#shadow giants

[fridayconfessional]

13th September 2013

A Friday of avoiding walking under ladders, across the paths of black cats and breaking mirrors. Just another day down in delightful Digbeth really.

Has the week been lucky for us? Well, there's been no pitch wins and nothing big has gone live. So, no, not really. This doesn't mean we haven't been grafting though. Plenty of client work is ready to be unleashed, whether it's the nurses social media recruitment campaign by Shadow Giants, the new Car2Go ad campaign from The Unagency or the MG3 configurator from One Black Bear.

We've also been in pitch mode again and it looks to be a busy weekend as we put the finishing touches to the campaign thoughts before a Monday presentation. Wish us luck.

Last night our very own social butterfly, Stephen, attended the 40th Birthday celebration service of our client St. Basil's. Led by the Bishop of Birmingham and included presentations on the four decade history of this great charity.

A short confessional this week as I'm going to watch some classic slasher movies but before I go, here's some wonderful linkages you must simply look at: Old idea, done wonderfully well. You got 10 minutes to enhance your happiness? Watch this beautiful French short. Peter Saville is a legend. Read his Guardian interview here. When fashion and landscapes collide. Wednesday was the anniversary of 9/11. When will some marketing idiots learn to just keep quiet. Our delightful offices here at Fazeley Studios take on a whole new persona at the weekend when stuff like this happens.

[fridayconfessional]

6th September 2013

As the last remnants of summer cling on to the Birmingham skyline, The Old School House is hotting up. New projects abound as well as plenty of graft on the big jobs for clients old and new.

Let's start by picking up with the tease we put out there last week of new business for our Social Media arm, Shadow Giants. First up, we have an exciting project to recruit nurses for Walsall Manor Hospital. Filming for content starts on Monday by our neighbour's here at Fazeley Studios, Tinker Taylor. We believe this to be the first social media led recruitment campaign by an NHS Trust in the UK. As you can imagine, we're very excited to be involved and indeed leading this very important project. Sticking with the theme of new work, we've also been appointed by the new recruitment company, Chartered Jobs to handle their SoMe launch strategy. And finally, continuing our training programmes (Honda Motorcycles - 28th June confessional), we are to begin training the trainers over at Common Purpose. This of course, is a great challenge and we're very honoured that they've chosen to partner with us.

Now on to the more traditional arena of the offline world and it's been an up and down week for The Unagency. If we start with the ups. Firstly, we had a very productive presentation with car2go where a new ad strategy was chosen and we now move onto putting together the photography brief. We also picked up two new pitch briefs, one for advertising, the other for a corporate identity. This is great, as both of them have come to us on recommendation. Now onto the downsides of the week. A pitch we did a couple of weeks ago, we sadly found out we didn't win. Now, this is something you never quite get used to, no matter how many years experience you have under your belt. It hurts and the reason it hurts so much is that we genuinely believed that we had created something great for the client. It was different and designed to deliver a key message with a real noticeable visual signature. However, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and move on. We sincerely wish the client and whoever the winning agency is all the best in the route they have chosen. That was one we believed we got right. But we also got one wrong this week, yes it does happen, we are fallible and big enough to admit it. Without going into too much detail, we were the wrong agency for the job and should have stuck by our initial gut feeling and turned down the opportunity. We were convinced to go for it though and having agreed, should've done better. Again it hurts because a lot of blood, sweat and tears go into these things but it's all part of agency life.

Time to lift the mood. It's been another hectic digital week for One Black Bear. A new display campaign for National Express has been completed. The new MG3 configurator should go live on Monday, as should the long awaited e-know website. Fingers crossed the approvals come through.

On top of it all, our BDD still found time to party like a man 20 years his junior. He enjoyed a night at Selfridges to celebrate their 10th anniversary, followed by the BPA & Press Club joint First Thursday event and then finally a performance and after party for the re-opening of The Birmingham Rep. Enjoy your weekend mate and get some well deserved rest.

So, that's it for another week, wonder what the emotional roller coaster will bring throughout the rest of autumn. Whatever, we'll keep our eyes and ears to the net to keep you entertained - just like these gems: Design students. Look at this website to see how you should position yourselves. Students. Take note of this fantastic idea that this under grad has had. Students. Start using one and find out which alarm clock you are. Geeks. There's hope for you yet with the opposite sex. Typography lovers. This is heaven. Art students. Be cruel. Have fun.

