Start in Salford is a local charity helping people who have, or are at risk of experiencing, mental health problems and social exclusion, to achieve emotional well-being and recovery through creative and arts-based activites and training opportunities.

Just shy of 20 years in the making, Start came to life as the brainchild of Bernadette Conlon, a Salford resident who started out by delivering workshops from the boot of her car.  These days, the charity operates from a dedicated centre in the heart of Salford, and is kept alive by a key team of support workers and dedicated volunteers, as it continues to provide an invaluable service to it’s hundred of members.

A creative bunch ourselves, we hold the work that Start do close to our hearts, and having worked closely with the team on a number of projects over the past couple of years, are overwhelmed by the incredibly worthwhile job that they do for a demographic of people who are truly deserving.

For more information or to contact the charity, visit www.startinsalford.org.uk.

However, the studio props designed by Hive for the BBC’s ‘Olympic Tonight’ programme were touched – nay, caressed – by the Adonis that is Mr David Beckham.  And so we couldn’t resist taking one final opportunity to revel in our own unparalleled mirth.

The Bronze, Silver and Gold magnetic medals and Big Ben Gold Medal counter were specially commissioned for the BBC1 show hosted by Gaby Roslin as interactive studio props that would celebrate Team GB’s medal-haul success.  And we think they worked a treat.

We designed this. And then David Beckham touched it. And then the Hive female contingent melted.

Now, not only has their honey been flying off the shelves, but the couple are celebrating their first major success…  H’s Honey has just been awarded first place in both the ‘Novice’ and in the ‘Naturally Crystallised’ class at the Manchester & District Beekeepers’ Association.  Not bad for a first timer!

We’d like to say it’s with a little help from us, but we can’t take any credit for the amazing honey that Wayne, Janet and their bees have produced.  Congrats guys!

As such, the gentle ramblings of a slightly unhinged @BetfairPoker employee make for delightfully refreshing reading.  Though the sun may beat heartily down on Betfair HQ, or the team may so long to question their faithful following’s preferred domestic mammal, the good people of Betfair instead treat their followers to a steady stream of such hilarious  snippets as:

I roll over in bed. My wife, The Olympics, is gone! Kidnapped by Brazilians. I scream at the empty sky. Then I go to work. Life goes on.

Top marks to Betfair for giving consumers valid incentive to follow, talk about, and hold dear in their minds, the Betfair brand.  If only to keep up with the inane yet brilliant mutterings of a bereft accounts employee.

For other such accounts, see @WStonesOxfordSt and @ArenaFlowers.

The team at Crucials are proud to declare that they’ve been making Britain squirt since 2001, so for these condiment connoisseurs, we at Hive felt it was only natural for them to lend their time, expertise and taste-buds to the cause.  Cue, “The Nation’s Sauce 2012” – a smoky mayonnaise and ketchup fusion laced with a hint of spice, inspired by the Nation’s favourite flavours from around the world.

Hive developed the concept and artwork for The Crucial Sauce Company’s limited edition ‘Nation’s Sauce 2012′

The limited edition sauce will be available from a number of selected outlets throughout the Jubilee period, so for those lucky enough to get their hands on some, be sure to squirt it on your street-party burgers, splash it over your chippy tea, and slather it on your cucumber sandwiches…  It’s a little taste of what makes Britain, Great.

Heath Mount School, Hertforshire, and St Georges College, Weybridge, prevailed as winners in their respected categories, based on performances judged by Russell Watson, Suzi Digby & David Grant.  The show also featured a performance from former X Factor finalist Joe McElderry.

Hive Manchester developed the Songs of Praise logo (and subsequently the School Choir of the Year logo) back in 2011 to celebrate the iconic programme’s 50^th anniversary.  The selected logo was designed to subtly reflect the underlying elements of music and worship running through the show.

Roberts’ general stance is hung around the changing face of brand communication, where the low-cost immediacy characterising the digital age is fast becoming a major challenger to the former effectiveness of the ‘big idea’ – the dedicated and costly marketing campaign designed to hit wide audiences with one perfectly executed, strategically honed message.  His suggestion is that brands scrap strategy and instead embrace the power of the people – effectively letting the public decide what they want to interact with by releasing a ‘little-and-often’ supply of creative ideas.

“To win today you need a culture and an environment where the unreasonable power of creativity thrives.” 

