. Their solution and execution was perfect.”
JOE FELDKAMP
Hamilton County Stadia and Parking