Pernod Ricard teams up with WMH for new Midleton Craft Collection

Midleton Distillery is home to Jameson – the number 1 selling Irish whiskey across the world – as well as a further six premium, global whiskey brands, each with their own story to tell. Williams Murray Hamm was asked to create an identity that brings these brands together in one collection that resonates with consumers across the globe.

Irish Distillers, a Pernod Ricard-owned company, has been leading the renaissance of Irish whiskey, with Jameson claiming its spot in the top 10 global spirits brands in 2019. Irish whiskey is projected to grow ahead of the total whisk(e)y category, and Irish Distillers wants to continue to lead this next phase in the Irish whiskey journey: premiumisation. Their portfolio of brands produced at Midleton Distillery provides an array of premium, super premium and ultra-luxury whiskey offerings, each targeting different consumers, price points and taste profiles.

Our key challenge was to define the bond that holds these seven brands together in one craft collection, whilst letting each individual brand sing in its own right. The team unearthed a unique truth about Midleton and why it exists, before expressing it through a compelling visual idea.

The source of water is always hugely important when deciding where to locate a distillery and this was the case with Midleton Distillery, where the Dungourney River passes through the distillery’s grounds. Yet this does not fully explain why these seven amazing brands all originate from this single source.

After centuries of worldwide success, by the early 1960s political and economic challenges left just three distilleries in Ireland, clamouring for prominence in an ever-decreasing domestic market. Thankfully, John Jameson & Son, John Power & Son and Cork Distilleries Company came together, to form what we all know now as Irish Distillers, relocating all of its production to the renowned Midleton Distillery in Count Cork. This historic merger safeguarded the source of amazing Irish whiskeys for generations to come.

The design of the Midleton Craft Collection brand world is inspired by water. The Dungourney River became the symbol of this source. From the flowing lines of one letter to the next in the logo, to how the water of the Dungourney has become the collection’s key colour – the river can be found in every aspect the brand world. The monogram is a double-arched bridge crossing the river, incorporating the letter “M, and for the beautifully fluid illustration WMH worked with renowned illustrator Si Scott.

WMH produced a comprehensive kit of parts that provides Irish Distillers’ local markets with full flexibility to select the brands from the portfolio that are appropriate for each market. The brand world assets include key visuals, merchandising, web banners and items for the on trade.

Laura Hanratty, Head of Prestige & Specialty at Irish Distillers says about the new Midleton Craft Collection: “We are delighted to honour the bond between our families of Irish whiskeys by showcasing where they come from. Midleton Distillery is steeped in craft, tradition and innovation and it’s a joy to see this celebrated through The Midleton Craft Collection”.

Wybe Magermans, director at WMH, mentioned: “It’s been a great challenge to work with these seven amazing brands, and find the overarching story that is relevant to both people who already drink Irish whiskies and those who are novices to the category.”

The collection will see its launch later this spring across the Irish, UK and US markets.

Click here for full case study.

Searching for an artwork brain with an eye for design

We are looking for a Creative Artworker with 2+ years’ experience to join our activation and production team, WMH Adaptive.

WMH Adaptive work with a number of large global retailers, delivering high quality packaging artwork for use within their stores. As part of our team, you will be vital to the creation and delivery of these projects. You will have a keen creative eye, and are able to take created design concepts and run them across a multitude of different sized pack formats and ranges. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow and develop your production, retouching and creative artworking skills.

For the last 20 years, WMH has been inventing and reinventing brands. We are an eclectic mix of creative thinkers, with one thing in common: we all get a kick from defying the rule book. There is no house style and we take on projects of all sizes, from local start-ups to large global brands. We only work with ambitious clients who want to build remarkable brands.

Your responsibilities

  • Creation of a wide range of packaging artworks, delivering to print.
  • Have a good understanding of creative implementation- taking a design file and then running it across a wide variety of packs.
  • Meticulous attention to detail with an understanding of range consistency.
  • Taking responsibility and ownership of your projects and work together with the team to create work of the highest standards
  • Able to work quickly and effectively.
  • Interrogate the briefs and get under the skin of the issues
  • Treat every project as an opportunity with the same passion, ambition and resilience
  • A team player, happy to work closely with the production team, designers and project managers

Your experience

  • Strong background in packaging artwork creation – ideally experience from an agency environment.
  • Good Understanding of production and print techniques
  • Excellent Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign skills
  • Excellent Retouching skills (visualising skills would be beneficial)

We can offer you

  • Competitive salary and benefits
  • A place where you are empowered to grow and develop
  • The opportunity to work on a range of clients
  • An open agency culture that encourages debate
  • A fun place to be, with people you want to work with

Please send us your portfolio and a short message on why you would like to join us. You can email us at: recruitment@wmhagency.com

No agencies please.

 

Why success shouldn’t change the octopus

Octopus Energy’s widely reported £3bn deal will catapult the energy business from a start-up into one of Europe’s biggest renewable energy investors and fastest growing energy suppliers. Octopus is now targeting 50 million customers in the UK by 2027 and has plans to increase its new renewables division to generate as much clean electricity as it sells.

This kind of trajectory means that it will soon lose its start-up badge. How will this affect the brand?

In the UK, 41% of households switched their energy provider in 2020. People generally shop between the Big Six, led by British Gas, EDF and E-on and currently excluding Octopus Energy. The trigger to switch is more often than not price, with decisions being made easy by the plethora of price comparisons sites. This price war is hard to keep up with for any business. Start-ups attempting to take part in such a war and who solely focus on a price message will inevitably erode their brand’s value over time. For example, AirBnB, who instead of focussing on cheap rooms focussed on local experiences overcame the problem of brand erosion.

Messaging is not the only consideration; many people will think that now is the time for Octopus to rebrand. Many modern start-ups, from Twitter to Deliveroo, reinvent after extra funding is secured. Perhaps they feel that a more ‘grown-up’ brand is required to appeal to a wider audience. This however does not have to be the way. Ryanair has hardly changed, and its brand experience is as unslick as when it started. From its advertising to the on-board experience, the brand’s non-design is considered and there to reassure passengers that they are not paying for any unnecessary fluff they would be paying for with the big, shiny airlines.

