Love Up Logo – The Entries!

Danielle at Love to Brand has sent us this little gem of romance! Happy, Loved Up and Nutritious – what more could you want on Valentine’s Day?!

Thanks Danielle!

We’ve also had an entry from our lovely friend Sam Bell at Napthens, who has sent us this very well thought out design with the accompanying slogan ‘Happy can fix anything’.

That’s very sweet…and very true – especially in a marketing sense!

Brilliant effort Sam – thanks for your entry!

We’ll post up any more entries when we get them – have you had a go yet??

Send your entries to hello@happy-creative.co.uk or post them on our Twitter or Facebook pages.

Love Up Logo

Whether you’ve been completely spoiled already today, got some amazing plans for tonight or even woken up to the usual empty doormat, Happy Creative has the perfect Valentine’s Day game that everyone can get involved in!

It’s called ‘Love Up Logo’ and it’s just a bit of fun for this romantic of all days.

All you need to do is use the Happy logo in a ‘loving’ way and show it to us.

You could take a photo on your phone of a logo that you’ve positioned within a lovely bunch of flowers?

How about scribbling a poem on a letterhead or invoice containing our logo?

You might even want to give our logo a little kiss and take a photo?

Whatever you decide to do, please send us in your efforts and we’ll post them up on Twitter, on our blog, Facebook and we might even put a couple of the best ones on our website.

It’s not just for our lovely clients, friends or suppliers, all of the Happies have had their own turn at ‘Loving Up Our Logo’.

See what you think of our efforts below:

Here’s Happy Emma’s lovely take on our compliment slip!

Here’s my effort – how cute is his cupid drawing?! Definitely an old romantic, me…

Happy Marilia has gone for a very Happy theme with her sunshine inspired logo:

Happy James’ had a go – you can tell who our Creative Director is can’t you?!

Happy Tom is our designer – a bit of a cheeky effort, but still very loved up!

Happy Debbie’s idea is very Blackpool inspired – a very nice take on it, Deb!

And finally, Happy Mike has showed his artistic side – very nice Mr Emmett!

You can be as creative as you like with this – the more weird and wonderful the better! And the ones with the most loving thought behind it will be kept permanently on our website! Don’t worry though, we’ll Tweet every single entry we get, as well as posting it on our Facebook wall.

If you don’t already follow us, you can join us on Facebook by clicking here  or Twitter here .

You can send us your entries either by emailing them to hello@happy-creative.co.uk (use subject line ‘Love Up Logo’), you could tweet them to us, or post them up on our Facebook wall. It’s up to you!

In case you haven’t got anything with our logo on, we’ve attached an image of it below. Feel free to print it off, cut it out, draw on it, Photoshop it, kiss it, but most of all…love it!

Happy Valentine’s Day! We can’t wait to see your ideas!

The Happy Bunch.

New year, new thinking

Well I’m happy to say that I have the privilege of writing the 1st blog of 2012, woo!

So first of all, a very Happy New Year to you all! I hope you all had a great Christmas and indulged in all the festivities!

It’s a shame to see it all come and go so quickly especially with all the hype and I won’t be at all surprised if you’re sat with a glum expression on your face right now because it’s…

JANUARY! 

Thankfully though, you can rely on us all here at Happy to put a smile back on your face with our top blogging every week so make sure you keep up to date with each post and be sure to comment and follow us on Twitbook.

So to my post…

At Happy, we have an ‘ad of the week’ on the blog, where team members pick an advert that really hits home with them so I thought I’d get in there early and mention one that really captured my attention during the holidays.

It was a car advert believe it or not that I actually liked, well loved really! Very often I see a car advert and it turns out to be the same old format over and over but revamped slightly, you know what I mean, a classic interior shot, a shot of a happy family driving along a curved coastal road with a sunset in the background… it’s all so predictable but this was so different and refreshing.

It’s an advert for Renault, the first car manufacturer to offer a range of four electric vehicles accessible to everybody.

Now I know what you’re thinking, I really don’t need to be told anymore about the state of the environment, it’s tiring and I agree with you, it can be at times especially when it is forced on you, making you feel as though you have done something wrong.

But what Renault have done is cleverly maintain this important message but have brought humour into the advert to put us all at ease and listen.

The concept behind the advert is making us all realize as viewers what our day to day lives would be like with no electricity. The advert cleverly shows scenarios where electric products we all take so much for granted have been made into motorised devices.

There is a clear sign of the hassle and effort involved if this were the case and also how much of the world around us would be polluted with dangerous emissions.