[fridayconfessional]

30th August 2013

A fruitful Friday as Shadow Giants celebrates two new Social Media account wins which have sneaked in before the weekend. This is fantastic news and we can reveal more next week once the ink has been applied to the contracts.

Onto our bank of well loved clients and this week saw the go-live of the wonderful British Blind Sports website. We believe this pushes the boundaries of accessibility and even puts the mighty BBC website in the shade for functionality. Designed and built in conjunction with a partially sighted team of advisors, it has started to receive much love and praise from its users. More to come as we piece together a press release in the next week.

As usual, it's been a busy automotive week in the Bear Cave. Subaru has a new mobile version of its dealer locator about to go live, MG is now in the final stages of development of their wonderful configurator for the MG3 launch - with assets supplied by our friends over at Air-CGI. The Isuzu site overhaul is also picking up pace as the eight to ten week build is now in full swing.

After a meeting down at the London office of newly acquired client, First Radio, earlier in the week, the competition system we're building for them is almost ready to be tested and the first brief is ready to roll in and back out again. We're excited at how this will work and can't wait to see it launched to their millions of listeners.

In the world of advertising, design and print, The Unagency received file copies of the new branding work for Key Personnel. We'll be adding it all to our website this week. There was also a personal thank you from the Chief Exec of Walsall Healthcare, Richard Kirby for all our hard work, especially the recent Patient Records design and advertising we did, which will go into print in the next couple of weeks.

Not bad for a four day week and I'll leave you, as usual, with a few little links to keep you amused and entertained: Amstel rewards you for taking time out and doing nothing. Greenpeace with a simple but very cunning piece of guerrilla marketing. Love your clever logos? We do and there's some lovely ones here. Footballers as vectors (but where's the one of Daniel Nardiello?)

[fridayconfessional]

9th August 2013

Great news on the new biz front again this week. Following the trio of wins last week, we've picked up another exciting client this week for One Black Bear that we will be providing lots of digital solutions for. It has the potential to make us very busy and give us access into some really exciting brands.

The Christmas tender we were working on at The Unagency was delivered in Monday and we are really proud of the strategy and the concept delivery in there. It's genuinely something different for them. The client has now invited us through to round two, where we will go along and present it all in person.

The NHS work we won last week is now going into production. Two concepts will now take the form of ads, posters and even labels for handwash bottles. The simplicity of art direction has been loved so much that it will now guide the whole programme.

While the new work for MG gets into full flow, we have also been busy on our other automotive accounts as we've designed an overhaul for the Isuzu website and also developed the new mobile dealer locator platform for Subaru.

Sticking with cars, the relationship with Car2Go is going from strength to strength. The Birmingham tunnel closure campaign is working really well and we're starting work on an autumn advertising campaign next week.

Onto PR now and on the back of the Birmingham Post piece that Shadow Giants secured for The Real Pork Crackling Co. they were contacted by BBC WM and an interview took place with the Chief Exec.

So, another great week for developing new and existing relationships and we hope this run continues. A few of us even had time to go and go and listen to the inspirational Andy Street, CEO of John Lewis and Chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP.

Let's finish off with a load of stuff to cheer you up and inspire you: How many countries are in this country? Ever wondered what Bono gets up to on his holiday? We've all been on medication and wondered if we can have a drink. This site tells you what to do. Great bit of perspective art at a gallery round the corner from us in the Custard Factory. Got 11 minutes 38 seconds of your life to waste? Course you have, watch this. Story of a website rebuild. Anyone else not surprised in the slightest by this? Teach your kids to dev.

[fridayconfessional]

10th May 2013

How cruel the British summertime can be. We started the week in glorious sunshine and enjoying a Bank Holiday Monday. We finish it with storm clouds and heavy rain over the city we call home, Birmingham. So, the shorts and flip flops are packed away for a few more days at least.

It's been a short week but as is starting to seem customary, we feel like we've crammed five days of graft into the four. Across the board of companies, there's plenty going on.

New business presentations have occupied the majority of our thoughts for both the Unagency and Shadow Giants. As regular readers (there's at least one of you I'm sure) of these ramblings are aware, we can't really say much about this but we are excited little puppies at the prospects some of them hold.