With growth comes change. The temptation to evolve everything is sometimes a hard one to resist, from what brands say, to the way they look. But change can be destructive.

Firstly, even if price was the initial reason for the switch to Octopus, the brand needs to remind its customers that they’ve made the right choice beyond a cheap deal. Customers need to constantly recognise Octopus as one of the flagbearers in the fight against climate change. They need to be repeatedly delighted by meaningful promotions and see how the business uses its influence in other areas through brand partnerships. Octopus should leverage its current feel-good factor and build salience. Only then will it be able to change its customers from bargain-hunters to fans that show loyalty beyond reason.

Secondly, Octopus Energy would be making a mistake to shed its current identity. Many people who have come in contact with Octopus Energy often site how much they love the way the brand interacts with them – from Constantine, their loveable octopus mascot, to personalised waiting music (which is based on what was No.1 in the charts when you were 14). Having said that the brand can come across as a little one dimensional. It sings one purple note, which isn’t always in tune and its visual assets don’t seem to work well in the digital space. Nonetheless, there is a lot there for Octopus’ marketing department to maximise. Could the octopus mascot come more to life – meerkats spring to mind?

Octopus Energy should be wary of not losing its sense of self. Its brand has quirks that are based on social values and its wish to do things differently. This does not mean Octopus should keep things as they are. The business needs to galvanise what it has and say it better and louder.

From musicians to politicians, everyone can fall victim to their own success. Similarly, thriving challenger brands can grow into exactly the thing they were originally rebelling against. Octopus Energy is an exciting player to watch in a hugely important sector. Let’s hope they can continue to use their business growth for good.

Author: Wybe Magermans, as originally published in MarComms News

Helping Castrol Switch On An Electric Future

WMH has collaborated with its long-time client partner Castrol, to create the name and identity for a new umbrella brand that will cover its range of e-Fluids for the electric vehicle market. Castrol ON signals the business’s move into electric mobility.

The business approached WMH over 18 months ago to create the positioning, name and identity for this advanced range of products which are already used by the Jaguar Racing Formula E Team.

Focusing on the desire to position Castrol as pioneers in e-mobility, WMH wanted to create a brand that was forward thinking, bright and futuristic. Positioning Castrol as a business that helps the global switch to electrification, the name ‘ON’ was established as the brand name and created simultaneously with the brand identity which uses the globally familiar digital toggle button – swiping from left/off to right/on – as inspiration.

Easily recognisable, the physical movement is represented on the graphic, as the ‘O’ comes from a colour gradient going from dark blue, through vivid blue to bright fluorescent green communicating both its e-mobility credentials.

The silver ‘O’ and ‘N’, at a slight angle shows a brand forever in motion and always moving forward whilst emitting a future-focused feel. In its online activated state, the Castrol ON switch energises illuminated graphics, while the energy lines communicate progress and show how Castrol ON helps to make the switch to an electric future.

On the launch of Castrol ON, Phil Neck, Global Marketing Lead for Castrol e-Fluids, said; “The launch of Castrol ON is a clear indication of the work we are doing at Castrol to help drive the electric vehicle sector forward. The new name and identity are crucial to position Castrol as a credible player in this future market”.

Garrick Hamm, creative partner at WMH added; “We been working with Castrol for over 10 years now and I’m thrilled we are part of this next bold & pioneering step with them, as they launch their e-Fluids brand.”

Click here to read the full case study.

February Fitness Fundraiser

We have started our last week in February Fitness to raise money for MIND.

Nearing a whole year of living with COVID-19, with various lockdowns, it is more important than ever that we take care of both our mental and physical wellbeing. So, earlier this month we launched our February Fitness Fundraiser.

Walking, running, cycling, yoga, pilates, HIIT workouts – anything goes (within reason!). We are tracking all our efforts and have collectively done over 2,500KM already.

Please click this link, donate and support MIND, and the amazing work they do for people that are experiencing any kind of mental health issues.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/wmhfitnessfeb

Seeking creative talent

We are looking for a multi-disciplinary designer with 2+ years’ experience to join our creative team.

For the last 20 years, WMH has been inventing and reinventing brands. We are an eclectic mix of creative thinkers, with one thing in common: we all get a kick from defying the rule book. There is no house style and we take on projects of all sizes, from local start-ups to large global brands. We only work with ambitious clients who want to build remarkable brands.

If you have creativity to burn and enjoy solving problems, then get in touch!

Your responsibilities

  • Deliver breakthrough, truly original ideas that are bang on brief
  • Be a crafter when bringing your ideas to life
  • Take responsibility, ownership of your projects and work together with the team to create work of the highest standards
  • Interrogate the creative briefs and get under the skin of the issues
  • Be inquisitive and be aware of our industry’s dynamics and trends – you want to know what rules to defy
  • Treat every project as an opportunity with the same passion, ambition and resilience
  • Seek opportunity for creative potential in award-winning projects, in addition to client-paid work

Your experience

  • Adept in communicating your thoughts and presenting your ideas
  • A bonus if you can bring your ideas to life with words too
  • Breadth of experience across disciplines – be packaging, identities, communications, innovations etc.
  • Proficient Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign skills
  • A bonus if you have a love for moving image, and being able to work with After Effects or 3D software
  • A developing knowledge of production processes

We can offer you

  • Competitive salary and benefits
  • A place where you are empowered to grow and develop
  • The opportunity to work on a wide range of very different projects
  • An open agency culture that encourages debate
  • A fun place to be, with people you want to work with

Please send us your portfolio and a short message on why you would like to join us. You can email us at: recruitment@wmhagency.com

Two pencils!

D&AD has awarded WMH with two pencils at this year’s ceremony.

We are incredibly proud to have added two more beautiful D&AD pencils to our awards cabinet. The recognition was for our poster design that raised funds to bring Afghanistan’s First All-Female Orchestra to Oxford, and support their music education. The poster is an image of a wool rug we created. A rug is an iconic symbol of Afghan culture, often used as a stage. They say, “when you look at an Afghan rug, you can see its soul”. We designed a traditional handwoven rug, incorporating the apparatus of war depicting the orchestra’s incredible journey from hardship to musical harmony. We commissioned its production with a women’s charity from Kabul and then photographed it to create a poster.

