Cowshed Social, a full-service social content and video production agency, has been appointed by Sports Direct as the sports retailer’s retained video content production partner following a long-term competitive pitch process. Starting this month, the London-based agency has been appointed to undertake the brand’s YouTube channel management, which will see the 47-strong agency devise all strategy, creative and production as well as talent management, through its specialist talent department. Cowshed Social will be basing content around three key pillars of football, culture and entertainment to drive brand awareness, engagement and on and offline footfall.
Digital agency Organic has announced its pro-bono partnership with Key4Life – a charity focused on reducing youth re-offending through delivering an innovative rehabilitation programme to those in prison and those at risk of going to prison. Following an immersion session with key stakeholders from Key4Life, Organic was able to identify core focus areas – including brand, digital, organisation/infrastructure – that should work together to structure their digital marketing activity over the next 12-18 months. In line with this, Organic will be in charge of developing and delivering a digital roadmap for the charity. This will highlight areas that need improving, as well as identifying and suggesting practical activity required to achieve business goals, such as increasing corporate sponsorship and additional programme roll out. Overall, the roadmap will provide a plan to support the continued digital transformation of the business, alongside an owned digital channel audit – including social pages and Key4Life’s website. It will also act as a guide for future digital marketing activity, and Organic will support on reviewing and optimising the roadmap as results are generated.
Dickies, the workwear brand, has announced its partnership with VICE Media Group, a global multi-platform media company, to commemorate Dickies 100th anniversary with an original documentary, in partnership with creative agency This Here, ‘Made to Last,’ which examines the history and meaning of American grit, culture, and identity through the eyes of a modern rancher, a Chicana third-generation mechanic and brotherhood of southern skateboarders. These communities, like Dickies, are passionate about holding on to their legacy while plotting the future. The ‘Made to Last’ documentary will premiere in its entirety across VICE TV via all major connected and streaming providers and on Vice’s YouTube channel on June 24th at 6 pm ET, with further encore showings on June 25th and June 26th.
musicMagpie has appointed performance marketing agency, Journey Further, to manage its digital PR and content after a competitive pitch process. Journey Further will be responsible for improving organic visibility and raising brand awareness with digital PR and content. The agency will be using its performance-driven approach to generate high-quality coverage, improve organic rankings and drive traffic to the brand’s website. musicMagpie is a circular economy pioneer specialising in refurbished consumer technology and media such as iPhones and iPads, with an annual turnover of over £145million.
Digital creative and development studio Miroma Project Factory (MPF), the global digital development arm of the Miroma Group, has expanded to the U.S. with the opening of its new division in Los Angeles, CA. Miroma Group is the largest independently owned collection of global agencies and is expanding its digital arm MPF into the U.S., following a recent spate of acquisitions. It is set to replicate the group’s success as seen across both UK and APAC.
UK car manufacturer Dacia has launched a social media campaign offering a refreshing spin on the typical ‘walkaround video tours’ of cars. The cross-channel ‘Outdoor Tours’ campaign sees celebrity Chris Taylor showing off the award-winning Dacia Duster in its natural environment, namely three challenging off-road locations that highlight its rugged credentials. Chris provides a humorous tour of some of the key features of the Duster, demonstrating them in a way far from the ordinary. Devised, created and executed by Vivaldi UK, the cross-channel campaign runs until the 15th of June. It will appear on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
UNLIMITED & Pablo have been appointed by the Cabinet Office GCS (Government Communication Service) as its Standby agency following a highly contested pitch against established Government agencies. The win comes off the back of HMRC last month. The significant contract is dedicated to delivering world-class public service communications that support government priorities, both domestically and internationally. As well as the UK’s iconic GREAT programme, which is focused on driving economic growth across the entire nation by encouraging international audiences to visit, study, trade, invest, live and work in the UK. Through UNLIMITED & Pablo, the Cabinet Office will tap into two of the UK’s top independents, blending best-in-class creative and strategic capability with the ability to operate in-depth, at scale and at pace. Work across the UNLIMITED & Pablo consortium will be underpinned by deep expertise in neuro, behavioural and data science from UNLIMITED’s unique Human Understanding Lab.
Flight Centre UK, part of one of the largest travel companies in the world, launched its first ever TV campaign on Wednesday 1 June 2022. The ‘Your Centre’ campaign leverages the bounce back of travel to convey the breadth of holiday experiences available through Flight Centre, and spans TV, Broadcaster Video on Demand (BVOD), Radio, Social Media and Display. The ad also celebrates Flight Centre’s 40th birthday and its four decades of experience making travel easy. The large investment will see Flight Centre UK splashed across spots in June including C4, C5, Sky and ITV Digital stations, along with Radio X, LBC and Greatest Hits radio. The ad was developed by media agency, The Kite Factory.
Lung charity Asthma + Lung UK unveils Breath is Life, an integrated advertising campaign that will feature on YouTube, radio, across social media and on digital posters. It aims to highlight the importance of breath and how integral it is to every part of life. Asthma + Lung UK rebranded from Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation at the end of February with an eye-catching pink and orange logo and a new strategy to change Britain’s poor record on lung health by challenging misconceptions about lung conditions, driving greater investment into respiratory research, and campaigning for cleaner air and better access to care. Part of a two-pronged marketing approach to improve the lives of the 12 million people who will get a lung condition in their lifetime, the “Breath Is Life” campaign seeks to cement the charity’s new brand and show why breathing is fundamental to all and worth fighting for. The marketing communications strategy was led by Wake The Bear, with creative strategy and development by Miroma Group.