The strapline at the end of the advert simply states, ‘You’ve already switched to electricity for many things, so why not for traveling.’ I just love it and it’s so refreshing to see a different approach to such an important topic.

In case you haven’t seen the advert, please see below and enjoy! (My favourite part is the bit with the mini petrol can…you’ll see)

  

As always, if you’re looking for a marketing agency to put the life back into your briefs, contact Happy Creative as we’ll be very Happy to help!

Tom Fearon is a Designer and Guerrilla marketing expert at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

How strong is your brand?

Corporate identity and branding is by far my favourite form of design. It can sum up a company, a product, even a person with the use of an adopted style. Sometimes it’s not very clear what branding actually is, the word has become overused and diluted.

Branding is not just a ‘buzz’ word made up by sales men, it’s an integral part of your marketing. Branding is the collection of all things an audience will experience, and how all the brand elements work together. For company’s the logo(s), color palette, photo style, typeface, tag line, brand message, placement, treatment or any other connection the audience has defines the brand.

Personal branding uses the same ideas, but it becomes more personal. An individual’s Twitter profile, avatar, background, tweets, etc… accomplish the same thing, that’s right whether you knew it or not you’ve probably branded yourself! The goal is to be consistent. Strong brands like Nike or Coke are strong brands through consistent use of brand elements.

The best brands can stand-alone and are instantly recognizable. A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. It’s important to spend time investing in researching, defining, and building your brand. After all, your brand is the source of a promise to your consumer. It’s a foundational piece in your marketing communication and one you do not want to be without.

If you need help with your branding, Happy is, of course, happy to help.

Now then, time for a bit of fun. Below are a selection of brands, can you name them all? Let us know if you do!

Gareth Martindale is a Designer at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

 

 

 

A Colourful Partnership!

At Happy Creative everyone we come into contact with in our working day is treated with the utmost respect and a huge amount of warmth (along with a lovely brew and  biscuit). Friends, clients, visitors and suppliers… in essence, everyone. It is very important to us that contact with any member of the Happy team leaves you feeling…well…happy!  We are of the opinion that “what you give in a relationship is what you get in return”. This is no more evident than when we communicate with our suppliers, important partners in the “Happy Family”. Part of my working day is spent in communications with our print partners in particular. Whether it be quote requests, checking on artwork or delivery or just asking their advice I often rely on their expertise.

I’m always interested when we are updated on new technologies and innovations and am genuinely excited to see a new printing technique or finish. All of the print suppliers who supply us have invested millions of pounds to ensure the most up-to-date technical equipment is in place to ensure an excellent print/quality of finish. We know that highly trained and fully qualified printers will be producing your job efficiently and with care. Whether your printed media; a simple two-colour letterhead, full colour company brochure, magazine or catalogue is printed litho or digital, you can be assured of a superb quality.

Typical technologies utilised by our print partners include digital printing which allows for low volume, high quality colour printing, now achievable with the development of digital printing presses (both mono and full colour). Typically, with a sheet size up to B3 and with paper weights ranging from 64gsm to 350gsm, this gives   flexibility in tailoring your marketing efforts. Digital printing is particularly suitable for short run business cards, flyers or brochures without a compromise on quality.

Whilst issues of quality and keen prices are of course, considerations when choosing a supplier, we are increasingly aware of the importance of being environmentally friendly (even more significant during 2011 which was declared the International Year of Forests by the UN). Many of our print partners have achieved accreditation to the Forest Stewardship Council’s Chain of Custody (FSC COC) programme. This means that clients can be certain that the papers and boards used to produce their printed matter can be traced back through the production chain to the sustainable source of the timber used in the wood pulp production. Choosing print partners who are FSC accredited helps both us and our clients to minimise our environmental impact, in effect, we are all doing our part in responsibly managing the world’s forests.

Our suppliers are rightly proud of their commitment to sustainability and our relationship with them is enhanced because of their commitment to improvement and to behaving responsibly and ethically. We have the utmost respect for all our print partners, many of whom we have worked with since we started out. We challenge them occasionally with a particular project or timescale but invariably and without complaint they always deliver.

Debbie Lewis is a Customer Support Executive at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

Anything but ordinary……please!

It’s Monday morning, Autumn leaves on the line dictate that Costa’s sophistication now belongs to Biffa and guess what, the monthly industry journal has your competitor’s latest product campaign splashed over the front cover…..and it’s blo*dy brilliant!!