Bad news for One Black Bear though regarding a little tender we recently submitted. Although we felt like we were offering way above and beyond the timeframe and budget that was laid out, we were unsuccessful in pitching for an augmented reality app. Despite the financial and time pressures we'd have been under to deliver this project, we'd have loved to do it and no matter how many times it happens, it still really hurts when you don't win pitches. No time to feel sorry for ourselves though, we dust down our trackpads and move onto the next one (there's actually a couple required for next week already). The Bears have also been working like dogs to deliver a multitude of online display campaigns for our range of automotive clients and there's more to come with dozens and dozens of executions required over the next couple of weeks.

The NHS work continues to flow for the Unagency, as we go to print on a series of executions on behalf of Walsall Manor Hospital which aim to thank ALL their 4,000 staff - we'll post some pics when we have them. The British Blind Sports new corporate identity we've been working on moves one step closer as it goes to the board for final sign off on Tuesday. Fingers crossed we'll be able to show you something next week. Once that's complete, we can move on to the excitement of designing and developing them a new website.

So, it's been one of those weeks again, where despite it being unbelievably busy, due to the nature of the timings on projects or the secrecy that has to be associated with them, there's not much we can show you. Note to self, must try harder for you. Sorry.

However, that all said, it wouldn't be a confessional without the normal sharing of stuff we love. Don't normally like lists (usually crap bot tweets) but some of these did make us smile. An old colleague came in to see us on Wednesday. It was really good to clash little grey cells again after so many years but one thing he exposed us to was PechaKucha. A brilliant concept to avoid death by powerpoint and something we're going to introduce across the board here at The Old School House. Finally, if you love typography (and who doesn't) here's a beautiful little stop motion short on the history of the craft.

[fridayconfessional]

3rd May 2013

A busy and successful week across the group.

Let's start by offering up a massive congratulations to OBB and Unagency designer Helen, who won the Longley Merit Cup at the annual Birmingham Publicity Association (BPA) AGM. Awarded to her by the Council in recognition of her efforts over the last 12 months in the design and delivery of all the events material. We're proud of you H and everything you've achieved. You deserve it. Whilst on the subject of the BPA, Steve departs his role as Chairman after two years in post. In his time, he has grown membership by 280% and raised over £28,000 for good causes. This is no small achievement and we've witnessed the herculean effort he has put in over the last few years to this great organisation. He now steps back from the pressures of the day-to-day but will still be involved moving forward.

Tuesday saw a group of us undertake some new business training courtesy of Mark from JFDI as we were taught all we needed to know about organic growth. It was a very full and informative day and we all took a lot out of it.

This week has been an amazingly triumphant one for our Social Media and Conversation agency, Shadow Giants. As well as a new website going live, there was a great meeting this week to secure a new and exciting global client. We can't say who yet but suffice to say, we're all very excited by the prospect. 

Despite all this excitement as a backdrop, the needs and demands of our many and varied clients always keep the teams busy and of course, this week has been no different. In the wonderful world of web, our digital gurus have incorporated an extra 40,000 bus stops data into the National Express Bus website, put a new search page live for Bloor Homes and are busy developing a set of display ads for Isuzu and Subaru. The offline folks have been busy prepping a big brochure pitch for next week and taking briefs for a bit of product development and packaging design.

As is becoming more and more regular, this week we've been pressing the flesh and mingling with the celebs in what we try to pass off as networking. Thursday saw a few of us attend the Birmingham Press Club lunch with Jo Brand. This was then followed by a night at the BYPY Awards. Good job we have a Bank Holiday weekend ahead of us.

So, with all this going on, have we had chance to be entertained and inspired by anything? Of course we have. Here's the new website for Manchester City Council - compare this to the new offering coming soon from our beloved second city. C'mon Birmingham, it's time to up the game. To celebrate 20 years since the first website, CERN have been trying to find a copy of the world's original www. We're thinking of implementing this in the office - a 15% pay rise in return for a tattoo of the company logo. Not had the greatest of responses so far. Great resource site which we're pretty sure will come in very handy. And finally, a funny little animation of a joke being told after a bottle of wine.

[fridayconfessional]

15th March 2013

What a week that was, so much to talk about. So, let's not hang around and get on with it.

The Bears have been extremely busy this week and we see the launch of not one but two new websites. Let's start with Business Birmingham. A large scale site by anyone's standards and has been five months in the making. A truly global website, Business Birmingham is part of Marketing Birmingham and is aimed at raising the profile and promoting the opportunities the region has to offer to a worldwide audience. Working with YourMumUX, we designed a site that would enhance the user journey with an improved and simplified navigation. The facts and figures are delivered in an easily digestible snapshot. But as with all websites, they're never finished and we have a great share functionality coming very soon as part of a phase 2.

