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
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
Posted by James on Dec 1, 2010 in
Hmm,
James Holden
Madagascar Sandgrouse
It seems like no time since I got back from Madagascar. On one level it’s been like stepping from a blast furnace into the deep freeze. Day time temperatures in South East Madagascar were approaching 40 degrees Celsius whilst back here in middle England it’s been very close to double figures below. I guess what I’m saying is that it’s been something of a physical shock – but nothing compared to the emotional shock that seeing the ‘vanilla island’ in person has given me.
I saw so much beauty, so much that was amazing. For example, I heard the Indri deep in their pristine forest homes. The Indri is the largest lemur in the world and its haunting calls echo round the forests for miles. They sound rather like the contact calls of whales as they cruise the oceans. Each time they wail it’s both a surprise and a shock and somehow they unearth an almost primeval sense of joy and sorrow at the same time.
Then again, I had the amazing experience of seeing Madagascar Sandgrouse coming down to drink at a tiny pool in the arid Southwest of the island. A little like a partridge these strong flying birds almost always come down to drink at the same time. Our guide Callen Cohen had us in position right on schedule, but there was nothing to see – not least because it looked as if there was no water left.
And then Callen heard them and told us that they were coming. I couldn’t hear or see a thing until suddenly they were over our heads and landed just a few yards from where the water had been. They made no attempt to come in to drink (even though there was a trickle left) and after a few minutes we thought our presence had spooked them so we retreated.
In the same instant the two male birds both took flight and Callen took some aerial photos as they fled. Later at the airport he downloaded the pictures to his MacBook and tinkered with the focus. “They’d already drunk!” he said “just look at how wet the feathers on their chest and belly are.”
I could see the evidence before me and remembered that sandgrouse have special feathers that are able to absorb water like blotting paper. It enables them to take vital liquid back to their nest deep in waterless tracts of land to a thirsty mate and young who will drink the water rather like puppies suckling.
Even as I recollect these experiences now, I find them awesome. What a ‘Wonderful World’ we live in, full of surprise, full of opportunity, full of challenge and our business life is just like that too. I wish you a Happy Christmas for sure, but perhaps even more important I wish you an amazing 2011 – whatever the world throws at us.
James Holden
Managing Director
Tags: Design, Marketing, PR
