“A muse has the power to set the mind aflame and strip the imagination of all inhibition.”

“Speaking to the many artists who owe the world’s most treasured works to muses of infinite variety, the brand ‘Muse’ immediately positions the drink in the realm of sacred substances. There is mystery inherent to the role and at its very core, an insatiable desire to consume it in any way possible. A muse can drive one to obsession as readily as it can inspire the most profound thoughts and deeds. A brand to be reckoned with, Muse makes its mark through its association with the mind’s infinite potential when inspired by the divine.”

(taken from the vision for Muse, 1st draft, June 2, 2008)

Client: Tact Publicité

Whitlock West Masterplan

“Hamlet” is an heirloom word, given to the English by the French. A diminutive for hamel, meaning “little village,” a true hamelet is in fact much smaller than any village. In some instances, it can be as small as a nine-hole golf course.

At a time when most real estate developments are on hold, precarious or worse, one smart developer seems to have landed a sure thing. Whitlock West is located in Hudson; a verdantly unique community that calls the banks of the Ottawa River home, and features a village heart that causes contemporary neighbourhood developments to swoon. Not only is it located in glorious Hudson, this tiny hamlet of less than 50 homes is surrounded by the Whitlock Golf & Country Club’s new 9-hole course. If you are at all familiar with Hudson geography, you’ll know that Whitlock Westers can count hefty forests, sly creeks and miles of nature preserves as far as the eye can see as part of their front and backyards. As with any smart new development, WW will be decidedly green in nature, featuring a lengthy list of Green Standards. Still, I can’t help but think that it will be the “effortlessness” of living here - the community provides snow clearance, yard maintenance and landscaping - is what will ultimately push prospective buyers toward purchasing.

Client: René Schubert

Whitlock West

Richard Labonté, Project Manager and René Schubert, General Manager for Whitlock West

Jean-François Grenier, President of Altitude Concepts

Of all the self-made people I have come across in my life and career, Altitude Concepts founder Jean-François Grenier is by far the most unforgettably enthusiastic. What makes him so unforgettable is how he is able to contain, manage and channel his enthusiasm into meticulously organized, outstandingly creative events for an impressively diverse roster of clients. Whether it’s managing VIP guests at the Olympics, directing professional hockey players in a scripted exhibition game or finding ways to showcase the hidden talents of Telus employees, JF and his team approach each mandate with a passionate desire to do right by their clients and their own sense of originality, imagination and panache.

Click here for more stories with Altitude.

Client: Altitude Concepts/Dynamo

“When the world is your oyster, it is only fitting that your home be a pearl.”

In the hospitality world, few names are shrouded in as much mystery and luxury as Raffles. The original Singapore flagship was a destination for journeyers of royal, noble and notorious background for over a century. Writing for Raffles’ recent acquisition and development of three new real estate properties in Da Nang, Viet Nam (China Beach), Manila, Philippines and Praslin, Seychelles, had me visiting these far flung locations (in my mind’s eye) and waxing poetic on a paradise I had never seen. This piece introduces the world of Raffles to those fortunate enough to afford a residential pearl of such exquisite environment and standing.

Client: Haymaker Creative Group

Sketch for Griffintown by architect/masterplanner Eric Kuhne

The redevelopment of Montreal’s oldest Irish ghetto by Devimco (creators of the Quartier DIX30 on Highway 10) has been a hot topic for front page news, debate and speculation since the project was first leaked. Working closely with architect/master planner Eric Kuhne and his team from Civic Arts in London, I was brought in to orchestrate a two-day envisioning session that would start bringing this massive vision to life – experientially speaking.

The results yielded a unique community of multiple places within a place, layers of meaning and learning, new means of transportation and all the diversity and culture that Montreal is so respected for. Though the results remain confidential, and the project is still on the drawing board, if tomorrow’s Griffintown holds onto even a sliver of what was imagined during these two August days, it will be a destination the whole world will want to know.

If you would like to hear or read more about this project, write to me at word@elizabethadams.biz

Client: Bleu Blanc Rouge

Special Guest: Jody Turner, CEO of Culture of Future

Let’s be clear about one thing: In the securities business, what goes on in your back office is crucial to your clients, your reputation and your bottom line.

I had no idea what a ‘back office’ was when I began this job, and to be honest, my notion of what exactly goes on in one remains hazy. What I do know is that back office operations are crucial to bottom lines, and Penson wanted to make sure its clients were crystal-clear on where their priorities lay. My favourite part of the whole campaign was Dynamo’s abstract, artsy and frankly dynamic design.

Client: Go Dynamo
Pensonclearly.ca

“Orléans, Beaugency, Notre-Dame de Paris, Vendôme, Vendôme.”

Naming – whether a product, property or entire community – can be one of the hardest parts of the job and the strongest argument for a compelling story. For this contemporary residential building located across from Notre Dame Basilica in one of Old Montreal’s most well-preserved corners, the story of the name is part of the mystery of the area. Inspired by the actual lyrics to the tolling of the bells, I’ve always remembered the words (taught to us by the nuns at my old Catholic high school), but never learned the actual story behind them. So the true story of Orléans remains a mystery… and who doesn’t love a good mystery?

Company: Ryan+Deslauriers

In June, 2008, I was asked to tell the story of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel’s centennial transformation and expansion into the world of prime, luxury real estate. As one would expect, there were enough tales about the original Ritz-Carlton and its patrons to keep a gaggle of cocktail party guests entertained for days. Liberace, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, the Dalai Llama… Pulling said princes, movie stars, politicians and pundits from the puffed-up pages of its history book was the richest part of the project. Whether or not the ghosts of these venerable guests reinforce the rhetoric of ownership in a time of recession remains to be seen.
Client: Bleu Blanc Rouge