Elmwood Newspaper - Edition 5 by Elmwood

A bunch of Ideas, provocation, irreverence and news. Edition 5.

from

be cReAtive.

be SimPlE.

be EffEcTive.

Andy Wyatt Design Director, London

Melissa Daisley Account Coordinator, Melbourne

Natalie Bradbury Designer, London Train Sleeper

Emma Jaquiss Senior Creative Artworker, Leeds Loves Pink

W E N

Immortal Flying Atmokinesis

Omega Level Fanboy

Tim Green Designer, London BBQ Host

Laura Fitzroy-Kelly Account Director, Melbourne Reads Magazines Backwards

Jet Skier

Sara Lister HR Advisor, Leeds

Rezaul Hasan Finance Manager, Melbourne Techno Freak

we taKe grEat pRide In ouR peoPle – they’Re whAt makeS elMwood elMwood. we ask Each oF our new StaRters to dRaw a self-portRait For tHeir Own pErsonAliseD mug. afTer aLl, nothIng bEats A gooD cup of tEa. it’S a sUbjecT verY cloSe to our Heart, As you’Ll seE on the Next Page.

Road Runner

Nicola Bedford-Land Account Manager – Artwork, Leeds

Paul Greskie Designer, Melbourne Underwater Hearing

Extremely Organised

nicK hynEs

Head of Verbal Identity, Leeds

Ania Drozd Designer, Melbourne Sketchbook Hoarder

Phil Morrison Design Director, Leeds Vinyl Detective

Rachael Edwards Designer, Leeds Fish Phobic

Nick started his writing career with Elmwood back in the late 80’s. He stayed with us for 12 years before leaving to become Creative Director at Scandinavian Design Group in Oslo. He returned to the UK after two and a half years in Norway, and over the next decade he pursued a successful freelance career, working with agencies and clients across Europe and Scandinavia. Nick’s clients in recent years have included Boots, the BBC, Coca-Cola, The Football Association, HBOS, Umbro, Whyte & Mackay, as well as celebrities Tiger Woods and Miss Norway. Needless to say, we’re delighted to have him back on board the Elmwood ship.

jeSsie McguirE

Jessie joins Elmwood from Kimberly-Clark where she led a redesign that transformed the $1.4 billion Kleenex® brand into a modern lifestyle accessory. This came after she managed the development of the design strategy and sensory brand language for Cottonelle® in the US. Prior to this Jessie was Chief Culture Officer at Colorful Brands, where she co-wrote the definitive design book ‘Brand Bible: The Complete Guide to Building, Designing, and Sustaining Brands’. Jessie is a huge asset to our US studio, as a brand builder and design advocate, she believes in big ideas and small actions. Outside of work, she’s constantly inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of her husband who is an artist in NYC.

ellE morrIs

Elle is a creative thinker and results-oriented leader, driven to enable her clients to achieve success. She joins us from LPK, having spent the last five years guiding the growth of its Asia offices, whilst managing the portfolio of beauty brands. The long list includes Revlon, Gillette, Always, Clairol, Olay and Fashion Fair – a self-confessed ‘beauty junkie’s’ dream. She’s worked with partners in North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe, developing an understanding of beauty’s transformative power across diverse cultures. Passionate about thought leadership, Elle has had multiple speaking engagements at HBA Global in New York, as well as being published in many beauty industry magazines. At home, she takes inspiration from her Cuban roots, cooking delicious, authentic food for her family and friends.

Strategy Director, New York

President of the Americas

Jennifer Cable HR Administrator, Leeds

we beliEve eVery Brand shouLd haVe a DistincT Point of viEw. as a glObal Brand desigN ConsuLtancy, we aLso bElievE in PractIcing what We preaCh. makE miNe a buIlders is oUr owN Brand of tEa thAt we deveLoped from ScratcH baCk in 2007.

