Off Beat
Here’s what it means, supposedly.
Perched atop the historic North End, a new billboard that reads “Hey North End come see us when the tiramisu kicks in XO, Seaport” has many people flummoxed about its message.
“What does it even mean?” asked one user, HeyRatty, online.
And theories exploded, from having to work off the tiramisu at one of the many high-end gyms in the Seaport, to wondering whether it’s referencing potential “tummy issues” after eating a heavy dessert like this one. Maybe the Seaport is advertising its bathrooms?
But never fear: An explanation from Ariel Foxman, the brand builder and placemaker at WS Development, put those theories to bed.
“The idea: that espresso and sugar hit from a proper North End tiramisu doesn’t exactly put you to sleep,” Foxman explained in a LinkedIn post. “Once it kicks in, you’re wide awake, and Seaport’s a few blocks away with plenty to do with that energy.”
WS Development, which operates many of the retail components of the Seaport, including One Seaport development, The Current pop-up village, and more, is hoping to lure people to the district.
Foxman explained that the Seaport has waterfront walks, shopping, entertainment, and nightlife.
The campaign first started last summer, when WS Development put a somewhat more explicable billboard in the North End that read: “Hey North End, wanna come over? XO, Seaport. P.S. bring some cannoli.”
Foxman noted that this year’s campaign “already got people talking,” with TikTok creators debating its meaning and swapping theories with their friends.
“That kind of organic curiosity is exactly what we hope for with this series,” he wrote.
Foxman claims that the advertisement isn’t about competing with the North End’s food, history, or charm but about getting people to visit neighboring neighborhoods.
“Boston’s neighborhoods are better in conversation with each other, not in competition,” he wrote.
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