A creative bunch ourselves, we can appreciate what he’s saying.  And you only need to look at junior singing sensation Sophia Grace, Charlie’s brother with the bitten finger, or Ben- sorry Fenton the dog, to see how effective social media can be for distributing popular ideas.  But scrap strategy althogether?  As one Drum reader points out:

“Try telling that to Apple. Their strategy of delivering a great user experience while locking people into iTunes hasn’t done them too badly. Just because you need vision doesn’t mean you can run a business without a plan!”

Ignoring strategy altogether does seem like an outlandish idea, and in actual fact that’s just what Roberts has put out there.  It’s a radical view.  Just as politicians work on a spectrum of right wing to left wing, with everything positioned somewhere in between, polar opposites strategic planning and creativity do much the same.  Creativity is a most valuable currency in the world of business success.  But can it act alone?  And does it make sense for it to do so?

Having a dream for your brand is wonderful, but without an understanding of the market, or a realistic plan of how that dream can become an actuality, then surely you’re running the risk that that is exactly how it will remain -  a dream.  Strategy and creativity aren’t separate entities, they’re intrinsically linked at opposite ends of a continuum, and effective business is balancing somewhere between the two.

Laura Moulden

Fears, Foes & Faeries opened its doors to the public on Friday 23^rd March, and is the culmination of a three-year project as part of ‘Precious Cargos, Stories of the World’, one of the key projects of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.  The exhibition features part of a large collection of charms and amulets assembled in the early part of the 20th century by Scarborough naturalist, collector and amateur folklorist, William James Clarke.

Hive Manchester have been involved in the conceptualisation and design of this project in its entirety, from the exhibition logo to the display graphics and cabinets.  Their final design features full-height wall graphics, which create an immersive environment and provide an impressive backdrop to Scarborough’s fascinating collection, as well as a range of interactive display units designed to enhance the learning experience.

Karen Snowden, Head of Collections at Scarborough Museums Trust, said, “My experience of working with Hive was extremely easy; they are creative but very efficient, and were more than capable of maximising on budget without compromising on quality.  Most importantly, they provided practical solutions to any concerns, whilst still delivering the impact that we wanted.”

Hive Manchester is based at the Pie Factory, MediaCityUK, and was founded in 2006 by Creative Director Edwin Jones, who said of the agency’s collaboration with Scarborough, “it has been wonderful for us to get involved in such an fascinating project.  Designing this exhibition space was unlike anything that Hive have taken on before, but has been fantastic in terms of the creative license it allowed us, and the experience that we have gained as an agency.  Knowing that the client and everyone that we worked with are so happy with what we have achieved, and so appreciative of all our hard work is really pleasing.”

-Ends-

Photography by Tony Bartholomew

Featured in:

Creative Boom

Salford Online

Scanning through my weekly fix of Stylist en route to the office a few of weeks ago, my eye was automatically drawn to an article in the Online section. The article in question was entitled ‘is Pinterest the new social media power player?’ and laid out a reasoned argument as to why the newest social media fad on the block is here to stay.

The stats are impressive; the site has accrued more than 10m users since its launch in January 2011, making it the second fastest growing website. The concept is simple: users can create a number of individual boards, theme them however they prefer, and when they see something that they like online, they pin it.

An old fashioned kind of girl, I’m not ashamed to admit that I still snip out the bits I like from my monthly glossies and pin them onto an already over-crowded cork pin-board hung in the corner of my room. The reason: if I find an image or a headline captures my attention, it makes me think, or even if I just think that it looks nice, I want to keep reminding myself of it, kind of for inspiration. Cheesy? Probably. But I like doing it all the same. It’s nothing to be taken too seriously, just an accumulation of things I like.

The modern equivalent of my pin-board, Pinterest allows its users to build up a collaboration of images that, essentially, they like. Whilst Twitter allows a person to build up an identity through the medium of words, Pinterest allows it’s users to express themselves through imagery. But whilst Twitter is fast-becoming an essential tool for tech-savvy marketeers, Pinterest remains a hobby tool, with 85% of it’s activity belonging to females.

So how does Pinterest fare in the modern world of online interaction, and can it compete as a space for organisations to connect with their market?

Well, initial thoughts suggest that it doesn’t offer as fertile a ground for business as its more established counterparts, Twitter and Facebook. Firstly, anybody that wishes to join Pinterest must request an invite. Once invited, though users are free to pin whatever they like, self-promotion is discouraged and users are always reminded to credit the source of their pins, the idea being to give the brain behind the image – whether that be a multi-national corporation, the humble blogger or undiscovered creative – deserved recognition for their work. Coupled with the fact that Pinterest doesn’t share Twitter or Facebook’s immediacy, the site’s appeal for business use is somewhat limited. To build up a relationship with other Pinners requires a much higher investment in time and energy. Concerns have also arisen about Pinterest’s distinctly feminine vibe, potentially deterring male users; one male critic described the site as, ‘a crowd-sourced scrapbook for hairstyles and decorating ideas.’