A BOLD, NO-NONSENSE BLEND WITH AN ATTITUDE TO MATCH Make Mine a Builders sells in major supermarkets across the UK. It also opened up a new distribution channel for tea inside builders’ merchants and DIY retailers. Owning and managing our own brand has been quite a ride. We’ve had warehouse dramas, supply chain challenges and rocketing tea prices. Not to mention the bumps and bruises from competitive trading including the loss of a key listing. All great lessons learned from walking in our client’s shoes and understanding what FMCG brands go through every day. It’s certainly been character building, and helped us become a better brand design consultancy.

GOOD TEA IS LIKE A GOOD BUILDING: STRONG, STURDY AND WELL PUT TOGETHER So eight years on, how’s the house holding up for Make Mine a Builders? Pretty well, it seems. Builders continues to outperform the black tea category with like for like sales in 2014 being 22% above the category average. The brand is doing a great job for retailers, delivering higher than average margin and a consistent, high cash return on shelf. All this has been achieved in a category that’s under pressure. Tea follows most food categories with major brands dominating the volume, but at a price. Retailers still pursue a yo-yo promotional strategy, heavily discounting major brands on a continuous cycle. Which is good news for consumers, but not great for brand value, and probably not the best strategy for the retailer either. What’s more, major UK retailers are in a panic. They are looking over their shoulders at the discounters, Aldi and Lidl, and their only real defence is price. So, we’re seeing category values drop, a growth in consumer promiscuity and a corresponding decline in brand loyalty. Against this background, Make Mine a Builders is staying strong. It’s adopted a specific everyday good value offer – and it’s working. A £1.79 price marked pack has been sustained for nearly three years, supported by relatively shallow promotional activity.

BREWING UP A STRONG BRAND We’ve seen overall volumes increasing and for the retailer, value holding steady with a higher than average return. For us, the brand is the foundation. Make Mine a Builders has a clear and consistent brand proposition, tapping into Britain’s love for a strong and refreshing cuppa, and delivering great everyday value for customers. Across the Atlantic ocean, our story is just beginning. We’re now distributed in the USA by BWI, America’s leading importer of British iconic grocery brands. That’s got to be worth putting the kettle on for.

Want to find out more about our brew? Paul Martin Make Mine A Builders

paul.martin@makemineabuilders.com

www.makemineabuilders.com

thE verY besT of

caNnes lionS IntErNatIonal feStivaL of crEativitY 2015

as a coNsultAnt oF any kind you ContiNuallY havE to Gain Fresh inpuT in Order to gIve fResh Output. anD so At thE End oF juNe mySelf And mY colLeagueS greG taYlor glObal prOvocaTion diRector anD joN whitE maNaginG diRector, londOn VentuRed oVer tO frAnce foR caNnes lionS IntErNatIonal FesTival of CreAtIviTy…

So many presentations from inspirational thought leaders such as Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor Brian Cox. Although I confess, my absolute favorite was Will.i.am. Yes, he was one of the most thought provoking of all, talking about how he developed the Beats brand and is now using technology within fashion to create ‘fashionology’, not wearables as the technology boys call it. And then there were the brand moguls from Coca-Cola, Unilever, Heineken and Diageo to name a few. They showcased how they are investing in start-ups and new technology to activate brands to deliver one-on-one experiences like never before. Sir Tim Berners-Lee spoke about the effect of A.I. on the world of marketing.

If you’d like a full download of everything we learned at Cannes, we’ll happily share our ﬁndings with you. Most importantly of all, if you want a week that’s guaranteed to stimulate and energise your business (agency or client), I’d encourage you to invest in a week at Cannes in 2016. Just ensure you have a quiet week the following week to give your brain, and your liver, a little recovery time!