OK……your luck will change if you make it so. Let’s start again.

‘’Good morning Jane!’’ (in the most cheerful tone available). ‘’Morning Clive’’ (slightly less so – which is more than Mr Rogers would ever expect). Grab a ‘Crista Coffee’ Super Latte Columbian Special Plus’ from the machine, no sugar left and the milk looks very…er….hydrated.

Computer sings it’s ‘Windows’ melody and we’re in! The day begins.

Mrs Biggins, 63, has served at Jennings and Co for no less than 39 years. An asset, carved from the biggest loyalty stone in Cambridgeshire.

‘’Your post is on your desk, David. Your 9:30 has been pushed to 10 and Mr Zalanski has e-mailed their proposal. I have finished the draft copy for BDH and we need to start looking at the contract particulars for Sam. David……please can you sign off the budgets for the next quarter – we need to get ahead.’’ 

‘’Thank you Margaret.’’

Sound familiar? A day we all relate to……..Monday.

So, amidst the stressful, fast-paced start, coupled to the week’s volume of work concentrated into Monday morning, what is your mindset when you sift through the post?  Agitated? Removed? Pressing? What it isn’t focused upon prioritising is Dumbbulbugs Creative’s latest direct mail – an A5 flyer (franked without envelope) showcasing their latest success – in a blobby, New Age design style, with a yellow elephant shouting from the page! Another forgettable DM brushed Biffa’s way along with all the other tedious, unremarkable, distinctly ordinary junk mail.

I don’t know who you are?

I don’t know of your company?

I don’t know your company’s product?

I don’t know what your company stands for?

I don’t know your company’s record?

I don’t know your company’s reputation?

Now……what was it you wanted to sell me?

Now you are probably smiling and nodding at the regularity with which this situation arises. Have you ever thought that there is another face to this story. Can you hand on heart say that the last direct mail you (your team) commissioned had impact? How do you expect your sales team to follow up credibly with any authority, when your initial touch point had such minimum impact?

The direct mail can be an explosive introduction to your latest product, cross-selling, or even a reminder of what you do best. Why compromise? It is your responsibility to deliver a campaign that facilitates enough curiosity in order that a follow-up presentation/call can be received with an amount of anticipation.

Happy Creative specialise in anything but ordinary campaignable direct mail pieces, that are proven to unlock the doors of global industrial/publishing/food/travel/automotive/financial institutions. We create memorable publications, no more lasting than ‘The Happy Client’. Curious? Just email me mike@happy-creative.co.uk and ask for a copy. I guarantee it’ll make you smile (and remember us too!).

Mike Emmett is a Director at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

Doing it for the kids

Today, 18^th November 2011 is a special day for many. It is the day dedicated to recognising Children in Need.

Children in Need is the BBC’s UK corporate charity. The charity aims to make a difference to the lives of children across the UK by providing grants for projects which focus on disadvantaged children and young people. They do this with the help of the UK, hosting events and raising funds, with everyone involved playing their own little part.

With an inspiring vision to ensure that every child in the UK is safe, happy, secure and has a chance to reach their potential, the Children in Need team and the people of the UK work hard to raise the money the children need to live less disadvantaged lives.

A bit of background

The BBC’s first ever appeal was a 5 minute radio broadcast on Christmas Day in 1927, followed by the first television broadcast in 1955, the ‘Children’s Hour Christmas Appeal’. The Christmas appeals continued on the radio and television until 1979.

So, for 84 years the charity has continued to help the children and young people of the UK with tremendous help from public donations.

The iconic brand

From a marketing point of view, Children in Need really have got it right. We are all familiar with the iconic Pudsey bear, making his television debut in 1985 in the form of Terry Wogan’s cuddly brown mascot. He was designed by Joanna Ball, a BBC graphic designer, born in the West Yorkshire town of Pudsey and proving so popular he was adapted to become the icon he is today – the yellow bear with a spotted bandage. They really have a recognisable identity.

From charity concerts and televised appeals to fundraising packs and a celebrity riddled song, the charity has all their materials working together, forming such a strong brand.

Despite targeting a diverse, mass audience (which is never an easy task) the charity gets their marketing absolutely ‘spot’ on. The website is easy to navigate; the process of donating is quick and simple; the fundraising pack is good quality, colourful and informative; the pack contains the added extras such as stickers and posters to promote your event; the envelopes are branded with the iconic spots; the pack is delivered quickly and efficiently; a list of ideas are provided to help get you started. Evidently, each and every part of the brand ‘sings from the same hymn sheet’, all is consistent in look and feel.