Feminine vibe? What gives you that idea?

But just because Pinterest isn’t as immediately attractive in a marketing capacity, does that mean that it can’t be described as a ‘power player’? Well, one thing that Pinterest does do is credit the hard work and talents of individuals who might otherwise go undiscovered. It also allows individuals to express themselves within the online community via a more tactile and creative medium than a mere 180 characters, gently re-shaping the way that we interact with one other online. And could it be that because Pinterest is less immune to crude business strategy, it’s users are more willing to invest their time on there, or more likely to develop a higher level of trust in it as an online retreat? Time will tell, and although I’m not ready to give up my old cork pin-board yet, maybe it couldn’t hurt to give the contemporary equivalent a chance.

Enjoy, and thanks to the wonderful clients who provided ratings!

*you may notice that we splash this around a LOT over the next 12 months.

Hive have been involved in every aspect of the design from the marketing including posters, beer mats and advertising to the exhibition design itself including panel graphics, layout, plinths, cabinets, design and build of 3 interactive games to create an exciting exhibition space for these small objects.

The exhibition explores various aspects of British Folklore including:
Witchcraft – a collection of objects, many dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, which were believed to protect against witches
Faeries – charting the development of faeries from dark and threatening creatures to their current, more whimsical incarnation as benign beings
‘Charmacy’ – charms and amulets with a medical slant believed to provide protection against a range of ailments
Birds and Beasts – it’s believed that Clarke’s interest in folkloric objects may have  developed from his interest in the natural world.
Safety at Sea – a subject close to many Scarborians’ hearts!

Karen Snowden, Head of Collections at Scarborough Museums Trust, said: “This is a very quirky and eccentric collection. Charms and amulets are basically about managing fear,
the thing we find most unmanageable in our everyday life.”

Fears, Foes & Faeries is the culmination of a three-year project as part of Precious Cargos, Stories of the World, one of the key projects of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

There is a packed programme of events themed around the exhibition, including faerie workshops, Goth makeovers, and a witches and wizards academy. For more information please visit the website scarboroughmuseumstrust.org.uk

For the past two years we have been very proud to be supporting local charity KidsCan Cancer Research Centre, who we have worked closely with to develop their marketing.

When we first met KidsCan their supporter numbers were growing but they were looking for a fundraising idea that was a bit different; would inspire people of all ages to get involved; and would help raise their profile regionally and nationally.

Our response was the KidsCan Can Can Guinness World Record attempt. We wanted to reinforce the name KidsCan and the positivity of ‘can’.

Now after two years of planning we are extremely happy to announce that the KidsCan Can Can event will be taking place on the 1st July at Event City, just opposite the Trafford Centre.

We are looking for energetic people of all ages to continuously ‘Can Can’ dance for 5 minutes. The current record stands at 1503 people and we are determined to set a new record in Manchester.

The day will be a fun filled, high-spirited event with live entertainment, indoor fairground rides, face painting and photo opportunities, amongst other carnival activities.

KidsCan are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year and what better way to celebrate such a vital local charity than to slip on a tu tu and join in with the high kicking at Event City on Sunday July 1st at 12 noon!

We produced a microsite for the team to promote the Can Can event and to make it easy to sign up. For more details please visit: www.cancan4kidscan.org.uk and for more information on the charity please visit: www.kidscan.org.uk

Project:
Wayfayrer Brand and Packaging Development.

Challenge:
Modernise a the brand with over 14 years of heritage to sit within a dynamic marketplace without alienating current core users.

Solution:
A fresh, modern brand and packaging – perfect for it’s position in the outdoor sector.

Packaging:
With the restriction of a generic pack and the need to overprint variant names, designing a strong and dynamic pack was a challenge. Following through from our development of the modernised and energised logo, we developed a deceptively simple design with enormous shelf standout.

Result:
Now with the BIG increases in sales following the launch the Wayfayrer brand is going from strength to strength.

Client quote:
“Hive not only understood our brand; they understood our consumers and created a pack that really delivered! Since its introduction we have seen an upturn in sales.”
Marketing Controller, Malton Foods

Consumer marketing:
To accompany the new identity we created a range of marketing materials. Powerful consumer ads, in-store posters, stickers and banners, as well as trade literature and product information leaflets.

NEW Range Extension 2011:
Following the success of the initial brand and packaging development. The range has been extended and New Self Heating Food Kits have been added to the product offering, which includes a heater pack as well as a meal, for instant hot food without the need for a stove. Perfect for the outdoor market.