Of course, the first challenge after announcing you’re off to Cannes for the week is “Yeah right, nice boozy holiday!” Well, it’s true there are worse places to spend a week, and yes there was the odd glass or two of rosé enjoyed over lunch and dinner. But… what an amazing five days! A creative assault on the right side of the brain. I’d like to think that we’re a pretty smart bunch here at Elmwood, but if I’m being totally honest, I came away thinking “Wow, OMG, and bloody hell fire!” How fast the world is moving and what amazing opportunities there are coming down the track. Indeed, what amazing new opportunities there are right now. I came back to the UK all fired up and full of inspiration, and not to mention a little worried. We need to run fast to stay current in a world that is changing more rapidly than I ever believed possible.

The world’s first fully personalised television campaign from Coca-Cola.

It’s impossible to share on a double page spread just how much stuff there was to see, and how much there was to learn. But here’s just a quick taste of the things that inspired the three of us. Needless to say, we’re now rapidly expanding our mobile platform and beacon technology capabilities. Artificial intelligence, and the brand being the hero (not the consumer), is most definitely the gateway to a new wave of marketing thinking.

Drop me a line if you want to see our Cannes presentation. Jonathan Sands OBE Chairman

jonathan.sands@elmwood.com

Airbnb took home a coveted Silver Lion award for their iconic brand identity.

Samova flowering tea bags unfold to create an experience that’s worth waiting for.

Soren Hagh talked about Heineken’s ‘Thirst for Creativity’ and the importance of social networking.

“i dOn’T trusT (Tech CompaniEs ) On thEir aEsthetiCs.”

"40% of whaT I'vE Done Was a mistaKe. i Now cAll iT R&D."

Will.i.am, Musician/Entrepreneur

Jamie Oliver, Food Activist

“evEry cReatiVe peRson Needs data to kEep tHem RooteD in RealiTy.” Professor Brian Cox, Physicist

“A.I. is nOt juSt heAding for ouR IndustRy, it wIll rAdicaLly cHange The mAchinEry wE use in mArketiNg.” Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of World Wide Web

"HumaNs arE gloBal aNd biOlogy TrumpS geoGraphY hanDs doWn." “a CurioUs mind Is a Young mind.”

Lara Balazs, SVP, Head of North America Marketing, Visa

Pharrell Williams, Musician

the ElmWood GalLery

Cow & Clover New York Studio

A field to fork story for this restaurant in Brooklyn, NY.

brOwse the lateSt woRk froM our sTuDios arouNd thE globE

Rishi Tea New York Studio

Re-energising an artisan loose-leaf tea brand. Thammachart Seafood Singapore Studio

A fresh identity for this premium seafood range in Thailand.

Doctor Kluger’s Olde Towne Tavern Leeds Studio

Identity for an exclusive disco bar in Canary Wharf, London.

Carman’s Melbourne Studio

An authentic look for this Australian muesli range.

Bristol Aerospace Centre London Studio

Creating an identity for the home of Concorde.

Nestlé – Milk Stick Hong Kong Studio

Building an iconic ice cream brand in China.

Arla – Skyr Leeds Studio

Icelandic-style yogurt from the land of contrasts.

Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival – Shop the Runway Melbourne Studio A stylish website for fashion festival fans.

Singtel – HOOQ Singapore Studio

An online, on-demand entertainment gateway for the Asian market.

Heineken – Tecate London Studio

Capturing the spirit of this iconic Mexican beer.

Nestlé – Acti-V Hong Kong Studio

Form follows function for this low fat yoghurt range.

IntRoDucIng Our pArtneR tiN horsE A worLd clAss iNsight, innoVatioN and struCturaL pacKaginG conSultanCy. peTe anD maRtin Give Us thE lowDown On thE rolE of 3d PackaGing dEsIgN.

MartiN bunCe Director, Tin Horse Packaging and branding have traditionally been marked out as the territory of graphic designers, its creative fountainhead strictly two-dimensional. However, industrial designers, like those at Tin Horse, are great for brands as we navigate the packaging opportunities diﬀerently.

