Celebrity ‘Test Drive’ Of Luxury London Homes

Avanton recently organised a ‘test drive’ of some of the apartments at its Coda development in Battersea by inviting a number of celebrities to spend some time in one of the luxury homes.

Each celebrity and influencer guest, and their respective household partner, were invited to stay overnight in their own private apartment with caterers delivering food, champagne and other refreshments to the door of each apartment for the guests to enjoy in the privacy of their own “residence”. Over breakfast the next day the celebrities and influencers were asked to list the top five things they liked about Coda and their views on the design layout and specification of the apartment they were living in and trying out.

Those invited include: Love Island star Eyal Booker, his model girlfriend Delilah Belle Hamlin, the daughter of Hollywood actor Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna, from the American TV show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills; Lottie Moss, fashion model and sister of Kate Moss; model Hana Cross, former girlfriend of Brooklyn Beckham who has been the face of Asos, Topshop and NastyGal; pop singer Blithe Saxon; Abercrombie fashion model Betsy Volk; Made in Chelsea TV star Jemima Rhys; broadcaster Jimmy Hill, the radio and television personality who hosts the Capital FM Evening Show; and Siãn Welby, the radio host and television presenter who fronts the Capital FM Breakfast Show with Roman Kemp.

Blithe Saxon at Coda

To date over 50 of the total 130 private apartments and penthouses at Coda (Phase 1 launch all sold out) has been successfully sold or reserved, with 91% of the buyers being owner occupiers. The studio and one-bedroom apartments have sold predominantly to first-time buyers and young couples in their 20s and 30s – just like the celebrity guests – with the larger apartments and penthouses selling to older downsizers.

The top five things that impressed the ‘test drivers’ were

1. the Thameside views
2. the hotel-like residential amenities such as the gymnasium and lounges
3. the cosy hotel-grade beds in the dressed show homes
4. the ballet inspired interior design
5. the friendly concierge staff.

Avanton highlight that the marketing budget for the event was the equivalent cost of taking repeat advertisements in a series of national newspapers and luxury magazines but was well-worth the expenditure. Eyal Booker, has 800,000 followers on his social media, Delilah Belle Hamlin has 1.3 million, Lottie Moss has 300,000, Hana Cross has 250,000 and Siãn Welby has 60,000.

Omer Weinberger, chief executive officer at Avanton, said: “The celebrity “test drive”at Coda was an eye-catching way for Avanton to launch and promote the newly finished apartments and penthouses at the development which are now available for buyers to move into immediately. The survey also enabled us to gather feedback about the apartments and the development from young people who match our buyer demographic.”

David Ronson, sales and marketing Director at Avanton, added: “Modern media, social media and PR is increasingly all about powerful on-line engagement. This type of celebrity endorsement and influencer marketing doesn’t replace traditional advertising and marketing, but for us it is a very effective way of reaching our target buyers and also promoting the development during a time when we cannot do large launch events or functions. Influencers in separate apartments neatly maintained social distancing and separate households yet enabled us to create a buzz around the launch of the finished units.”

Coda show home from Gordon Duff Linton

The development is moments from the River Thames and is set out over three recently completed apartment buildings, with the 23-storey private sales Coda tower in the centre. The two buildings on either side of the tower are six and 11 storeys and provide 169 homes for private rental sector apartments. A new global headquarters for the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), facilities and other units are now being fitted out within the ground level podium, with completion schedules for next year.

Each studio and one-bedroom apartment has a private balcony or terrace and is allocated one cycle storage space with larger apartments allocated two cycle storage spaces. The scheme benefits from underground car parking spaces and a dedicated sub-station providing charging points for electric cars, as well as a car club providing two electric vehicles for residents to lease at their leisure. Residenct have a 24-hour concierge, hotel-style foyer, club lounge, gym and landscaped gardens designed by RHS Chelsea Flower Show medal-winner Exterior Architecture.

Prices at Coda start from £750,000 for a two bedroom apartment. The show apartments at Coda are on various floors and have been fitted by leading design houses including the London Design Group, Gordon Duff Linton and JMI. They are available to view by appointment only.

Find out more at www.codalondon.com.

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