It is a project that has captured jurors’ imagination at many awards this year, including Design Week and winning the Grand Prix at the Drum Design Awards. Read more about this project here.

A rug tells the story from hardship to harmony

 

These awards are rubbish

On the 18th June 2020, FAB announced the winners of the 22nd FAB Awards, who will all receive a newly designed award’s trophy.

FAB are the only international awards programme that recognises the best creative work for food, beverage and restaurant brands. Although they liked their 21-year old logo, FAB came to Williams Murray Hamm to create a new identity that reflects their special place in the creative industry.

WMH hit upon FAB’s zest for what it does, delivered in a simple, unpretentious way. After all, the clue is in the title, so we set out to capture the creative and joyous world of Food And Beverage. For example, the striking sans serif logo has a bite mark out of one its letters. Whilst you can also see the new logo magically appear in all kinds of your favourite food and drink.

Garrick Hamm, creative director at WMH, said: “The old logo served FAB well, but it was definitely time for a new look. Working with FAB we quickly saw that they needed an identity with a bold personality that was, well, just as fab as they are.”

Right from the beginning of the project, FAB wanted to change the actual award trophies. They felt that they should be made out of recycled food and beverage packaging. WMH made this into a reality working together with Smile Plastics, who are specialists in manufacturing exquisite hand-crafted materials from recycled packaging.

Each trophy is made from recycled material and is 100% recyclable. For instance, the Silver award is made from recycled yogurt pots. Its white, marble-like surface has fragments of silver from yoghurt foil lids to reveal the material’s unique recycling story. By using waste to create FAB’s prestigious awards, we hope we can change people’s perceptions around recycled materials and unlock their hidden potential – turning rubbish into beauty.

The identity has also been rolled out across all other FAB properties, including FAB News, which is being supported with a Google partnership and the FAB Forum.

Neeraj Nayar, Chairman of the FAB Awards, said: “We are absolutely delighted by WMH’s genius. The simplicity and boldness of the new mark had us hooked the minute we saw it. Sitting perfectly across FAB News, Forum and Awards this is truly excellent and hopefully reflects the creative excellence acknowledged here at FAB.”

We want to thank the many people who collaborated with us on this project. In particular we would like to mention Smile Plastics and Unit 22 Modelmakers for creating the beautiful award trophies, and our sister agency, Studio4, for their help in the image production.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000. Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2020 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

 

Letting go in lockdown

When lockdown happened, I imagined that everything was going to hell in a handcart and I’d cling on to things I knew and trusted. A metaphorical reaching out for the banister rail.

In fact, I’ve done the opposite. BBC Radio has been the first casualty. I never want to hear a politician ever again, so bang, out goes the Today programme. You and Yours and Woman’s Hour make me glum, so no thanks. I have discovered Scala Radio as I wake with the sunrise and it’s as though I’m in the park. Lockdown bliss.

Roaming the supermarket aisles, as I have always done since I started out as a designer, is now strictly verboten. Packaging design was, and remains, my first love and the supermarket has been both my art gallery and social anthropology laboratory. Watching people scan the shelves and pick up something we’ve been involved in has always had a frisson about it. How did we capture their attention and what tipped them over the line into putting the product into their basket? Online grocery shopping offers none of this. It is like the difference between Spotify and vinyl. Super convenient, but utterly soulless. Nothing beats picking up a product, turning it over in the hand, feeling its weight and, of course, looking at the label. Call me sad, but it is one of life’s simple pleasures.

Back to my first supermarket love

An unexpected change is the enforced switch of supermarkets. After years of loyal shopping, Waitrose doesn’t seem to want me and Ocado is too unpredictable, so I’m back where I started. Sainsbury’s is ‘my supermarket’ again. They were dead easy to sign up with and their delivery people are delightful, but what has happened to the brand that Peter Dixon and, on occasions, Williams Murray Hamm laboured so hard to make classy, intelligent and joyful? As one unloads the bags, where’s the story? I just can’t make out what the brand stands for. What is all this ‘by Sainsbury’s’ branding and what in heaven’s name is ‘Stamford Street Food Company’? Has anyone walked down Stamford Street lately? Let’s just say it’s not Tenterden High Street. If ever there were a right time to reshape Sainsbury’s, to make us fall back in love with it, it is now.

I didn’t expect to drop the BBC and I thought that Waitrose and I were pals for life. We will see if those relationships are revived if lockdown ever ends. One other quite unexpected change of behaviour is the joy to be found in anticipation. I am not gifted with patience. It is not a virtue and generally gets in the way of doing stuff, but my lockdown has seen a subtle change in this.

I am to be found, for the odd hour or two, wielding power tools and timber as I attempt to rebuild some rotten decking. With the closure of DIY stores, I have to rely on various businesses all around the country to deliver the multitude of fixings that Builder Bodge needs.

The excitement of home deliveries

‘My 6-inch Hex bolts have arrived!’ won last week’s loudest whoop. The big tease was that they couldn’t be touched until the next day in case there was Covid all over them. They took on the same lure as the Hornby Trains Royal Mail Van I lusted over in a Boxing Day shop window in 1960. Learning to wait has been rather wonderful.

There are, of course, vital items that one misses in lockdown. Marmite went AWOL from Sainsbury’s online. If you were desperate it could be found on eBay for £6.99 for a jar, plus £4 postage. Apparently, they’ve sold 48 of them so far. It makes one think about brand value. What brands would you pay extortionate prices for if they went missing? A quick scan of eBay shows a can of Ambrosia custard selling for £7 (inc postage) and a 1.5kg pack of Allinson’s Strong White Bread flour for £12 (admittedly the postage is a whopping £8). But then eBay is a mad place. Who in their right minds would buy Andrex ‘Natural Pebble’ lavatory rolls? A snip at £33.78 for 45 rolls by the way – it seems they are in ‘New Condition’ which is, no pun intended, a relief.

Author: Richard Williams

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000. Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2020 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

A rug tells the story from hardship to harmony

We are thrilled to announce that Williams Murray Hamm received the Grand Prix at The Drum Design Awards 2020.

The recognition was for our collaboration with the Orchestra St John (OSJ) in Oxford. The orchestra is a charity who passionately believes that music has the power to transform lives. They raised funds to bring Afghanistan’s First All-Female Orchestra to Oxford to support their music education.

