Pro Bono Project Celebrates Historic Markets
Have you ever visited a city for the first time and wondered what the story is behind the stores, restaurants, and people you see? Philadelphia now has MyBkYd, a digital platform that peeks behind the curtains of 3 historic markets: Old City, The Reading Terminal, and Italian Market, where 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation businesses sell everything from food, to wine, to kitchen gadgets and more.
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A collaboration between branding agency, Xhilarate and Zave Smith Photography, the online collection of human interest stories told through images and video is their way to help increase traffic for these small businesses while giving back to the community they’ve always called home.
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“Just like Cheers in Boston was the place where ‘everyone knows your name,’ My Backyard allows people who have never been to your neighborhood or business to feel like they already know you,” says Zave Smith, who filmed the intimate conversations with the shop owners.
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The project is 100% gratis; Xhilarate and Zave Smith received no funding but, rather, wished to share their love of the community. Smith was recently featured on Seth Goldstein’s Entrepreneur’s Enigma podcast to talk about his vision and the story behind MyBkYd.
