WMH hosts ‘An Evening with Luke Johnson’

February 5, 2016February 5, 2016

Thursday 4th February, Williams Murray Hamm hosted an intimate dinner with esteemed guest speaker, Luke Johnson, for friends of the business at the Haymarket Hotel, London.

Luke Johnson is one of Britain’s most interesting serial investors. He’s probably best known as the former chairman of Channel 4 and the man who grew Pizza Express into a household name.

He’s an author, philanthropist and hugely popular Sunday Times columnist, as well as being chairman of Risk Capital Partners LLP, the business behind Gail’s Bakeries and Patisseries Valerie.

With his wealth of entrepreneurial knowledge and maverick views, this was an evening not to be missed.

For press queries, contact info@wmhagency.com

Be My Valentine…

February 3, 2016February 3, 2017

Dear Richard

In answer to your Brand Republic article…

I feel a bromance coming on.

On this day of all, I’d like to tell you how much I love you.

You are the first significant business person, since marketing became besotted with social media, to say

“It is crazy how significant packaging is”.

OMG!

What’s more, you went on to say “I think, realistically, for most FMCG products the packaging is more important than the product, it is how you get noticed and create desire, and impute what it is you are and stand for.”

Thank you for restoring this old man’s faith in the discipline he’s followed since 1974.

Yours in admiration.

Richard Williams

Founder

Williams Murray Hamm

Living in the Past

January 27, 2016February 3, 2017

A couple of weeks ago we were lamenting the death of David Bowie and last week it was the end of 500 years of eel catching in Britain. This weekend it’s been the end of traffic wardens (they are all ‘civil enforcement officers’).

We hate losing things, people and traditions. Until last week, we couldn’t have cared less about eel catching. Now it’s a symbol of the pace of change, our loss of a simpler way of life. Along with the demise of gas street lamps, steam trains and holidays in Clacton-on-Sea, we seem to believe that life was better in the past. Perhaps that’s why there’s so much fuss about the new Dad’s Army movie.

Heaven forfend, there’s even nostalgia for the 1970s and ’80s – when the High Street was really humming. There was Woolies, Our Price Records, Comet, MFI, House of Holland and the rest. We conveniently forget that it was a period of mostly terrible music, catastrophic industrial unrest, the 3 day week, horrific inflation, stratospheric oil prices, ugly furniture (unless you lived near a Habitat), naff TV, loon pants…and the Austin Allegro.

How could they?

Politicians and the likes of Mary Portas still mourn the death of the High Street, but the truth is, it offered a dreadful customer experience and buying online is a whole lot easier. If Amazon would just pay its taxes and level the playing field, we could all rest easy.

No, the past wasn’t a better time. Product reliability was appalling, customer service non-existent, the trains worked even less well, the GPO took weeks to install your phone, the Gas Board had to connect your gas cooker and never showed up and British Airways was owned by the government and as bad as Aeroflot.

I’m on the side of the eels.

See alsoThe Car’s the Star Austin Allegro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu48FVwUnO8
Monty Python’s New Cooker Sketch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dVkdCQCAS0

Author: Richard Williams

Williams Murray Hamm appoints Wybe Magermans to the Board of Directors

January 27, 2016January 28, 2016

Wybe Magermans joined the award winning agency in 2008. Having initially trained as an interior architect, he moved into design, working in London based agencies Fitch, Brandhouse and Pearlfisher.

Magermans has headed up WMH’s client service team for three years and is responsible for running both communications, innovation and design projects for BP, Carlsberg and ConAgra. His strengths as a Client Services lead lie in his ability to create long-term relationships with clients and understanding that these connections need to be built quickly.

He joins the Board of Williams Murray Hamm as Client Services Director.

Founder and Chairman, Richard Williams said:

‘Wybe’s that perfect blend of creative and account person. His creative background means he absolutely gets what makes us different. He’s worked with us for nearly eight years, building our global client base and laying the groundwork for our Chicago office. It’s a well deserved promotion – he’s a real asset to the company’.

Wybe’s appointment to the Board comes as the agency begins its plans to celebrate 20 years in business.

For further information contact Fiona Magill Email: fionam@wmhagency.com

Williams Murray Hamm redesigns Seresin Estate website inspired by founder’s cinematography

January 27, 2016February 3, 2017

WMH helps Seresin Estate re-launch its website with stunningly beautiful design and ecommerce ability for wine and olive oil loving customers.

The celebrated Seresin Estate needed a new website which would bring to life the brand philosophy and reason d’être via an immersive online experience, whilst providing a purchase facility for its wines and olive oils.

Williams Murray Hamm were approached to redesign the website which would not only encapsulate Michael Seresin’s personality and beliefs, but would also showcase the estate and provide a much needed ecommerce platform. The New Zealand (Wellington) born Founder, Michael Seresin, began his career in 1966 as a cinematographer and wine enthusiast; the latter developing into a entrepreneurial passion with the purchase of the Marlborough NZ estate in 1992. Today the Seresin Estate is BioGro Certified as the largest organic producer in New Zealand and is Demeter International Standard certified for its biodynamic production.

WMH created an anamorphic ‘letter box’ layout for the website, referencing widescreen cinema which cites Michael Seresin’s cinematographic career. The amalgamation of the black & white film and photography articulates the majestic and emotively atmospheric landscapes of the Seresin Estate. The imagery, combined with the serif type, denotes the premium quality of the brand and produce whilst retaining the discerning mark of the founder’s handprint found on the labels. The layout of the contacts and distributors page gives a further nod to the cinematic world by arranging the information as if a set of film credits.

The website can be visited at http://seresin.co.nz