To thank all their supporters, the OSJ asked WMH to create a commemorative poster. We designed a traditional handwoven rug incorporating the apparatus of war depicting the Orchestra’s incredible journey. We commissioned its production with a women’s charity from Kabul and photographed it to create a poster. The posters were sent in a rubble sack which traditionally Afghan rugs get dispatched in.

Together with the Grand Prix this poster received another four Golds in the following categories; Physical Product Design, Poster Design, Illustration and Design for Good.

The Drum Awards Jury’s thoughts:

“The judges felt it impossible to ignore this entry and during the judging sessions found that it covered many categories. We found ourselves on occasion split, then almost-simultaneously unanimously in favour of it. Any Grand Prix award needs to inspire conversation, debate and passion and considering the isolated conditions enforced on us all we found no shortage of exchange. In many ways this piece of work brought us closer together.

“The entry represents many things – a struggle, a journey, resilience, liberation, a story that needed to be told. This story perhaps was the thing that engaged us the most. It inspired rage, disgust and sadness but also a wonderful feeling of optimism and possibility brought through imagination and honest craft. If ever there was a symbol of overcoming adversity and delivering a message of hope, then this is it.“

 

 

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000. Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2020 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

“I’m glad I was along for the ride”

Remembering Richard Murray (1965 – 2010)

Ten years after Richard’s untimely death at 44 years old, very few people currently at WMH worked alongside him. Yet, remarkably, his influence on the business remains very strong. WMH’s positioning, attitude and behaviour all derived from him and continue to course through the veins of the company today.

I have never encountered anyone so confident in their own views and as keen to dominate proceedings as Richard Murray. It was his clarity of thought that gave WMH its provocative stance – a simple extension of his personal beliefs that marketing and design had become moribund and unoriginal and needed goading.

To him, we were shooting at an open goal and it should have been easy to make a success of things. It was not, for the simple reason that most people in marketing are surprisingly risk averse. Richard railed loudly at the failure of other firms to create ground breaking work and readily walked away from clients who didn’t share our views. For a start-up business, this was wonderful stuff, because it gave us a common enemy – lazy thinking. Some thought we were arrogant, some cultish, but we didn’t care we, and particularly Richard, knew we were right.

In the ever more complex world of branding, it was good old packaging design that Richard held closest to his heart. Whilst other agencies, once established, moved swiftly into the more lucrative corporate identity world or focused on ‘digital’, Richard believed you could still command most fame through packaging design and it was fame that Richard sought for us. Packaging also connected him to the audience that he was most comfortable with everyday people, going about their everyday lives. ‘Big Brother’ and tabloid newspapers were what fascinated him, not the ‘C-Suite’.

Whilst kind and, on occasions, immensely caring, Richard would be the first to declare himself ‘difficult’ to work with, indeed he would be proud of the moniker. In his world, there was little worse in life than being beige. Chipped cups were publicly dropped onto the concrete floor, accountants and architects roasted for sloppy thinking or missing the brief. It did not stop people admiring him – you were never in doubt where you stood with Richard Murray.

He could be immensely funny. He had the wit and delivery to make a good stand-up comedian and, at one time, nurtured thoughts of a one-man show. Company drinks and Christmas parties always saw him centre stage, as did awards ceremonies, as long as we had won. If we hadn’t, he cleared off quickly, trailing a stream of invective behind him.

I always thought Richard was a designer manqué. He loved design and peoples’ reactions to it and, of course, he was obsessed with big ideas. He held designers in awe. Everyone else, including him, was there to serve them and, in turn, he commanded huge respect from them.

Like so many brilliant people (and Richard was brilliant) he was loved and feared equally. Clients didn’t get special treatment. He’d still show up an hour late for their most important meetings, tell them they were being lazy or he’d stop the meeting until they put their phones away. It just reinforced the message that this larger than life character was different to all the rest and he was.

Richard was a complex and endearingly funny man who had the remarkable power to make complicated things frighteningly simple. I am indebted to him for a helter skelter ride that I’d never have wanted to miss.

 

 

Author: Richard Williams

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2020 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

Untangling the tracks

WMH creates campaign for “Untangling The Tracks” exhibition at London Transport Museum.

How can you keep millions of passengers moving while undertaking a huge project to transform an ageing railway and its stations – and make sure they’re kept up to date?

The UK’s railway network is the oldest in the world and today railways are more congested than ever. Passenger journeys in London and the south east have more than doubled in the last two decades leading to a capacity crunch. The Government-sponsored £7bn Thameslink Programme was an ambitious 10-year programme of extensive infrastructure enhancements and the delivery of 115 new trains that have (and continue to) bring faster, more frequent, more reliable, better connected journeys for passengers.

As the majority of the work has now been completed, Thameslink had the incredible opportunity to showcase the  Thameslink Program in an exhibition at the London Transport Museum. The exhibition is entitled ‘Untangling the tracks’ where visitors can learn about the upgrades through the ages and how Thameslink have done things differently in their decade long program.

The campaign follows various projects WMH has worked on with Network Rail and Thameslink that inform travellers on these engineering upgrades and the benefits they bring. Yet this campaign needed to not only reach travellers, it needs to grab the attention of kids, parents and teachers, making them feel as though they can’t miss out on this fun (and educational!) exhibition. The idea – Wow, What A Fact! – is therefore centred around the amazing facts and figures of the complex underground works, the rebuilt stations and new trains. The media includes out-of-home, digital and direct-to-passenger communication. WMH collaborated with its trusted production partner, Magnet Harlequin, on the implementation.

The run of the exhibition has been extended, so you can still visit the exhibition this Spring time at London Transport Museum.

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000. Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2020 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

A new look for FAB Awards

Proud to announce that Williams Murray Hamm is behind the new identity for the international FAB Awards programme, which recognises the best in creative work for food, beverage and restaurant brands in over 60 countries.

FAB awarded WMH the brief without a pitch and asked the agency to create a new identity that would reflect the unique status of the awards and make it feel fresh having had the same look since the 1990s. The identity needed to work across other FAB properties, including FAB News, which is being supported with a Google partnership and the FAB Forum.

WMH hit upon FAB’s zest for what it does, always delivered in its simple, unpretentious way. The new look captures the creative and joyous world of food and beverage.