Real PeoPlE, in Real SitUaTioNs, UsiNg Real ThiNgs We fuel our thinking through consumer activated insights, exploring solutions that can fully exploit the emotional, and the functional. Together with graphics, this can then lead to a more eﬀective, enhanced communication and articulation of a brand’s promise. At Tin Horse we say that packaging is a brand story, masquerading as an object. Telling that brand story works much better when 3D and 2D work together.

peTe booTh Director, Tin Horse UniLever

Patented and unique 180-degree twist action deodorant stick, on the market for over 17 years.

persIl

Award winning and innovative bottle design provides instant brand recognition on shelf.

sma

Giving busy mums a convenient solution as well as creating a new ready to feed category.

We make as we go, learning experientially, and generating innovations that intuitively work with people. Our design studio has integrated research facilities and workshops, fully equipped to enable us to create models, prototypes, photo-realistic simulations, test rigs and working models. We work in 3D from the outset, often with really low resolution models, because we believe you have to experience ideas in reality, not just on screen. Ultimately we use these things to learn about people, as well as using people to learn about the things we’re creating. We use techniques and tools to explore the boundaries of consumer acceptability and expectation. We call it ‘stimulating stimulus’ and it’s designed to provoke people and is never intended to be the final solution. This helps to explore future opportunities and generate the most right solution, not select the least wrong solution. In short, we get to the bottom of things. Discovering what consumers really do with stuff. In the case of Andrex we did this literally by understanding the different habits and practices of ‘wrappers, scrunchers and folders’. Our basic principle is to generate deep insights in home, in store, on the go, right from the off. Our mantra is that we work with real people, in real situations using real things.

To find out more about their unique approach, drop Tin Horse an email talk2us@tinhorse.com or call +44 (0)1672 519999

whAt doEs thE futUre Hold For rEtail stores A decAde fRom nOw? FirSt, let's set the SceNe. it's OftEn Hard to ForEcast FutUre IdeAs BecAuse our Mind Just DoeSn't ThiNk Like That. the Year is 2025. a DraStIcaLly DifFeRent PlaCe… We’re embroiled in Web 2.0. The ‘Law of Electronic Eventuality’ exists, where everything is digital. With that, no more copyright laws. Work-free weekends are gone, so lifestyle and livelihood blend together to deﬁne people. And, rather hauntingly, global climate change has raised sea levels and the Maldives has been swallowed by the Indian Ocean. But what about the world of retail? The demise of the stock room; a blurring of function and entertainment; the introduction of exclusive spaces for brand ‘superfans’; static mirrors in changing rooms become a relic of the past. All this and more is happening in the store of the future.

TriBe SpaCes

Facebook likes and shares have shown that people want to interact with brands more. House of Vans in London shows that there is demand, and a certain amount of expectation, for brands to provide more than product; they want a sense of experience and reward. Today ‘rewards’ currently mean discounts, like Tesco Club Card and so on, but in the future it will mean so much more. In 2025, luxury brands will reward their ‘superfans’ with private members sections. When you buy a Ginetta car you gain access to their exclusive racing club – one day a year of televised racing, complete with pit crew. No longer are you simply buying a car, you’re buying an experience too. So how can retail learn from this? Fashion shoots in clothing stores? Immersive theatre when you buy the latest Call of Duty?

ThiNk DigItal

If the greetings card industry has shown us anything, it’s that everything can be digitized, singing cards are just the start. In clothing stores, we already have full-body scanners that take your measurements and recommend the outfits that best fit your body; mirrors that display what clothes will look like on you; hangers that state how many people have ‘liked’ the clothes online; changing rooms that modify the lighting, music and even the scent, depending on what products you brought in. But how about a store that changes depending on your pre-determined preferences? Beacon technology already lets stores deliver product information directly to customers’ enabled smartphones in store. Backed up by big data, the same technology will allow stores to recognize individual customers, to retrieve their purchase histories and respond with relevant offers and promotions. A little like being tapped on the shoulder by a human assistant who knows your tastes and your shopping habits inside out. Meanwhile, stores like Aether in San Francisco are already using conveyor belts to bring products out to people. Or how about a supermarket that does the shopping for you? Just type in your recipe at lunchtime and it’s waiting for you at home, maybe even unpacked! Seamless checkouts, turning security gates into flow pay points, eliminating the need to ever queue at a till again.

