Marstons EPA sponsorship of Stratford Fringe Chiltern Railway poster
Over the last couple of months, the Leader design studio has been working closely with our associate company CHM to deliver a suite of marketing collateral to support the lead sponsorship of Stratford upon Avon’s Fringe Festival by real ale brand Marston’s EPA. The Stratford Fringe Festival is now in its second year, and features over 100 acts across 40 venues, from 28th May - 5th June, with headline acts including Ardal O’Hanlon and Tony Christie, as well as a host of other more local talent, so we’ve been delighted to join in the fun.
CHM had negotiated the sponsorship with the Fringe on behalf of Marston’s, and once it was all signed and sealed, they briefed us. Most important was to design a combined logo, to underline EPA’s status as lead sponsor. You can see it on the Fringe’s own website at www.stratfordfringe.co.uk. Then it was a case of designing kits for pubs stocking EPA to drive sales, which is, after all, the reason behind any sponsorship. So far it seems to be working, with several new stockists of the brand in the offing, in the all important free trade sector. You can join in the fun too by visiting www.marstonsepa.co.uk/fringe and submitting your favourite joke for the chance to win two tickets to see Ardal O’Hanlon on 3rd July.
Tags: Design, Marstons, Stratford Fringe
Is there ever any excuse not to use your best creative marketing ideas? Well yes, in certain circumstances we think there is - circumstances in which we found ourselves only last month.
We had been working with a client to create a fantastic new brand and identity, and then to roll it out from logo to website and sales literature, and on into social media spaces. When it came to the stationery, Leader’s creative team produced (as it generally does) two concepts - one the natural roll out of the great new theme, but the other really pushing the envelope - a great business card concept in particular.
And the problem? Well, it was just one new idea too many.
Branding is about the brilliance of the whole, not each individual item. The cards may have been very desirable (and they were). But were they necessary or appropriate? Sadly the answer was probably not. So we shared everything with the client, made our recommendations accordingly and eventually all agreed to put the brilliant new ideas on ice for a while, while rolling out the more ‘obvious’ first set.
And who knows? Perhaps when a brand refresh is called for somewhere down the line, we may still have a chance to let that great new conceptsee the light of day. I for one certainly hope so.
IE6 the countdown is on
As Microsoft begins the long process of rolling out Internet Explorer 9, it is worth remembering that if your internet experience isn’t all that it should be, an out-of-date browser might be to blame.
Despite Microsoft themselves urging the world’s internet users to abandon ie6, it is amazing fact that more than 10% of world internet users (2.9% of UK users) are still using a browser which is more than 10 years old, unstable, famously unsecure and incapable of properly viewing many modern interactive websites.
Microsoft is running an ie6 countdown website to monitor the demise of ie6 – currently it stands at 11.4% and their target is 1%. If you’re still using ie6 and you are in a position to upgrade, now might be the time to take the leap – ie9, Firefox or Chrome will all help transform your online experience and help make your time in cyberspace a more enjoyable as well as productive one.
Posted by admin on Mar 23, 2011 in
Design News,
General interest,
Leader News
The results, delivered on time and to budget.
“We need a design for a logo, a pump clip and an A2 poster and you’ve got 3 days to do it!” That was our design studio’s brief from our associate company, CHM, on behalf of their client The Marston’s Beer Company. CHM had negotiated the participation of a new guest ale from Banks’s - Chillichoc - in the Worcester Chocolate weekend (8 - 10th April), and the short lead time meant we had no time to lose.
So we got to work on CHM’s brief. “Make it look really indulgent to appeal to men and women, something that delivers real chocolate taste with a Chilli Kick,” was what they asked for. We loved it and Banks’s and the Worcester Business Improvement District (the people behind the Chocolate Weekend) loved it too.
So, if you fancy trying some, visit Worcester during the Chocolate Weekend (8th - 10th April). You’ll find Banks’s Chillichoc is available at The Horn and Trumpet on Friar Street (www.horntrumpetworcester.co.uk) and the King’s Head at 67 Sidbury (www.kingsheadsidbury.co.uk). Just the thing to treat youself with.
Tags: Banks's, Chillichoc, Corporate Identity, Design, Logos, Point of Sale
