Pacdora Blog

Forget NYC Fashion Week: DC just hit the style spotlight with Design Army’s new CityCenterDC campaign, redefining luxury and repositioning our nation’s capital as the creative/fashion-forward city it actually is, in the most fun, whimsical way ever!

“We wanted to show off DC’s unique style and fashion sense, which is often overshadowed by New York’s dominance in the fashion world,” says Design Army Founder and Creative Director Pum Lefebure. “With CityCenterDC, we have created a campaign that is not only visually stunning, but also captures the spirit of the city and its people.”

The campaign launched last week with print, out-of-home, online, and social media components, and will run through the fall.

The wildly witty spot for the city’s biggest shopping and dining district celebrates self-expression to the ultimate with a crazy, quirky train journey full of eclectic characters of every age and style sense, all on the fast track to a place where creativity is applauded.

Backdropped by DC’s majestic landmarks, the meticulously art directed, anything-but-typical campaign explodes with eye-popping color and unexpected references, like 1940s jazz music, a twist of hip-hop, over-the-top forks, show horses, and more.

Design Army’s founders, husband and wife team Pum and Jake Lefevre, are no strangers to the DC creative scene. The ad agency duo, who’ve worked with major brands like Apple, Nike, Mercedes, and Virgin, grew up here, and their portfolio of work includes the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Washington Post, National Geographic, and the Newseum. So, what inspired the marketing masterminds to take on a project this big, with such an impressive cast of characters? “We’ve always loved the energy of DC, the history, and the amazing people who live and work in the city. CityCenterDC is a great example of the energy,” says Pum. “We’re always inspired by the people we meet who live here.”

The result is a vibrant, visually stimulating spot that celebrates the diversity of the city and its residents, and showcases the many surprises to be found here. “It was great to be able to collaborate with Design Army, who were able to capture the energy of the district and portray it in a fun and unique way,” says Jeff Steiner, Executive Vice President at Hines, which developed and manages CityCenterDC. We’re loving the new CityCenterDC campaign, and the District is loving what Design Army did to put us on the style map.