In 2025, same day delivery will be well and truly established. Shutl is a same day delivery service that has the likes of Argos, a large UK retailer, on their books. How fast is same day delivery? Well, they have already successfully delivered an item 14 minutes after it was paid for. With no need for excess stock, theatre will take centre stage. Sneakerboy, a luxury retail store in Melbourne, has already removed their storeroom and manages to sell successfully from a comparatively small store layout. This behavior will be less about convenience and space saving, and more about using the available space to host amazing and unique experiences.

Sneakerboy, Melbourne Guessing futures is a tough game, and who knows what the future holds. All we can do is look to the edge of culture and business practice and judge whether or not these micro examples could force a shift on a macro scale. One thing I’m pretty conﬁdent about is that the shift from a product economy to an experience economy is happening and should be leveraged to diﬀerentiate the stores of the future. Retailers should focus on the unique experience they can create for their shoppers, giving them momentous moments and memories. Whatever the scenario, the stores of the future will certainly engage and excite. In the words of Alan Kay “The best way to predict the future, is to invent it”.

Aether, San Francisco

House of Vans, London

TheAtre

Email Jamie if you’re keen to harness the power of trends. Jamie Campbell Brand Provocator

jamie.campbell@elmwood.com

be cReAtive.

be SimPlE.

be EffEcTive.

ouR latEst cOllecTion oF dbA desIgn eFfectIveneSs awArds heCk

Gold

brAnding, over £100k Encapsulating the Keeble family’s authentic attitude into a simple and courageous motto and brand. Creative awards: New York Festivals – Finalist Food & Beverage – Winner Fresh – Bronze

eccUp

S i lV e r

£3.5 million Times 8 More Money RAISED

than their biggest

deSign foR soCiety

Adopting a bold, proud and easily updatable mark as the centrepiece for fundraising activity among a plethora of local beer festivals and charitable activities. Creative awards: Fresh – Bronze and Nomination

B ro N z e

paCkagiNg, branDed othEr

Refreshing a US icon to stem sales decline by showcasing the energy and beauty of nature with bold but simple imagery. Creative awards: GD USA American Package Design – Winner

in 4 supermarkets

in sales in year one

beeR feStival

irIsh spriNg

National listings

previous event

60%

more than target set

Baseline rate of

sale increased by

30%

thE mosT effEctivE braNds aRe thE mosT creAtive branDs. thOse tHat oFfer A disTinctivE Point of vIew aNd teLl it simpLy, get ResulTs. buT how can We as markEters keep it sImple? TLDR Too long didn’t read. It’s a fact of life in today’s market, consumers have become well practised at screening out marketing communications. So, anything that cuts through has to be truly exceptional. Creativity, we believe, is the route to effectiveness. For us that means building brands with a distinctive point of view; an authentic attitude that they can get across simply. It takes bravery to challenge the conventions of any market or business sector. Equally, it’s a challenge to do this and achieve real simplicity at the same time.

Why? Because as humans we’re driven towards complexity. There’s an overwhelming urge to fill all available space with messages – to overload the customer with every last detail of what you do. Here’s the news: these days, people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Consider the all-conquering Apple. The brand doesn’t talk about processing power or memory capacity. Instead, it invites consumers to ‘Think differently’. What follows is a beautifully simple and intuitive experience. An object lesson in how to find a compelling story and tell it in a way

CreAtIviTy is the RouTe to EffEcTivEness

that really engages with consumers, rationally and emotionally. It’s an approach that works. By applying the principles of clarity, simplicity and creativity we’ve generated measurable results for clients and brands across a range of sectors, over three continents. The cherry on top being our six winning entries in this year’s DBA Design Effectiveness Awards. Whether it’s a challenger brand like Heck sausages, or an established brand such as Irish Spring in the US, to engage with consumers, you have to embrace simplicity. Are we clear?

