King Street Wharf

Where Sydney Feasts

For decades, King Street Wharf has been one of Sydney’s most popular dining and nightlife attractions. It was always known as the mid-market waterfront destination and its visual identity over the years has mostly reflected that stance.

Fast-forward to the present, and the area has changed. King Street Wharf is flanked by increasingly high-end restaurants, bars and hotels as more sections of the waterfront open to the public. These new attractions compete for customers who only need to stroll 5 minutes away to be somewhere more compelling, along the same waterfront.

We were engaged by advertising and marketing agency Alan Place to help reposition King Street Wharf within this new market, and create an all-new visual identity. The work features across various channels.

From Docks to Drinks

For King Street Wharf, remaining competitive means repositioning as a more sophisticated destination to attract more high-end tenants. At the same time, it had to maintain appeal to its core customer-base. This was a brief that called for nuance and a light touch.

We started by immersing ourselves in the wharf’s role as a working wharf, from the early 20th century to the present day. Ferries and leisure craft dock at the wharf year-round, from early in the morning until late at night. This characteristic serves as a major point of difference from other venues along the harbour.

It also served as the creative springboard for the final visual identity. Our logo, colours and supporting graphics all build on the idea of a busy wharf. This concept was selected by the client in preference over a purely leisure-oriented brand, and other creative options we initially presented.

Refreshed and Ready

The completed visual identity features across the site’s signage, hoardings, website and marketing channels. These include social media, newsletters and outdoor posters. King Street Wharf’s multimillion-dollar transformation is now well under way, with one-third of its 15 tenants having completed or currently undergoing interior refurbishments. Façade upgrades and thoughtful new landscaping are completing the picture outside.

Our rebrand is set to ensure the AUD $125.5 million waterfront site will continue to generate value in a precinct estimated to generate $6.2 billion for the local economy*.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with The Offices on several projects over a number of years.

“The latest brand design for King Street Wharf is another example of their talents. Everybody loves the look and feel as it differentiates King Street Wharf from anywhere else, and sets us up for the future.” – Andrew Crocker, Co-founder & Creative Director, Alan Place

*From Turnover Report 2023, New Sydney Waterfront Company.