Strategic Brand Approach Repositions
55+ Community for Success

Amblebrook at Gettysburg, a 55+ active adult community in Pennsylvania, was underperforming in the marketplace. In large part, this was due to a legacy brand that did not accurately reflect the robust active lifestyle that this developer had facilitated for residents. The goal of this branding project was to attract and retain buyers by presenting the offering in a way that compellingly differentiated it from the competition.

The name, Amblebrook Gettysburg, needed to stay. So, in addition to overcoming the sleepy senior living vibe that it and the previous branding insinuated, the reinvigorated brand needed to carry the name forward while attracting those who would value a vibrant, active lifestyle in a richly amenitized community.

Crown Community Development wanted the approach to be reflective of their highly regarded brand as well as the Amblebrook community. It also needed to be scalable to allow for the possibility of future 55+ communities under the umbrella of their brand.

Founding residents decided to enjoy their best life – and were already living it. They prioritized having a great time, filling each day with rich friendships, fun and purpose – with more everyday joy. The old brand was not reflecting any of this, and this disconnect kept its best prospects from understanding all that Amblebrook could offer them.

Understanding this consumer is everything. Messaging and design needed to immediately help website visitors feel a genuine emotional connection to the things that they consider meaningful.

Interviews with residents clarified the core value proposition of the community. They informed the brand positioning in a specific way that went beyond what we already knew about the priorities and motivators of the 55+ consumer. Investing the time to truly understand Amblebrook’s earliest residents allowed the brand to be custom-crafted for this 55+ buyer and this place.

With the prospective buyer clearly in focus, the creative strategy showcased the compelling and differentiating features of the community, which included over-the-top amenities and lifestyle programming that facilitated residents having a great time together.

Amblebrook at Gettysburg’s refreshed brand and lifestyle story gave both the developer and the homebuilder new reasons to engage with prospects, creating a revived energy in the onsite environment.

The new brand reflects the distinct offering, including a newly launched amenity, and conveys the lifestyle and community of residents in a way that resulted in 2021 sales being 30% over goal. In addition, it continued to beautifully support 2022 amenity openings and productive campaigns since.