Discover the secrets of delivering beautiful and effective work. Simon Preece Director of Effectiveness Stuff simon.preece@elmwood.com

goAl

brAnding, undeR £100k

Gold

Demonstrating true bravery and embracing simplicity with a change of brand identity to feature a globally recognisable symbol. No need to say anything more. Creative awards: New York Festivals – Finalist Roses – Nomination Fresh – Silver Brand Impact – Shortlist

ote

S i lV e r

brAnding, undeR £100k Giving athletes the edge through a greattasting, naturally-flavoured fuel system with superior nutrition and expertise, and simple, bold packaging.

increase in VISITORS

Billion PAGE VIEWS PER MONTH

international

distributors

two years

Creative awards: Starpack – Silver Pentawards – Silver Food & Beverage – Finalist

twO men

117%

ahead of schedule

B ro N z e

paCkagiNg, branDed driNk Bringing the story of two men and their travels in Argentina to life in a fun and engaging way, and bringing a new grape variety to Australian businesses and consumers. Creative awards: Mobius – Certificate, Outstanding Creativity Food & Beverage – Finalist

Break even (profit)

months earlier than anticipated

we ReaLly Like. .

we’Re a CurioUs teAm heRe at elMwood. we love gettIng oUt anD aboUt, discOvering New pLaces and SpottIng iNnovaTive Trends. goT any suggEstioNs? twEet uS @elMwoodtwEets #StuffWereaLlylikE

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thE skY gardEn

loN don

There’s an ever-growing choice of incredible venues atop London sky scrapers. But for something a bit diﬀerent, visit the huge roof garden of the Walkie Tal kie on Fenchurch Street, with 360º pano ramas of the Capital. Refreshingly, The Sky Ga rden is a public space. Yes, you need to book a time slot, but it’s well worth a little forward pla nning. There’s the option to splash out at the restaurant, and a decen Seafood Bar & Grill t ba drink. Or simply enjoy the r if you just fancy a botanical delights at 500ft for free!

www.skygarden.london Rose Akehurst Account Manager, London

chat In The cHeckoUt liNe

Every month , Thailand chat 181 million people in te Line app. On r away on their much-l oved ly they ’re no t about how d ehydrated th just babbling ey are, wheth they need an er oth craving for ya er cappuccino or have a kisoba, they ’r groceries del e getting thei iv r it ’s top comp ered at the same time. L ike etitor, WeCha t, Line is fast evolving into a generating re sprawling platform that ve ’s with endless nue without irritating u sers ads. ‘Cheap Sure Sure’ se will offer sim rvic p discounts an le groceries with temptin e d free deliver g y. This new initiative wil l add to the tidy £338 m sum its alread illio y selling games chalked up in 2013 fro n m , sponsored co digital sticker ntent and s. Via. Forbes –

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brEak yOur sElfie

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thE shoEbox That Never sleePs

bigger, n do, we can do ca as id am Ad g in “Anyth hat the Nike te hter.” If this is w ig br her d ot an an r it’s tte be . Yes rtainly delivered e siv on sp -re er thought, they ce one is a us is th t bu x, bo giant shoe a corner of that dominated LED-lightshow kend. Thinking ee W BA All-Star N e th er ov NYC this interactive x, the walls of w SNKRS outside the bo e the brand’s ne lik up ht y lig n installatio stomise and bu ch you can cu hi . w h ne ug ho ro tp th ar app, your sm a few clicks on ith w s ock -s ki oh ur at yo of th gave oﬀ whiﬀs Wonder if it also a? om ar trainer addictive new

Via. Design Taxi

Some of the images in this publication are sourced from the internet. We’ve used them in good faith, we hope you don’t mind – we just really like them!

– bit.ly/1Aaar3