The logo uses a bold sans serif brand name with a bite mark out of the A and a straw in the B. WMH decided to keep the red and white palette but adjusted it to a new, deeper red.

FAB unveiled the initial part of new branding with the first call for entries for the 22nd annual awards in 2020. The complete brand identity will be presented over the coming months, including an entirely redesigned awards trophy to be unveiled at the ceremony in May next year.

Garrick Hamm, creative director at WMH, said: “The old logo served FAB well, but after 20-plus years it was definitely time for a new look. Working with FAB we quickly saw that they needed an identity with a bold personality that was… just as fab as they are.

Neeraj Nayar, Chairman of the FAB Awards, said: “We are absolutely delighted by WMH’s genius. The simplicity and boldness of the new mark had us hooked the minute we saw it. Sitting perfectly across FAB News, Forum and Awards this is truly excellent and hopefully reflects the creative excellence acknowledged here at FAB. We LOVE it and hope you do too.

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000. Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2019 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

 

A gem of a brand reinvention

WMH creates new brand identity and campaign for Hirsh London

Hirsh London, the Mayfair luxury jewellery house, has launched a new brand identity ahead of its 40th anniversary in 2020, created by Williams Murray Hamm.

Founded in 1980 by Anthony and Diane Hirsh, today the business is run by their son Jason Hirsh and his wife Sophia, who have grown the brand into a thriving company that is anchored in the heritage of London jewellery houses, combined with wit, technical innovation and contemporary appeal.

WMH was appointed to create a strong, bold and clearly defined brand identity and campaign to capture the attitude and quintessential Britishness of the business through completely new creative work across print, environment, and digital platforms

Hirsh London is one of the capital’s most respected jewellery boutiques. Its speciality lies in its large variety of rare, unusual, natural coloured gemstones which Jason and Sophia Hirsh go to extraordinary lengths to source. Each of their one-of-a-kind pieces are designed around a central gem and entirely handmade in the brand’s London atelier.

Hirsh London has been championing natural coloured gemstones for forty years and is now at the forefront of a movement towards bolder, more colourful designs, particularly in the engagement ring market. This, alongside their personalised service and exquisitely handcrafted bespoke designs, has established them as the leading authority on rare and unusual jewellery.

WMH was introduced to Hirsh by a former client and won the project through a chemistry meeting and subsequent competitive proposal. Its creative input stretches across advertising in European and Chinese markets, and a new brand identity across packaging, website and collateral.

Garrick Hamm, WMH’s Creative Director, says “Hirsh London designs and produces the most exquisite and joyous jewellery using natural coloured stones. They are immensely creative and have a wonderful Britishness to them. Our new brand campaign captures their spirit at the same time as giving them visibility and cut-through in a sea of mainstream, luxury jewellery sameness.”

“We were impressed with the creative direction that WMH took. They understood the very personal nature of our business, the care we put into selecting each of our gemstones, and our commitment to excellence in craftsmanship. We also liked their ethos of working with one company in each industry, rather than specialising in one sector. This has enabled them to come up with a fresh approach in fine jewellery marketing, which we are confident will carry our business forward as it continues to grow into one of London’s most respected jewellery houses,” said Sophia Hirsh, Managing Director, Hirsh London.

For more detailed case study, please see here.

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2019 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

 

 

The Ghost

A new film by WMH creative director, Garrick Hamm, “The Ghost” starring Emilia Fox and new comer, 9-year old, Felix Jamieson.

The Ghost

Garrick has been making short films for the past ten years, but he fell in love with visual storytelling while studying to become a graphic designer at Somerset College of Arts. His film school training was watching films with his father and reading every screenplay book he could lay his hands on.

Garrick’s first film was silent movie, shot on 35mm, over 14 weekends as they waited for the best weather. His latest “The Ghost”, is based on the tragic true story of John White, a Spurs footballer who was killed after being hit by lightning in 1964. He was just 27 years old. His son, Rob, was only six months old. The story is told from his perspective, who never had a chance to know his father – examining themes of loss.

The film has already racked up many awards including Best British Short and Best Director at the London Independent Film Awards last July. Whilst it will also feature at LA Shorts Fest, one of the most prestigious and largest international short film festivals in the world.

WMH will be screening the film to a select audience in Central London this evening, 20th September.

The power of creativity in delivering change

On 21 February, Wybe Magermans will be speaking at an evening by the Change Management Institute.

There are countless theoretical models about how an organisation can transform successfully. Yet for all the good these models do to structure change, the crux of successful transformation is centred around how people feel and behave differently. A rational approach alone isn’t sufficient.

Make sure to join Wybe, as he will be sharing key insights on how creativity helped Lamb Weston reshape from a company processing potatoes, to a $3,2bn multinational brand. One that is on now firmly on its way becoming the world’s No.1.

Wybe will be joined on stage by Leon Labovitch. An experienced business change and transformation consultant who has worked at the likes of KMPG, Shell and Sema Group, before setting up his own consultancy.

Register for tickets here!

The event is in partnership with King’s College London. The venue will be the remarkable Bush House in Aldwych, Central London. This iconic building has seen some huge changes since its opening in 1925. The Grade II listed building was originally an American-owned trade centre before becoming the headquarters of BBC World Service. Bush House’s latest purpose is that of higher education. King’s College moved in 2016, this time transforming the building into a centre of knowledge, learning and creativity.

An award-winning start of 2018

Williams Murray Hamm wins Best Of Show at Mobius Awards.

The new year kicks off in a celebratory fashion, with trophies for our work on Aberlour and RCS at this year’s Mobius Awards. Aberlour is awarded First Place statuette and Best of Show in the Brand Identity category. Whilst our work for RCS Advertising takes Second place ‘Certificate for Outstanding Creativity’ in the same category.

For Aberlour single malt whisky, WMH created a new brand world. Despite growing to the 6th position in the global market, Aberlour was relatively unknown. Equally, they hadn’t changed their communication much since their inception in 1879.

WMH looked at Aberlour’s long legacy, only to discover the founding family’s motto, ‘Let The Deed Show’, meaning ‘actions speak louder than words’. It’s the people, process and place surrounding Aberlour that create a whisky with such distinct character. WMH unearthed these deeds and, working closely with Scottish artist Liz Myhill, brought them to life. We used traditional lino cutting and printing techniques, to create original illustrations gleaned from books of storytelling in the 1900.

