BUILDING THE
NARRATIVE
CASE STUDY: ATLANTIC PICTURES x ONE VANDERBILT
The Challenge
A GROUNDBREAKING NEW PROJECT
One Vanderbilt wasn’t just a new skyscraper — it was SL Green’s bet on a new era for Midtown Manhattan, anchored around Grand Central Terminal. Construction began in 2016; the building opened in late 2020, just as the world had paused. Its call to return to the office became something bigger: an invitation to reconnect in person, at the center of the city.
SL Green needed more than a marketing campaign. They needed a narrative that could speak to investors before a single floor was leased, persuade tenants during a global pandemic, and build public affinity for a building asking New York to believe in its own future — one message that held together from groundbreaking to grand opening, from boardroom decks to billboards.
The Approach
FROM ONE FILM TO A CONTENT ECOSYSTEM
One Vanderbilt wasn’t just a new skyscraper — it was SL Green’s bet on a new era for Midtown Manhattan, anchored around Grand Central Terminal. Construction began in 2016; the building opened in late 2020, just as the world had paused. Its call to return to the office became something bigger: an invitation to reconnect in person, at the center of the city.
SL Green needed more than a marketing campaign. They needed a narrative that could speak to investors before a single floor was leased, persuade tenants during a global pandemic, and build public affinity for a building asking New York to believe in its own future — one message that held together from groundbreaking to grand opening, from boardroom decks to billboards.
THE SCOPE OF WORK
Over the course of the engagement, Atlantic produced a comprehensive content ecosystem spanning every audience, platform, and phase of One Vanderbilt’s development:
• Cinematic brand films and campaign extensions
• Cinematic 3D animations and architectural fly-throughs
• Testimonial films featuring architects and real estate leaders
• Documentary and construction coverage
• Topping-out and milestone event capture
• Social content and digital advertising assets
• Investor conference content and presentation films
• Environmental and multi-use marketing assets
No two pieces were created in isolation. Every asset was designed to reinforce the same central narrative: that One Vanderbilt wasn’t just a building — it was the future of New York, made real.
OUR WORK: SELLING THE VISION
PRE-CONSTRUCTION MARKETING CONTENT
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“REVIVE”
A cinematic portrait of New York in motion. Revive positions One Vanderbilt as both a product of the city’s energy and a catalyst for its next chapter — capturing the rhythm, ambition, and renewal at the heart of Midtown before a single floor was built.
“GAME OF THRONES”
A dynamic, entertaining centerpiece created for SL Green’s investor conference, setting the company’s vision for One Vanderbilt in the world of ice and fire.
“OV XP (Experience)”
An immersive tour through One Vanderbilt, built to sell a future that didn’t exist yet — showcasing the building’s design and ambition before construction was complete.
“ARC VIZ FLYTHROUGH”
A cinematic fly-through of One Vanderbilt, pre-construction —turning architectural vision into something audiences could see and feel.
OUR WORK: THE CASE FOR ONE VANDERBILT
DOCUMENTARY & TESTIMONIAL CONTENT
“JAMIE VON KLEMPERER”
“TIGHE & ALEXANDER”
“BRANCATO”
OUR WORK: BUILDING IN PUBLIC
ONE VANDERBILT’S CONSTRUCTION JOURNEY
OUR WORK: MORE THAN A BUILDING
THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT MAKE ONE VANDERBILT A DESTINATION
“LE PAVILLON”
A sensorial mini-doc on Daniel Boulud’s fine dining experience at the heart of One Vanderbilt — proof that the building’s story extended into culture, taste, and experience.
“JOJI: DINEX”
A cinematic tour of One Vanderbilt’s Michelin-starred omakase restaurant, showing how the building became a destination in its own right.
“OV SUMMIT: THE EXPERIENCE”
A visually immersive piece capturing One Vanderbilt’s one-of-a-kind experiential offering to the public: Summit.
OUR WORK: GLOBAL REACH
DIGITAL & SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING
THE IMPACT
The building opened 70% leased and reached 100% occupancy in 2024.
The content Atlantic produced helped SL Green tell a story so coherent, so emotionally resonant, and so relentlessly consistent that it cut through the noise of the most uncertain real estate market in a generation. Investors, tenants, and the public didn’t just understand One Vanderbilt — they believed in it.
Today it stands as one of the most successful commercial real estate launches in New York City history, and a case study in what happens when storytelling is treated as a strategic asset — not an afterthought.