The next step for consumer marketing:
A consumer flyer was also produced which was die cut with a euro slot making it easy to display in store right next to the Wayfayrer packs, this launched in 2011.

Trade promotion:
As part of the marketing campaign we produced a brochure for the trade. This introduced buyers to new additions to the Wayfayrer range, as well as
giving helpful advice on category management. As part of the project we undertook a photography shoot for the whole meal range, focusing on quality and taste. We also carried out a lifestyle photography shoot to bring the product up to date with the rest of the outdoor market.

Established in Ardwick in 2006, Hive advertising and marketing agency moved to The Pie factory at MediaCityUK in order to take advantage of the opportunities which might come from being a close neighbour to the BBC.

It’s a move which is already paying off, with the Hive having recently completed it’s first project for the corporation, designing a new logo and idents for Songs of Praise. Owned by Edwin Jones, Hive employs four people and also uses the services of freelancer staff.

He said: “With the BBC moving into the area and Hive looking to move, we thought that the move to MediaCityUK might create some new opportunities for us.

It’s been very good for us location wise and we’ve already been able to make the most of working along side other companies with similar interests.”

Published by Business Week

Project:
New Range of Simoniz Car Care Products

Challenge:
A brand new range under an existing brand, which needed to stand-out in a saturated market and target a very specific audience.

Solution:
Concept for the Simoniz Protection Range. This simple clean design won hands down in the consumer research groups. The shield symbol, synonymous with protection, says it all.

Support for the product launch:
To support the launch we created a Microsite, with a prize draw to WIN The Ultimate Driving Experience! If its before the 31st August 2011, you can still enter, by visiting the website for more details:

www.simonizprotection.co.uk

The range and site was promoted through a series of ads in the motoring and national press over a 5 month period as well as a direct mail postcard.

The Songs of Praise format is one of the longest-running TV shows so the re-brand had to reflect the show’s traditional values while giving it a modern edge that would appeal to a wide viewing public. Hive lived up to the task and developed a vibrant new logo with a musical twist. Creative partners Mammoth Graphics animated the programme’s titles, name supers, hymn subtitles and end credits with praiseworthy results.

Creative Director, Edwin Jones said; “The 50th Anniversary of the programme is a unique milestone and I knew we had to pitch it just right, updating and modernising while not upsetting the core audience. We created a logo which subtly reflects the worship and musical elements, with vibrant light and colour which seemed perfect for this long running programme.”

Mammoth’s knowledge of on screen television graphics is second-to-none and together with Hive’s creative input the two made a formidable team.

Phil Long from Mammoth said; “With Hive’s creative ideas and pitching professionalism alongside our knowledge of on screen television graphics I knew that we had an unrivalled offering and so it proved. The feedback from the BBC as well as the viewers has been very positive and we are delighted with the end result.”

In the meantime, the companies are pooling their combined expertise on more Songs of Praise branding projects for special programmes running during the year.

For more information visit:  www.hivemanchester.co.uk

Article published by Manchester Evening News

Founded in 2006 by Manchester advertising man, Edwin Jones, Hive has gone from strength to strength and the move to MediaCityUK is the next stage in the agency’s development.

Having worked in some of the north’s leading advertising agencies, including TBWA and Poulter’s, Ed’s experience has enabled Hive to produce work across all media for a diverse range of clients both large and small.

Hive believes the move will help raise its profile as well as putting the team at the heart of the creative community.

Edwin Jones said: ‘We had a great 2009 which saw us shoot our first TV commercial, in South Africa of all places, for a major consumer brand. We are determined to build on that success and being in The Pie Factory, with its prestigious location will allow us to do that.”

Sinead Greenaway, CEO of Peel Media said: “We are delighted that Hive has decided to make its new home The Pie Factory. We hope the agency benefits from being part of the thriving creative community at the heart of MediaCityUK”.

Formerly a food production line, The Pie Factory now accommodates three sound stages ranging from 3,000sq ft to 6,800 sq ft and a choice of office accommodation. It also incorporates a costume department, make-up rooms, dressing rooms and green rooms together with 24/7 security and parking.

Over the past six months Web Potential, TSL, Toasted Productions and MK-V have opened offices at The Pie Factory.

Article published by www.creativeboom.co.uk

Article published by www.insidermedia.com

Following in the footsteps of other recently signed tenants – including Web Potential, TSL and Toasted Productions – the ad and design agency is looking to take advantage of the former ‘freshbake’ factory’s facilities.

