A $185K brochure sells $370M building in 2 months.

At the request of Insignia/ESG, creative marketing firm Marketing Thru Graphics produced 100 units of an innovative and luxurious $185,000 marketing kit that helped to sell The Seagram Building at 375 Park Avenue for $370 million, announces Marilyn Miller, president of Marketing Thru Graphics.

Moreover, the collateral materials were prepared in a rush circumstance in under two months and helped to sell the building within the next two months.

"Our goal was to create something so unique and visually exciting that just to receive it was special," says Ms. Miller. It was a 'non-sell' sell piece that had to be compelling enough to encourage 100 titans of industry to read through the materials, grasp the historic and aesthetic significance of the Seagram Building and accept the invitation to bid for it.

"And not only were we dealing with an inordinately tight deadline for materials and printing, every piece, every word of text and every photograph had to be reviewed by our client Insignia/ESG, their client TIAA and the Bronfman family. There was no room for error."

The custom-made collateral is fast becoming a collector's item, taking on the cachet of a very expensive coffee table edition. The original distribution was sent to an exclusive group of international businesspeople that included the person who ultimately purchased the building, Aby Rosen of RFR Realty.

The complete set is made up of three components encased in a custom-made fabric box lined with imported hand-painted silk papers that were designed to reflect architect Mies van der Rohe's sketches of the building. The silk-tied box holds an invitation engraved in metallic inks on imported cover-weight paper framed by silver etching. In addition, it contains a multi-page, perfect bound book describing the history of the building and its significant architectural attributes. Vintage 1950's photography and modem compositions appear throughout, along with the architect's original drawings.

The first building that legendary Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed in New York City, 375 Park Avenue is recognized as one of the 20th Century's great architectural achievements. Completed in 1958, it was the first bronze sheathed skyscraper ever constructed. As a tribute to its design achievement, the building was granted landmark status in 1989.

"We wanted to a marketing statement that not only proffered an exclusive invitation to purchase, but visually reinforced the physical attributes of one of the most beautiful buildings in the world," adds Richard Baxter, vice president of Insignia/ESG. "It was a quiet sell to an elite group and we knew that Marilyn Miller would understand our vision because she is both the consummate professional and creative marketer.

The entire piece was produced and distributed within seven weeks.

Founded in 1987 by Marilyn R. Miller, Marketing Thru Graphics caters to a clientele that includes many of the top firms in the real estate and financial industries, including Insignia/ESG, Cushman & Wakefield, Newmark Realty, Starwood Capital Advisors, Geometry Financial Group. The award-winning firm is known for producing unique marketing collateral, using fine artists, along with graphic artists, published authors, copywriters and artisans.