Pershing Dubai
Ferretti yachts today launched two luxury waterfront residences, “Ferretti Luxury Beach Residence” and “Pershing Luxury Beach Residence”. The freehold ownership project branded as “Marine Legends” is valued at $1.6 billion US. Unsurprisingly, the development is situated on the Waterfront and offers nearly two million square feet of saleable area.
A.C.I Real estate have been chosen as the selling agents and developer. “This deal has furthered the vision we have at ACI Real Estate, which is to bring world class luxury living to Dubai. The Ferretti Group has been a leading luxury brand for decades now. We at ACI Real Estate want to blend Ferretti’s expertise into our real estate projects and provide our customers with the best of both worlds”, said Robin Lohmann, Managing Director of ACI Real Estate.
Vincenzo Cannatelli, CEO of Ferretti S.p.A., added: “The whole world is coming to Dubai and at ACI Real Estate we have found our match. This strategic venture is a result of mutual professional admiration and recognition of our common values.”
The twin tower Ferretti Luxury Beach Residence and Pershing Luxury Beach Residence will offer landscaped gardens amidst canal and sea views, a pool, fitness center, sauna and Jacuzzi, and a little something else: eight luxury yachts will be permanently based at each property for residents to charter at preferential rates. These yachts will be purchased by ACI Group. The twin tower Ferretti Luxury Beach Residence will have over 44 floors each, while the Pershing Luxury Beach Residence will have over 41 floors, along with individual retail units at the ground floor of each tower. Ferretti Yachts and Pershing Yachts designers are planning to design common areas of the towers.
As far as I recall, this is the first time a yacht maker has ventured ashore in this fashion and I can only hope that their standard sales gimmick of three bikini-clad babes as standard equipment with each new yacht will be applied to the condominiums. 
Filed under Luxury Property Developers by Mark Knowles
April 8, 2008
Luxury Brand Marketing Techniques
Whist this is not specifically real estate marketing, it is an interesting luxury brand marketing ploy gone awry. Last Year, Giorgio Armani came in for some criticism with the release of a marketing campaign for “Armani Junior,” using this particular image:
The Institute for the Defense of Children in Spain called for these advertisements to be removed on the basis that they promote sexual tourism.
Several fashion bloggers have decried this as being an issue of “censoring children,” and the fashion police suggests that we should, “let kids be kids while they still can.”
I have to say that dressing children up, covering them in make up and paying their parents large sums of money to have them photographed is not exactly what I have in mind for that idyllic childhood.
It certainly brings to mind Seth Godin’s maxim, “If I think it’s broken, then it’s broken.” And I come down on the side of the Spanish Institute – I think it’s broken.
Although the cynic in me thinks that may be Armani has achieved their desired goal. Take a look at another image from their collection and see if you can see the difference.
In one image, I see a little girl – a child, being a child. In the other, I see two little girls dressed as adults, holding the type of pose we are familiar seeing adult models holding. What do you think? Is this sort of marketing acceptable. Is it just a storm in a teacup – or are they sexually suggestive? This is not the first time Armani has had this particular critiscism leveled at them, and withdrew a series of advertisment along similar lines in 2004. This one being an example:
I do wonder why they would try a similar ploy again, unless it was to create controversy. Is this what they want? Have they achieved their goals?
Filed under For Professionals by Mark Knowles