RCS came to WMH earlier in 2017. A 20-year-old Japanese advertising agency had metamorphosed into a brilliant new offering. They needed a new positioning and identity to reflect this. RCS helps clients identify, understand and optimise cultural differences. WMH called this ‘cross-cultural marketing’. The identity was built around a globe because RCS deals in global differences. It’s a cultural maze out there, so the ‘globe’ was fine-tuned to reflect this and a magenta ‘dot’ was created at the very core, to represent RCS – a point of consistency in unfamiliar territory.

“When I first met with WMH, I knew they ‘got’ who we were. They were able to interpret who we are, what we do and what makes us special in a way that went well beyond my imagination.”

Ron C Sternberg, Founder, RCS Advertising
For press enquires please contact:
Telephone: +44 (0)  20 3217 0000
Email: info@wmhagency.com

WMH Creative Origins: Richard Williams at Sainsbury’s

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This week’s #ThrowbackThursday is a nod to the creative foundations of WMH – quite literally. It comes courtesy of our esteemed co-founder, Richard Williams, who created these pet food packaging labels when he began his design career working for Peter Dixon’s famous in-house design team at Sainsbury’s.

“The cats were portraits of the first cats my wife and I had. A nod to dear friend, the late Nick Wurr (co-founder of The Partners) who inspired the silhouettes and yellow eyes and to the great Peter Dixon. A fine man.”

WMH-THROWBACK-THURSDAY-RW-SAINSBURYS-combined-FIRST-JOB-WEBSITE-130717WEBImages: ‘Own Label: Sainsbury’s Design Studio 1962-1977’ © Fuel Publishing, all rights reserved.

It’s not lost on anyone how WMH once again worked with Sainsbury’s (some years later) designing their Basics and SO Organics ranges – the latter is still in store today.

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You can find further examples of Richard’s early work in ‘Own Label: Sainsbury’s Design Studio 1962-1977 (ISBN: 0956356281, Fuel Publishing).

 

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2017 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

 

New Blood Judging 2017

This May, WMH’s Design Director Mark Nichols visited D&AD’s new swanky offices as part of the D&AD New Blood jury. He was a judge on the Arjowiggins Creative Papers brief which set out to unite print and pixels, asking how print and digital platforms might form a new, symbiotic, relationship.

The task was to create a campaign, product or service for Sony Music, Facebook or Instagram that reminds digital customers of the power of paper.

Mark was joined on the multidisciplinary jury by Jack Renwick, acting D&AD President, Rob Newlan, Facebook Creative Shop’s EMEA Director and Sean Perkins, Director at North Design, along with a wide range of other creatives from advertising, design and paper artistry.

The work well received, but did it break the mould?
The provisional online round of judging saw 265 entries from across the globe, some underwhelming and well wide of the mark, some entertaining, but off brief, some ‘good’ and a handful that stood out as being truly great.

On the day, the Arjowiggins jury awarded two wood pencils, three graphite pencils and one yellow pencil.

WINNER of the Yellow Pencil: Colorgram is a concept for Arjowiggins Creative Papers that engages Instagram users in real life. It identifies shapes and colours in Instagram posts and transforms them into minimalistic die cut art. Congratulations to Jack Welles and Danae Gosset, from the School of Visual Arts, NYC.

Click here to see all of the 2017 D&AD New Blood Winners.

So what tips does Mark have for creating a winner?

“To start with, it’s imperative to interrogate the brief fully. Not only must your work answer the brief but it must stand out, stretch the brief and turn it upside down and look at it from a new, and relevant, perspective.

It’s unlikely your first answer will be the winning answer (no matter how good you think it is). Chances are, if it comes easily, many other people will have thought of the same solution. Trust me, we saw a lot of the same ideas regurgitated and skinned slightly differently. You have to persist until you’ve created something you’ve never seen before.

Having a proper grasp of the latest technologies, creative platforms, relevant social issues and a thorough and un-biased understanding of the target audience, will also help elevate your entry.

Once all of the above is in place you’re in with a chance. Now, to test if your idea will translate, can you easily and confidently describe it in no more than two short sentences? If it takes an essay and tons of boards to explain your ground breaking creation, the chances are you’ve overcomplicated it and got lost in your own genius.

Of course the one thing all the winners had in common was a great and original idea at the heart of the work.

To get to the higher pencil levels the work had to be well executed and commercially achievable – it’s a lot easier to have a great idea without thinking of its practicalities.

To win you need to have the jury arguing over who’s going to employ you first and be nervous that they’re going to be left behind by the next generation of creative mega minds! Easy right? No. Design is and will remain a challenging discipline, but with the right amount of blood, sweat and ideas your work just may get rewarded with the coveted D&AD pencil”.

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2017 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

Point of Light shortlisted for Design Week Award 2017

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We are excited to be shortlisted for a Design Week Award in the Poster Design category for our B2B work with Point of Light.WMH-DESIGN-WEEK-AWARDS-POINT-OF-LIGHT-POSTER-SERIES-WEBThe series of posters form part of the overall Point of Light brand identity.  The brand mission to “tell extraordinary stories with light” is brought to life using evocative and mysterious monochrome illustrations in the purest 2D presentation of light and shadows.

Click here to see the full case study.

 

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.

Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2017 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

 

In Praise of Forgotten Brands

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Come on, you know you love them…

In late April, Selfridges will be hosting a Heinz Beans pop-up bar to celebrate 50 years of the ‘Beanz Meanz Heinz’ ad campaign. Dishes will include beans with crispy bacon, beans with smoked ham hock and beans with scrambled egg, all at £3 each.

Is this the ultimate irony? A humble ad campaign for an everyday staple turned into a celebrity? Or, like the Cereal Killer Café, is this another illustration of just how out of touch London is with the rest of the country?

Baked beans are one of those dirty secrets amongst the chattering classes. Nobody really admits to eating them, but Waitrose does a roaring trade in them. What other grubby brands should we be celebrating?