I have talked about touch points before and Children in Need really are the perfect example. A great customer experience.

Happy to help

This year Happy Creative were excited to take part. On Wednesday we initiated a fancy dress fun run to raise money for the cause. From our experience Children in Need really encouraged the fundraising and did everything in their power to ensure the whole process ran smoothly and cohered with the brand’s identity- fun, organised and certainly determined.

Happy were excited to take part and do our bit for the cause. We used the posters, we wore the stickers, we collected the donations. Did you see us on Twitter? Check it out to see the reaction from our followers and more of the newly uploaded photos, they are also on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Creative. We had a great response from the local community and our lovely clients, with some fantastic donations, and we are proud to announce that we raised nearly £200!

Thank you!

We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated and helped us raise money for such a worthy cause.

Emma Dobson is a branding expert and Touch Point guru at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

Ambient all the way!

So for my blog entry, I wanted to share with you a piece of ambient marketing that I thought was very clever indeed.

For as along as I can remember, I’ve always been a huge fan of ambient marketing. I love ideas that really capture the imagination of the viewer and make them look and feel something in a way they thought they would.

I especially love marketing that promotes a specific cause, advertising that supports charities spreading important and insightful messages about life and the vulnerabilities it can often involve, topics such as drink driving, smoking, health and well being. Now we all see adverts every day that give us the old ‘Don’t do this…’ and ‘Don’t do that…’ and to be honest, it just gets tiring and boring to watch and it’s no wonder people switch off and don’t listen.

Personally, I really feel that there is much more scope for ambient marketing when it comes to tackling issues such as the above and I feel that by taking that risk and doing something different and never seen before, it would really change a viewers perception and help them think about making a change.

What led me to talking about the above was a beautifully crafted campaign brought to us from Spain where the agency involved tackled the topic of skin cancer. Now this is obviously less of a problem here in the UK as exposure to the sun is very rare indeed but in Mediterranean countries such as Spain, this topic is very serious indeed.

None of us can deny that when the sun is shining, we all can’t wait to get out and enjoy it, many of us look forward to holidays abroad where we can relax and bath in it but the damage it can do is something people tend to overlook and don’t really think about as much as they should.

The agency involved here chose an ambient method to advertise this topic to the residents and tourists of Madrid. The figure stands at around 700 people losing their lives do to this disease each year, if people took care of their skin, this figure would be significantly reduced. The agency decided to sculpt 700 figures out of ice and place them in and around the city.

Obviously with the sun beating down, the ice melted and the statues disappeared signifying a loss of life.

When I saw this, I was truly inspired not just by the creativity and innovation involved in the campaign but the strength of the message and how it drew me in deeper, much more so than any leaflet or brochure would and think there should be much more of this around surrounding other health and well being issues.

Here is the big budget campaign that has been a huge success in Madrid capturing the attention of the public, radio and press.

What do you think of the campaign? Do you think there should be more ambient advertising around?

Whether tackling serious issues such as the above or simply wanting to promote your company/product in an innovative way, choose ambient marketing and choose Happy Creative to help you bring it to life!

Tom Fearon is a Designer and Guerrilla marketing expert at Happy Creative, a full service marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

The Art of Reading

I recently read an article about the popular Swedish store, Ikea and how they, noticing a shift in what consumers are storing on their bookshelves, have put a new spin on their ever popular furniture item: the Billy bookcase.

Ikea are due to release a new version of the classic Billy bookcase, one that’s focused less on storing books than storing…. well whatever you choose. Whether this is ornaments, photo frames or the odd coffee table book, Ikea have been quick to recognise and respond to the changing trend in what consumers are storing on their bookshelves. Their solution to these changes, have been to adapt their bookcases, altering the depth and height and adding decorative glass doors to them. In this way they can be seen to be more than just a bookcase.

Interestingly, and according to some, the demise of paperbacks is increasingly imminent with huge chain stores like Borders closing up shop. Other bookstores are managing to stave off the same fate by embracing e-books which seem increasingly popular. In this way it appears that many companies are attempting to understand and respond to customer’s changing habits.

I don’t possess an e-reader myself and have a life-long love of reading but was fascinated by the comments and experiences of other readers.  After researching the subject in more depth, from people who are either vehemently opposed to the shift into the digital transition of books and how we read, to those who embrace the new technology, I was fascinated. It seems that many agree that we can enjoy both the traditional mode of picking up and opening a book as well as flipping open a Kindle or other popular e-reader.

