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Pentridge
Building a brand identity and platform for one of Melbourne’s most notorious cultural assets.
Until recently, Pentridge was known to the public as one of Melbourne’s most notorious prisons, but when it was purchased by the Shayher Group in 2013, it began its transformation into the lifestyle, tourism and entertainment precinct it is today.
The evolution of Pentridge
Over almost 150 years, the word ‘Pentridge’ became eponymous with prison. Following the closure of the Melbourne Gaol in the 1920s, Pentridge became the main remand and reception prison for the Melbourne metropolitan area.
Pentridge has housed some of Australia’s most infamous criminals and forms an emotional and dark place in many hearts and minds.
The rebranding process had a heavy focus on the local community, incorporating Coburg’s rich diversity through in-depth persona work.
Community, inclusivity, and familiarity were key aspects of our visual and written language, repositioning Pentridge as a local meeting place and destination.
A colloquial approach to colour and language
We expanded the colour palette and graphic system significantly to support the evolution of place, people, and context. The identity had to be flexible enough to represent a depth of application including a new retail offering, public space and events, a developing arts program, and new tourism opportunities.
Pentridge is a place to learn and reflect, but it’s also a place to feel inspired, and through its revival, we can shed light on a new history.
To celebrate the opening of Pentridge we developed a launch campaign, inviting patronage in the local area to learn more about the history of Pentridge and to visit the precinct.
Our campaign focused on a rollout that was accessible, personalised, and inviting from both a patronage and trader perspective.
Digitally our work culminated in the creation of a website providing access to history resources, a platform for events, and a directory profiling the traders of Pentridge Shopping Centre.
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