Founder Edwin Jones, who has worked with agencies such as TBWA and Poulter’s, commented: “We had a great 2009 which saw us shoot our first TV commercial, in South Africa of all places, for a major consumer brand (our crack research team believes it to be the Simoniz ad below, Ed) .

“We are determined to build on that success and being in The Pie Factory, with its prestigious location, will allow us to do that.”

Jones formed the company in 2006.

Sinead Greenaway, CEO of Peel Media, added: “We hope the agency benefits from being part of the thriving creative community at the heart of MediaCityUK”.

www.hivemanchester.co.uk

Article published by How Do www.how-do.co.uk

Founded in 2006 by Manchester advertising man, Edwin Jones, Hive has gone from strength to strength and the move to MediaCityUK is the next stage in the agency’s development.

Having worked in some of the north’s leading advertising agencies, including TBWA and Poulter’s, Edwin’s experience has enabled Hive to produce work across all media for a diverse range of clients both large and small.

Hive believes the move will help raise its profile as well as putting the team at the heart of the creative community.

Edwin Jones said: ‘We had a great 2009 which saw us shoot our first TV commercial, in South Africa of all places, for a major consumer brand. We are determined to build on that success and being in The Pie Factory, with its prestigious location will allow us to do that.”

Sinead Greenaway, CEO of Peel Media said: “We are delighted that Hive has decided to make its new home The Pie Factory. We hope the agency benefits from being part of the thriving creative community at the heart of MediaCityUK”.

Formerly a food production line, The Pie Factory now accommodates three sound stages ranging from 3,000sq ft to 6,800 sq ft and a choice of office accommodation. It also incorporates a costume department, make-up rooms, dressing rooms and green rooms together with 24/7 security and parking.

Over the past six months Web Potential, TSL, Toasted Productions and MK-V have opened offices at The Pie Factory.

Article published by www.salfordonline.com

Project:
Salford Neighbourhood Management Campaign

Challenge:
To raise awareness of the Neighbourhood Management scheme and ensure residents know they have the right to be involved in decision-making in their area. The aims were to encourage residents to attend community committee meetings and to actively contribute to decisions made in, and for, their neighbourhood. The campaign needed to be clear and informative.

Solution:
Our solution to the brief was the ‘Have your say!’ campaign. We featured shots of people from each local community holding the ‘Have your say!’ speech bubbles, giving a clear and immediate message of the intent of the project. The concept is simple, inclusive and very campaignable across all the areas of Salford.

Marketing materials:
As part of the campaign a range of posters, ads, information packs and banners were created. For the information packs the concept was easily adapted by changing the key colour of the pack and speech bubble  to differentiate the areas of Salford. Each set of images also used local people and were shot at locations that were recognisably from each area. This strengthened the core message of ‘Have your say!’ and getting people involved in decision making in their local area.

Solution:
Development of a new product within car care – we’re proud to say we came up with the idea, the strap line, designed the packaging, then produced the TV from start to finish. Job done. (And the client is very pleased too).

Packaging
Once the initial NPD idea had been developed by the client we then had the challenge of incorporating the new product into a family range of over 52 products and to give it an identity all of it’s own. So we came up with a memorable and catchy line to sum up the product – “Just chuck it in a bucket!”.

Client quote
“Hive won the TV by having a brilliant concept, and they have followed that through in producing an effective yet stunningly simple commercial. A combination of the packaging design and the TV helped us to sell out of the product within the first week.”
Marketing Manager, Holt Lloyd International Limited

TVC:
Making the new format tab the star of the commercial we believe we achieved an upbeat, simple yet memorable TV ad that hopefully got everyone in the mood to “just chuck it in a bucket!”.

This nifty product is the latest offering from the innovative Simoniz range and it’s set to take the car care market by storm.

Hive’s feel-good commercial has just hit the small screen this month and it promises to get us all in the mood to ‘just chuck it in a bucket’ and give our cars a scrub this summer! The easy to use tab format is the star of an upbeat simple and memorable concept.

Founder Edwin Jones started Hive two years following 25 years industry experience in high profile agencies and is the Managing and Creative Director of Hive, he says: “We’re all really proud of the end result having been involved at the very beginning from product development through to packaging design and finally the TV. We hope this is the start of a great future for our client’s fabulous new product.”

Hive have an exciting and diverse portfolio of clients and their creative projects straddle the full range of marketing, advertising and design. The busy bees at Hive have won several creative projects that promise to keep their work on our screens, online and in print throughout the year.

To view the full commercial visit our website: www.hivemanchester.co.uk