Birds Eye Iglo missed a trick last year in reintroducing Findus Crispy Pancakes. How could they be so sotto voce about this tea time masterpiece? Admittedly, the product is now slightly less Chernobyl, but it’s an absolute shoo-in for bogus posh nosh. Who’s for a smoked chorizo variant for serving on a bed of quinoa salad? Lamentably, they didn’t even do in-store tastings as part of their relaunch strategy.

Spam is 80 years old this year. Armies marched on Spam in WW2 and there’s even a Spam Museum, but now, thanks to Monty Python, we just take the mickey out of it. Maybe, Hawaiians have the right idea. According to Wikipedia (so it must be true) they are prone to eat it as sushi. This may well be the next hipster trend.

Walkers need to get their skates on, it’s 40 years since Monster Munch launched and there’s much to celebrate. They’ve restored them to their original, inconvenient size and three of the four original monsters have been retained. There’s no need for a pop-up bar, they just need to do ads that have our favourite dishes where spuds are replaced by Monster Munch. Chicken Kiev, baked beans and pickled onion Monster Munch – could anything be better?

Not only did Alfred Bird created ‘instant custard’ 180 years ago this year, but 50 years ago his eponymous company completely disrupted the dessert shelves with ‘Angel Delight’. This simple kid’s dessert has been in decline for some time, but owners Premier Foods announced this month that they are relaunching it in a pot for ‘on the go snacking’. Sadly, they’ve failed to tell anyone. Surely it’s not beyond the wit of their marketing and PR teams to get a celebrity chef to do something elaborate to get it into the newspapers. Where is Heston’s snail topped Butterscotch Angel Delight when you need it?

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WMH has a track record of getting loved and forgotten brands back into consumers’ heads. Our work on Hovis (those beans again) turned the brand around, as did our self centred Jaffa Cakes cartons. There are tons of these hidden gems just ripe for relaunch. Anyone for Homepride sauce poured over a Fray Bentos pie and Bovril gravy, or should that read ‘jus’?

Author: Richard Williams

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2017 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

Garrick Hamm judges the Creativepool Awards 2017

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This February, Garrick Hamm formed part of the judging panel for the Creativepool Awards 2017 in the Graphic Design category.

Garrick joined a panel of 165 leading industry judges, from 22 countries, across 33 categories, with representatives from Bloomberg, Bupa, Deluxe, Facebook, FCB, Getty, Guinness World Records, IKEA, Ogilvy, Phaidon, Publicis and Saatchi & Saatchi.

About the Creativepool Awards

Creativepool is the largest creative industry network, connecting global creatives to generate business through discovery and inspiration. It endeavours to set higher benchmarks for creativity and to inspire learning, interaction and debate.

Looking back on what has been a particularly strong, though demanding, year for creative work, the theme for this year’s awards was ‘Creativity will save us’.  Winners are selected in a fairer competition that awards companies and individuals separately. It is this diversity and the democratisation of the returning People’s Choice winners, that will once again set the Annual apart from other creative awards.

As one of the most widely distributed creative award publications, Creativepool prints 15,000 perfectly bound copies of the Annual which are received by industry leaders at some of the most significant creative events of the year, including the Cannes Lions Festival, Clerkenwell Design Week and the London Design Festival.

WMH-GARRICK-HAMM-PROFILE-WEBUpon completion of his judging duties, Garrick said: “This year’s entries demonstrated a renewed optimism and appreciation of craft, with clients opting for the bigger, braver solutions.  People are seeing the benefit of creativity and how it can play an important role in being the key differentiator.  Against the current backdrop of uncertainty, it is good to see clients embracing fresh, bold and brave design.”

 

 

Alexandra-Schott-Managing-Editor-Creativepool-WMHCreativepool’s Managing Editor, Alexandra Schott, said: “Given how uncertain our future now seems to be, both politically and technologically, it is a powerful time to be a part of the creative industry. The bravery and innovation we have seen this year has been eye-opening and empowering for the team, who have assembled an incredible judging panel. We can’t wait to see who our community name as their People’s Choice. We hope the bonds formed through the Annual act as a catalyst for the year ahead. Creativity will save us.”

 

To download your copy of the Creativepool Annual for 2017 click here.

The Annual winners will be announced on 29th March 2017 at Protein Studios in Shoreditch. To get your tickets click here.

 

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2017 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

Castrol Bio-Synthetic wins at TDC 2017

We are pleased to announce that Castrol Bio- Synthetic, our entry in the TDC Communication Design Competition has won a ‘Certificate of Typographic Excellence’

The work was selected from from over eighteen hundred entries from fifty countries.

A high performing job all round.

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For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2017 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

The March of the Robots

Just how far will they move into marketing?

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Amazon Go’s ‘Just Walk Out’ technology spells the end of supermarket checkout staff.[1] We’ve seen this coming for some time. Now, middle and higher income jobs are endangered, according to this weekend’s Sunday Times (still delivered in paper form by a human delivery person).[2]

At high risk from ‘robots’, amongst others, are insurance underwriters, accountants and auditors and at medium risk are judges and economists. Even dental hygienists are under threat.

When chess computers have to play each other because mere humans can no longer beat them, then, perhaps, there is some truth in robots replacing many jobs. Happily, for occupational therapists, surgeons and psychologists the report suggests they will see out their days unchallenged.

Marketing people do not appear to be threatened, because they have to make decisions that can’t be automated, but they are reliant on some services that could change dramatically over the next few years.

There’s little to suggest that procurement cannot be handled completely by robotics. Many RFIs are already handled online, what’s to stop all legal aspects of appointment being handled in the same way? Indeed, what’s to stop the auctioning of projects to a wide range of businesses that have already passed through online assessment? It will be just another step in the direction of dehumanising client/consultant relationships that were once based around trust and the simple shake of a hand.

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Consumer research could spread its wings into far greater automation. Imagine a research programme that learns, just as chess computers do, more about consumers every time they interact. Being online, it has the ability to speak to a vast number of people, to understand the particular nuances of how they see things courtesy of their social status and where they live. Automation will be able to tell us far more about people than we could ever glean. Computers don’t get tired and they keep on learning.

For designers who ‘maintain’ brands, as many of the bigger agencies do, automation could be a massive threat.  If you seamlessly join research and design robotics, automating ‘brand tweaking,’ you’ve suddenly wiped half the agencies in the world. Refining logos, ‘premiumising’ and adding ‘wine values’ are grunt work for which many businesses charge a fortune.

