Design Army's new campaign for a downtown development is bursting with colour and life

If you're ever in downtown Washington DC, you won't be able to miss CityCenterDC. This mixed-use development covers over five city blocks, making it the city's biggest and showiest shopping and dining district.

This pedestrian-friendly, 10-acre mixed-use development is home to more than 221,000 square feet of retail space, 520,000 square feet of office space, 458 rental apartment units, 216 condominium units, a 360-room hotel, a 1,550-space parking garage, a public park, a central plaza and pedestrian-oriented streets and alleyways.

Now a fun and whimsical campaign for the development, led by local agency Design Army, uses it to trumpet a wider message: that the USA's capital is a creative, fashion-forward city.

As part of the campaign, a TV spot entitled 'Celebrating You' finds joy in self-expression by focusing on a quirky train journey full of eclectic characters – foodies, funsters and fashionistas – covering a range of ages and style senses. And the viewer is enthusiastically invited to join them.

"Journey to a world of self-expression," intones the narrator. "Take the fast track to an authentic you. Feel tingly all over with anticipation. No tickets are required. Welcome to a destination that celebrates you. Your many different tastes. Even the way you roll. You bring the excitement to a place where luxury is where you want to be, where creativity is applauded."

Backdropped by DC's iconic landmarks, the spot is full of eye-popping colour and a sense of the unexpected, featuring everything from 1940s jazz music with a twist of Hip Hop to over-the-top forks and show horses. Even the custom typography is bursting with personality.

It's typically superlative work from Design Army, a multi-disciplinary brand and creative agency whose clients include The Academy Awards, Disney, The Ritz-Carlton, PepsiCo and the Smithsonian Institute.