Independent PR agency PHA Group has been appointed as the PR agency for The Clinic Room – Birmingham’s SMART Cosmetic Clinic, specialising in restoration and maintenance of the face, body and skin for ultimate physical and mental wellbeing. PHA North’s remit will deliver PR activity to increase the clinic’s brand awareness and spread the knowledge and specialist expertise within the business. The integrated strategy will incorporate press office activity, alongside seasonal campaigns and industry profiling. The agency was appointed due to its strong track record in profiling, activating strategic healthcare campaigns and its regional and industry expertise.
Belazu, the premium food company supplying quality Mediterranean and North African cooking ingredients, has appointed Bountiful Cow to handle media planning and buying for the UK market. Bountiful Cow takes over from incumbent ‘December 19’ following a competitive pitch process handled in-house by Belazu. Bountiful Cow is tasked with rolling out Belazu’s brand re-launch, raising awareness and fame, whilst bringing to life their entire product portfolio through sensorial marketing and a fully integrated media strategy.
Creativity in the UK, the landmark programme of free events and activities now underway in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, has appointed the7stars to handle its UK media planning following a competitive pitch handled through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), the Government Procurement Service. The appointment is the first account the7stars has won through the Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) since gaining a place on the Media Services framework on the designated lot for public sector media planning and buying at the start of the year. The UNBOXED pitch was available to all the agencies on the newly created government roster with responses to the tender submitted via the online portal. the7stars strategic planning process will lead the development and delivery of integrated campaigns that work alongside the event company’s owned and earned channels. Unique strategies for UNBOXED events will be underpinned by the7stars’s Gravity Planning platform to identify and target untapped contexts and formats that engage young people and drive awareness. All advertising on traditional non-digital media channels will be purchased via OMD Group–UNBOXED’s above the line media buying partner.
Fridge Raiders, a proud part of Pilgrim’s Food Masters, has announced its latest marketing campaign, ‘Chicken Not Chicken’. The £1.1 million campaign will hero its latest snacking innovation, Fridge Raiders Meat-Free Tasty Bites, a plant-based version of the brand’s iconic Chicken Bites. Live since the 30th of May, the ‘Chicken Not Chicken’ campaign has been developed in collaboration with Saatchi & Saatchi and Dentsu and is designed to drive brand awareness among 18 to 34-year-olds. Fridge Raiders has enlisted the voices of comedians Monica Geldart and Nathan Foad for its AV spot, to help get consumers excited about the launch. The duo is heard discussing the most chicken-y chicken-less snack in the world, whilst inviting curious consumers to try the new meat-free snack for themselves. The integrated campaign will be going live across VOD, Sky Adsmart and digital OOH across 19 train stations in the UK, in addition to Facebook and Instagram social campaigns. Additionally, there will be product sampling at high-footfall locations across the UK, as well as shopper marketing activations spanning in-store and online to drive excitement and interest. Fridge Raiders worked with Bloom London on the packaging design for the range. The ‘Plant Takeover’ has been inspired by classic plant-based category iconography with a splash of the Fridge Raiders’ signature brand aesthetic.
Istanbul-based gaming company Peak has unveiled a new global campaign to promote its mobile game Toon Blast, developed in partnership with This Thing of Ours, Waste Creative’s animation studio. This Thing of Ours has partnered with Peak to create a high octane 30-second film, which sends the stars of Toon Blast on tour in the real world. The video sees Wally, Cooper and Bruno, who all feature in the hit puzzle game, take to the streets of a US city in their car and caravan on their way to a disco dance-off, turning heads as they go. They win a trophy, draw the attention of local law enforcement, and finally escape back to the Toon Blast world. This Thing of Ours harnessed a mixture of live action, soft-shaded frame-by-frame animation and 3D elements to create the film. Production company Coffee & TV supported This Thing of Ours with the shoot, grade and compositing for the campaign.
PASHN, a specialist media agency serving fashion, leisure and entertainment brands. Founded by David Swannell and Adam Hopkinson, together with clients Boohoo Group and Prevayl, the agency will use its long-standing collective expertise in these sectors to deliver relevant and contemporary media solutions for the brands and releases that provide the world’s passion points.
Global branding design agency Coley Porter Bell (part of Ogilvy), have launched an NFT collection featuring a commemorative teacup, tea towel, coin and tea caddy to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. But even the most ardent collector will find these instant classics beyond their reach – as for now they are for fun and not for sale.
FINN Partners, the global independent full-service marketing and communications agency, is thrilled to announce its appointment to provide consumer PR activity in the UK for the ZINC micro-mobility brand, including new launches of adult and kids scooters, as well as e-scooters. The brand has appointed FINN as its first PR agency to help deliver its mission “to keep pushing – to provide unforgettable experiences, for children, adults, and anyone in between”. FINN will lead a communications strategy to support innovation, seasonal launches and thought leadership. It will also support for the children’s Flyte brand of suitcase scooters.