One of the benefits of this roboticised future will be that we get to see the real value of ideas. They are the bedrock of great advertising and design and have been undervalued for far too long, sacrificed on the altar of pragmatics and brand conservatism.

 

Author: Richard Williams

Reference sources:
[1] Amazon Go
[2] Sunday Times: Robots march on ‘safe’ jobs of middle class

Image sources:
– Brain image via simplified-analytics.blogspot.com
– Robotic image via reso-nance.org

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2017 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

D&AD New Blood

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This January, WMH senior designer Mark Nichols returned to Norwich University of the Arts as a visiting lecturer. He was teaching on the 2017 D&AD New Blood briefs, one of which he will be judging at this year’s New Blood Awards in April. Mark advised on work across seven different briefs over the two days, as well as finding time to give portfolio reviews on other work created by Norwich’s top students.

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“It’s always a pleasure to return to such a great creative institution and not just for the student nostalgia…this year’s New Blood briefs are as exciting and challenging as ever. The brief I will be judging brings into question how print and paper can be used effectively to promote digital platforms. Such involved, topical, subject matter should be the catalyst for some truly pioneering work. It will highlight how design can help the analogue and digital worlds coexist or, better still, form a new symbiotic relationship”

You can view this year’s D&AD New Blood briefs here https://www.dandad.org/en/d-ad-new-blood-awards/

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Mark turned student once again, when he was lucky enough to catch David Pearson’s lunchtime lecture highlighting the joys of book jacket design. It further evidenced the recurring theme that print is not dead and, used innovatively, won’t die anytime soon.

 

Author: Mark Nichols – Designer at Williams Murray Hamm

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2017 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

Baked Beans = Trump

WMH foresaw the “Trump Factor” in 2002, but we didn’t recognise it for what it was.

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Our radical, baked bean smothered, Hovis rebrand, failed dismally in research. No consumers polled would admit to feeding their family baked beans, in spite of it being one of the country’s favourite grocery products.

The research firm suggested that the design be dropped for something with more wheat on it, or perhaps a picture of a loaf. Brave management ignored this wisdom and ‘Big Food Hovis’ went on to become the fastest growing grocery brand in the country. Saving the brand and saving scores of jobs.

Unwittingly we had encountered an early case of ‘Shy respondents’.

When the Conservatives won the last election, against all odds, pollsters put it down to ‘Shy Tories’, people who wouldn’t admit to voting for Mr Cameron. The Donald’s extraordinary win is put down to the same phenomenon – a fear of admitting who you’re voting for because you’re rather, or very, ashamed.

We are in the ‘post truth’ era, where nobody trusts experts and everyone follows their emotions – think Brexit.

So what’s new? Advertising and branding has always done this. When two products are similar, we in marketing use emotion to carve out our space. Facts, in the world of pasta sauce, luxury perfumes, tinned custard and frozen ready meals don’t count for much, but the emotional pull of a great brand can be irresistible.

The conundrum lies in that no manufacturer worth their salt would ever go to market without asking consumers what they think.

‘Consumers lie’ the late Richard Murray used to cry ‘If research is infallible, why do so many products fail?”

Of the experts we no longer trust, pollsters have tumbled to the same depth as politicians, financial forecasters, priests and latterly, football coaches. For years, research has kicked the hell out of great ideas in advertising and design. We all know it, as do our clients.

Dan Izbicki, Unilever’s creative excellence director recently said that the company’s products are not high interest categories for consumers.

We need great creativity and great work to cut through that. Far too often we get scared and go back to the easier thing to do because it’s not going to be terribly damaging – but we can do something bigger and better and braver.

He is absolutely right. The problem is that research will most likely kill the brave ideas that he wants. ‘Shy’ consumers and conservative marketers looking for the next career move, will conspire to normalise everything.

It’s time for those who seek the public’s opinion to get better at what they do. They need to create measures that really work, that allow us a true picture of what’s going on. Hopefully, it’ll also allow companies the ability to break through into better, braver, more effective marketing too. It’s long overdue.

 

Author: Richard Williams

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2016 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

Castrol Bio-Synthetic

WMH has launched a new ‘bio’ variant of the Castrol EDGE and Castrol MAGNATEC brands that includes 25% of oil derived from plant sources.


Whilst this is not the first launch of a bio-derived oil, it is the first by a global major company. Castrol’s clever engineering and cutting edge technology have made it possible to take plant oil (and its natural lubricating qualities) in combination with traditional fossil-based oils to create a bio-lubricant that protects as well as standard Castrol EDGE or MAGNATEC.

“Pioneering with plants” – we brought together this natural tension creating a world and visual language unique to Castrol Bio-Synthetic oils. The new design stretches across film, packaging and web banners.

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For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2016 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.

In Fondest Memory of Geoff Appleton: 1950 – 2016

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A celebration of an infectious spirit and an incredible talent.

Today, it is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we bid a final farewell to our beloved friend and illustrator extraordinaire, Geoff Appleton, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. During a year that has seen the loss of many great talents, we will remember and celebrate Geoff’s memory as one of the greatest.

Williams Murray Hamm co-founder, Richard Williams, remembers Geoff’s infectious spirit:

“I’ve been at Williams Murray Hamm for 20 years and I can honestly say that I’ve not seen a freelancer more loved by our people and our clients than Geoff.

 They broke the mould when they made him. He was the last of a breed of artists who could earn a good living by drawing on paper and never doing stuff he didn’t want to do.

 We’ll miss his jolly banter and his great work and, in particular, I’ll miss talking to him about the finer points of Bob Dylan…” 

Our thoughts are with Geoff’s family and to commemorate his legacy WMH has made a donation to his nominated charity, Children and the Arts.

Children & the Arts is an independent educational charity that engages with disadvantaged children nationwide who do not have access to high-quality arts activity because of either social or economic barriers… [read more]

If you wish to make a donation in memory of Geoff, please visit www.childrenandarts.org.uk.

 

For any press enquiries email press@wmhagency.com  or call +44 (0) 20 3217 0000.
Unless otherwise cited, © copyright 2016 Williams Murray Hamm, all rights reserved.