Next up, is a new face for the grand old institute that is the Birmingham Press Club - the world's oldest Press Club, having been formed in 1865 and counts amongst its honorary members, Baroness Thatcher and Sir Michael Parkinson. The site has a new e-Commerce section allowing members to renew and pay for their membership online as well as book and purchase event tickets.

New business has also come our way with both One Black Bear and The Unagency being appointed by British Blind Sport. OBB will be designing and developing a new website specifically designed to be used by the visually impaired and blind. This will come after a new brand identity from our branding and marketing agency. More will be revealed over the coming weeks and months as we get to grips with this challenging but rewarding project.

OBB is also about to start on a new website for e-Know. This is as a result of working with them earlier in the year on some small email campaigns. As always, the effort put in on the small things comes back as rewards later on and we're excited about delivering what will be this exciting task.

Amy is back from her jaunt to the other side of the world and she has returned fired up and is back with a bang for Shadow Giants. There's been two pitches and a client Social Media training session this week. It's also been rounded off by her going back to school today and helping a class of eight year olds write a press release to promote their new chocolate bar, developed in conjunction with Charlie's Mom's Chocolate Factory. And if that wasn't enough excitement to welcome her back, she also got her fizzog in the Birmingham Post as part of her participation in BYPY.

Amazingly, this year is the 5th birthday for B-hive and we're proud to have been involved right from the beginning having created the corporate ID, designed and built the website and developed new advertising each year. As always, we attend the judging. On Monday, our Digital Creative Director, Gareth, helped the hopefuls in the digital category. Then on Wednesday, Rich, our Strategic Director judged the advertising candidates. As a result, we'll be welcoming eight students in for a two week paid placement over the coming months.

Finally (and apologies it's been quite long this week) if you want to see a bit more in the way of visuals rather than all these verbals, you can now follow the goings on at The Old School House on Instagram.

So it just leaves me to tell you of a couple of little highlights that have inspired or entertained us. this week, they are: Boxer shows us all how to deal with a Twitter troll. The story behind some of the greatest and most famous logos in the world.

[fridayconfessional]

15th February 2013

Love is in the air for this week's confessional, the day after Valentine's Day and a week in which there was much swooning over the work we've been doing.

First up, let's talk about last weekends hack project by the One Black Bear dev team down in Cornwall. I'm told there was real ale and pasties for breakfast but looking at the results, I think we may need to install this diet as a mandatory for the team. They're 80% complete on a redesign and build of a new version of our CMS (Content Management System) WildFire. The new features make it really easy to use with lots of drag and drop and the design interface just looks quality. Bit more work to be done and a clear out of all their Father Ted 'in-jokes' and it will be rolling out across our new sites soon. There's also been lots of beavering away on projects and clients and we have quite a few large & small sites and enhancements going live soon.

Shadow Giants has had a successful week. At a client meeting, we were approached by another business (a Premier League football club) and told they wanted to brief us on a project. More on that next month. Amy is off to New Zealand tomorrow for a friend's wedding (and to get her in the mood, did this write up on Valentine's activity across social media) but as is the tradition these days, she'll be fully teched up and checking in from over there. The hours at which she posts might just be a little weird. Not to worry though, the team here in Birmingham will be on hand to help her out for the day shift.

The Unagency has had an unbelievable week. The new biz pitch we did that I've been going on about for the last few weeks finally came off. I'd love to tell you who it is but we haven't had clearance yet that the unsuccessful agencies have been informed. It's great news though and the team are very excited by it. Today also saw the delivery from the printer of our beautifully crafted Birmingham REP centenary brochure. It's amazing and I'll be able to share some photos next week once they've been taken by our resident design genius Helen. Our 48 sheet poster has also gone live. It's the simplicity we love and this is exactly what outdoor communication should be. We've also been busy designing some new promotional material for the BPA (Birmingham Publicity Association). Firstly for their Best of British Quiz and also for their Brazilian Spring Carnival Lunch. How multi-national do we feel?

So, that's it for this week. All it leaves me to do is share what's been inspiring, exciting and making us laugh this week: Trip Advisaargh Google finally get their design act together Gesture recognition - the future of Powerpoint A beautiful set of coded typography Play King Canute and control the water