There are many who feel that there is nothing to compare to the experience and pleasure of opening a book and turning the actual pages. Others recognise that for them, using an e-reader makes for a less cumbersome experience than for, say, carrying around lots of books at one time. With an e-reader you can store up to 200 books at any one time which is pretty amazing. And, where the cost of them seemed prohibitive at first the price does seem to be reducing all the time as competitors vie to out-price each other.

Members of my family have Kindles, even though they have been exposed to books from an early age and have built up quite extensive libraries of their favourites. I asked them what they thought of the new technology and whether they thought they could ever replace the traditional version.

The concensus was that there would always be a place for the pleasurable activity of curling up with an absorbing tome or two but that there is a place for e-readers, whilst travelling or with lack of space for example  that makes them perfectly positioned to enhance what we all probably have anyway…that shelf full of beloved books, bought or received as a gift, kept in memory and waiting to be re-read and maybe passed on to others .

As a Design and Marketing agency we are constantly aware of changing trends and sensitive to the needs of our clients. We respond by offering solutions that work with and for the client.  In this way we provide a more effective and  complete set of services.

Debbie Lewis is a Customer Support Executive at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk

Absolutely Keyless

We all have our own big set of keys. A private combination of car, house, work and ‘bitsof’ keys. Your set of keys are on your person most of the day, most of the week and most of the year.  If you’re at home, they are hung up in visible place. If you’re out (day or night) they will generally be close to you or within sight.

The manufacturers of Tobacco seemed, until recently, to be the only industry to understand that alongside keys, tobacco packets were the ‘other’ item people carried everywhere. The falling sales of tobacco in recent decades and the unparalleled rise of the mobile phone has changed our ‘pocket possessions’ forever. Keys, of course, still remain king of the pocket.

Advertising surely could not be better placed than on you day in, day out. Tobacco manufacturers certainly know this. Mobile phone manufactures do. Why then, do motor manufactures, in the main, miss this marketing trick? Ok, let’s be fair. Some manufacturers, at the higher end of motoring heaven have given the market a slice of ‘key cool’. Recent innovative ‘keyless cards’ are technically amazing, without question. You keep them in your pocket or handbag, and just press the engine start button to go. However, they are still a plain, rectangular, forgettable plastic card. They don’t look or feel special, cool or desirable. Aston Martin, on the other hand, contrast this marketing enigma. Two fold. Firstly, their emotional, transparent fob which fits snuggly into the engine start, displaying an inset Aston Martin logo is very pleasing indeed. A little cheesey maybe but on inserting the key, listening to the glorious, characteristic rev flare, the rev needle arc and return to zero, is accompanied by the unique indication on the dash – power, beauty and soul.

 

Aston is trying hard. Secondly, the quest for one-upmanship among City bankers and Premier League footballers has reached a new level with the unveiling of the world’s most expensive car key. As if simply being able to afford the new Aston Martin Rapide (list price: £139,950) weren’t prestigious enough, for an extra £22,000 buyers can ask for its “plipper” to be built into a custom-made Jaeger-LeCoultre watch. Aston Martin engineers spent 18 months tinkering with the transponder to shrink it and damp emissions, so as not to affect the delicate innards of the Swiss watch. The results have been worth the wait: to unlock the car’s five doors, users tap the sapphire crystal face between the 8 and 9 on the dial; the “close” section sits between the 3 and 4. WOW! Aston is trying very hard! If you have a spare £1m, you may even get a special presentation box with your Bugatti Veyron (analagous  to a diamond ring presentation). Infact, Bugatti give you a second key in order that you can unlock a further 300 BHP and de-limit the restrictive speed limiter to unlock the 252mph top speed. Nice.

Remember, this is only a key? Whether for your Ferrari or Fiesta – the cost associated to be a tad more lavish wouldn’t break the budget surely? Ironically, the marketing departments have enough influence to add an extra inch to the alloy wheel diameter (a very topical subject within the industry). The touch, feel, style and presence of something like an everyday item such as your simple car key would be a constant feel good factor. A reminder that you have purchased the right brand. A reminder that you will stay loyal to that brand.  A reminder that your brand (on your person) is quality, oozes style and shouts from the restaurant table – I am quality! It’s no coincidence the premium brands are slowly (very slowly) subscribing to this reality.

Do you know what’s next? You’ve guessed it – house builders! If you want style on your key fob, for the very materialistic reasons, you want ice-cool in your house key.    

Mike Emmett is a Director at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk