Three Wise Projects

By Mark Fones - Client Strategy and Creative Director

As we approach this special time of year and look forward to the festive fun, I wanted to share with you a tasty selection box of our very best creative work. 2010 has seen our star rising, and here are three of our wisest projects - all of which offer something truly original in terms of quality and thinking.

First to appear over the horizon bearing gold is a brand repositioning project for AESSEAL.

A global player in the specialist mechanical seals sector, AESSEAL is a business with a passionate commitment to exceeding expectations. Offering world-class reliability and performance - plus high speed assembly - their unique modular component system supports a staggering 10 million permutations and can quickly deliver seal solutions for virtually any application. Above all, they have a passion for service excellence - their overriding objective being to exceed expectation and redefine the 'customer experience' within their sector. Our challenge was to capture this new 'experience' and repackage AES as a true global player that would ensure customers never need to source another seals partner. With 'Experience the Exceptional' as the brand's new strap line, AES boldly launched (October) a Web 2.0 based website supported by an on and offline advertising campaign, plus a whole new range of corporate and product focused literature. The design was professional and contemporary with a strong technological 'look and feel', and real customers, and real outcomes, were used to tell a powerful yet simple story. In the first week alone, AESSEAL's new site saw over 350 users (customers and prospects) register for industry and product specific content.

Next to dismount, is Legrand's launch campaign for its latest Salamandre cable
management system.
A revolution in trunking technology, the new Salamandre has been designed with ease of installation in mind. In recent 'speed tests', it has been independently proven to be 50% faster to fit than existing alternatives. Despite this impressive competitive advantage, getting loyal installers to switch to new products in this sector is a challenge. And that’s exactly how the Legrand Grand Prix speed challenge was born.

Utilising an integrated campaign approach that combined traditional advertising, direct mail and email marketing with the exciting possibilities offered by Facebook, YouTube and demonstration based roadshows, this product promotion launched in December. In early 2011, Legrand will run 100 events that encourage installers to engage with the product and rise to the challenge of becoming the UK's fastest fitter - after all, in this market we know demonstrations mean sales. Alongside this roadshow, social channels will play host to the times set, pictures taken and videos filmed whilst building product awareness, brand following and helping to drive sales. Vvvvrrroooom...

Watch this space….more on this project to come in the New Year!

Last, but not least of our three wise projects, is the rebranding we delivered for Lancaster University Management School.

Founded over 40 years ago, Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) is now ranked as one of the UK's top four management and business schools, and as one of the world’s best too – with its MBA being considered to be in the top 30 globally. Impressive, true. Yet, despite such world-class credentials, the extensive research we undertook revealed that there was little awareness of LUMS among the target audience and that, once prospective students had explored their 'offer' more deeply, the best applicants became disengaged. The reasons? Perceptions around location, 'employability' and the extent of its international culture were all highlighted as negatives. Our task was to address these misconceptions and focus on carving out a unique and more emotive positioning for LUMS in a sector that typically practices 'blanding' not branding. After working with key target audience groups (UK and overseas) our research led us to the following positioning statement: 'Partnering tomorrow's business minds'.

To capture the idea of a personal and professional journey in partnership (i.e. a collaboration between peers, teaching staff and business being key to their teaching approach) we developed – after exhaustive thinking and testing - the 'Today. Tomorrow. Together' brand platform. This positions LUMS as a place where people enter with an already successful track record and are helped to grow and realise their full potential. By using aspirational and thought-provoking 'before and after' photography, we were able to convey this creative message clearly, and with impact.

These are just three examples from a growing stable of clients. If you've got a great story to tell your customers just let us know and our team will set off from the West (Midlands) to greet you. In the meantime, from everyone at Wyatt, I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year!

Right, I'm off to see if there's any room at my local inn.

Mine's a Harvey's Bristol Cream. Classic ;-)

Mark

OUR NEW CREATIVE CORNER…

The creative room has undergone a few changes in the past few weeks, as you may have noticed from the smell of paint and white spirit! However the room is now finished and being used for brainstorming and creative idea session by teams throughout Wyatt.



Creativity is often generated when people interact with one another and a brainstorm can be the best way to get started on a new client's brief, and instill enthusiasm in the project team. The comfy sofa’s, bright pillows, multicolored chairs and the use of natural light are all elements that have been incorporated into the design of the room in order boost and encourage creative conversations.

Work for us

After recently welcoming two new additions to our creative team, it’s time for us to expand our marketing division too!

We’re looking for a Client Communications Manager to cover everything from marketing, branding, events, digital and internal comms for a major international B2B client – one of our biggest. A working knowledge of French will give you an advantage.

If you’re embarking on a new career in marketing communications after graduating, we have an opportunity for you too. Our team is in need of a Client Communications Administrator, to support our account handlers on clients in a variety of sectors and pitch in on projects from advertising production to brand development.

More information on these posts, including how to apply, can be found on our website.

We’d love to hear from you – please get in touch and find out what’s it like working behind the orange front door…

We're heroes for Villa

After our recent appointment by Aston Villa FC to transform and redevelop its junior members club JV-Life, our redesigned club mascots have made their home debut against Fulham – plus one new addition!

Aston Villa felt it was time to revamp their junior membership programme with the aim of appealing to a broader audience across the city of Birmingham. So, we developed a concept around the positioning ‘Where Heroes Are Made’, which encapsulates the idea that in this club children can become something special and achieve great things. From beating mates in an online game to charting football skills development, JV-Life is a fun and inclusive place where normal kids turn into heroes.

To bring this idea to life, we redesigned long term club mascots Hercules and Bella to ensure they embodied the new superhero personality of ‘JV-Life’ with their own unique superpowers and a new third mascot character, cheeky scamp Chip, was introduced.

Ravinder Masih from Aston Villa FC, pictured above with Wyatt's Mario Morby and the Mascots, said: “We’re extremely pleased with the new positioning of JV-Life and the terrific transformation of Hercules and Bella as well as the new surprise addition of Chip. The Mascots made a triumphant return to Villa Park at the recent home game against Fulham and were well received by all fans.”

To complete the redesign, we oversaw the development of various communications initiatives from the brand logo to animated character footage, and also redesigned the Trinity Road Family Area with giant murals of the new characters.

Two new recruits!

We’re pleased to announce that, over the summer, we’ve been able to expand our creative operations by appointing two new recruits!

Sarah Poole (left) and Emily Shaw

Emily Shaw is our new Junior Art Director who graduated from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. While there, she received a commendation from the prestigious D&AD student awards for her integrated advertising campaign. Emily then spent four years as creative at Golley Slater where her role involved directing and contributing to the design and development of brands such as Heart FM, Marston’s Inn and Taverns, the Army and Sandwell Council which was awarded a Gold PRide Award.

Creative Artworker, Sarah Poole joins us from McCann Erickson, and brings with her over eight years experience working on creative executions for a wide range of household names, including Alliance & Leicester, Harley Davidson and the Open University. Having graduated from Solihull College in 2001 with a HND in Graphic Design, Sarah was keen to take on a new challenge.

Emily has already been tasked with refreshing the Wyatt brand image which we’ll be launching in the not-too-distant future.

We’re delighted to have two such strong additions to the creative team, and Sarah and Emily will no doubt continue the Wyatt tradition of providing clients with innovative, creative and successful communication campaigns.

In the meantime, both ladies are in training for the sponsored Acorns Midnight Walk on Saturday 19th September along with five colleagues from PR, marketing and central services. Further information coming soon!