Five hilariously aspirational videos for luxury flats in London
Developer Redrow has come in for more than a bit of mockery in recent days, after it posted an ad for one of its tower blocks showing a man whose lifestyle seemed suspiciously similar to that of American Psycho character Patrick Bateman.
But now Berkeley Group's St George arm has followed suit with an equally weird portrayal of the luxury living lifestyle.
But Berkeley and Redrow aren't the only ones guilty of trying to entice prospective buyers with a video of an aspirational lifestyle. Developers do it all the time. Here are some of our favourites – spoiler: there will be smugness…
1. London Collection, Redrow
Just in chase you missed it, here's that video from Redrow. We recommend you keep a pillow handy so you have something to hide behind when it all gets too much….
2. One Blackfriars, St George
Boy meets girl, boy takes girl on a whirlwind tour of London, boy spends somewhere between £1.5m and £23m on a shiny new apartment for girl. It's all about "having a dream", he reckons – that, and having a Learjet, a helicopter and a cream Rolls-Royce. Still, she seems to like it.
— Update: It looks like this video has been removed. We're looking for another version so you can see it in its true glory.
In the meantime, here's the happy couple leaving their suspiciously shiny hangar:
And here they are, strolling down Sloane Street, rocking matching tweed and looking at "those boutiques she likes":
3. Fitzroy Place, Exemplar
Swerving away from the American Psycho theme and straight into "buy this flat and you'll instantly be more hipster" territory is this, from developers Exemplar. Look! Here's a lady with crazy nails! And here's a couple who may be snogging in the middle of Fitzrovia, but have clearly just been to Columbia Market, because they're carrying tulips wrapped in brown paper. In fact, though you'll be just around the corner from the consumer paradise that is Oxford Circus, it looks like the whole place is heaving with artists. Although there's no word on whether the apartments come with a free pair of thick-rimmed glasses.
4. Battersea Power Station, Battersea Power Station Development Company
Another hipster special, but this time borrowing lighting from the Coca-Cola Christmas ad and a soundtrack from Home Alone 2. Just in case you weren't sure what you were getting involved with, it even features an old-timey power station worker who seems pretty pleased his place of work is being transformed into luxury flats. And shops, and restaurants. And the "coolest park in London". Just don't mention the chimneys…
5. Queens Park Place, Londonewcastle
Feel like you don't have enough meaning in your life? Why not put a piece of piano music over it? You can make anything seem poignant – a bloke getting into a 4×4, drinking champagne over lunch, elbowing your way onto a tube, actually looking quite lonely as you fiddle with your mobile phone at a bar, buying a luxury apartment. Today's lesson: piano music equals poignancy.