Christmas Jumper Day raises the big bucks

Watch out Christmas Day, you’re facing a threat who is rapidly stealing all your thunder. Christmas Jumper Day is gaining so much hype every year that its importance in the calendar could soon take over Christmas!  The nation has really gone nuts with Christmas jumpers – with the new rule being the-more-revolting-the-better.

Naturally we all got on board, and donned our favourite festive number while fundraising over £700 for Save the Children.

In the spirit of fundraising for a good cause, we got sweaty in our Christmas Jumpers and got festively plump from the annual bake sale.  

A Blind Cider tasting served a dual purpose of aiding and abetting the brownie gluttons whilst also ensuring all St Luker’s really can identify the Bittersweet taste of Strongbow and the sweet joy of Old Mout – luckily the results were mostly positive!

Lastly, our first Silent Auction was held where lots of (ahem) premium prizes were up for grabs… including having our lovely CEO Neil as your Tea slave, a week of gourmet lunch, an extra half day of holiday, and a personal agenda-setting-idea with the mystic Dan and Rose.  Sadly people also donated far too much to keep me silent for a day! Congratulations to Save the Children on another record breaking year! #Xmasjumperday

Free music thanks to amazing response to our Step Into Christmas ad for Very!

First thing to say is thank you! We have been blown away by the response to our Christmas ad for Very, which has seen their social channels buzzing with positive feedback on the style and story of the ad. However, by far the most commented about feature of the ad is the music.


Music is an integral part of every Very TV ad we have made in the past couple of years, and this year Christmas campaign has been no exception. We have been inundated with comments on YouTube and Twitter asking who the track is by and where people can get their hands on it.

The track was composed especially for this ad, by an artist who goes under the name of Beuys Toys and the track is called Thimbles.

The great news is you can now own this track for yourself for FREE as it is available to download off the Very blog site and check out the ad again here.

Tell your friends, share the love!

Merry (early) Christmas from the Very team!

@stlukescomms
@verynetwork
#biggestchristmasyet

Step into Christmas in Style with Very.co.uk

The time of year is upon us. Bonfire night has passed, coffee shops bring out their festive red cups, and the Christmas ads start to hit our TV screens thick and fast.

Last night saw the launch of our first 60" spot for Very.co.uk, in what is forecast to be their biggest Christmas ever! We shot this ad back in September after a long and detailed pre-production process which saw us overseeing the making of giant props and green screens so that our cast, including Fearne Cotton, could look like miniature versions of themselves who come to life out of a fashion magazine.

They frolic about the house in awe and wonder of the joys Christmas is bringing, and the fashion, gifts and electricals they find themselves surrounded by which they use to equip their adventure.

It was fantastic to work with legendary directors Traktor, and the talented teams at Partizan on this spot, which also has a 30" and 10" cutdown.

Check out the ad here if you haven't caught it yet, and if you feel like getting a closer look at how we made the ad, make sure you check out the Behind the Scenes mockumentary film we shot on set with our in-house director.

We'd love to hear what you think - Tweet us @stlukescomms and use the hashtag #biggestchristmasyet.

More Adwatch success for Littlewoods

Following on from the success prior to Christmas with our Shop Direct clients Littlewoods and Very.co.uk both being announced in Marketing Magazine’s overall “Adwatch of the Year,” the New Year has brought further success for Littlewoods.

Data taken from during the Christmas period placed our Littlewoods advert 6th for most recalled ad (54%), but it also placed 8th in the ranking of most liked TV commercials (18%). 

To put this achievement in to perspective, only four other brands made it on to both lists - John Lewis, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Asda.

The Littlewoods Christmas advert, which saw Myleene Klass helping out at Santa’s grotto, alongside fellow brand ambassador Mark Wright, depicted the essence of Christmas, with fun, music, presents and of course, Santa. Combined with the strategic combination of 30" and 10" executions, the 'always-on' approach to media has continued the 'front of mind' awareness we achieved throughout 2013, but for the first time we're landing work in the recall and most liked lists.

At St Luke’s HQ we're delighted with the results and recognition from the industry as it brilliantly reflects the hard work that has gone into the campaign from both the team here and Shop Direct. 

Here's to Spring/Summer bringing more success!

Adwatch of the Year

December brings out the reminiscent and celebratory nature in most all of us. It's a time to look back on the achievements of the year, the trials and tribulations we've overcome and look forward to what the new year will bring.

For us at St Luke's it's been a particularly successful year, and this has been topped off by Marketing Magazine's "Adwatch of the Year" feature, which runs down the 20 most effective adverts of the year in terms of memory recall. Adwatch of the Year 2013 celebrates our Shop Direct clients Littlewoods and Very.co.uk as the year's biggest success story. Throughout the year, adverts for both have featured prominently in the weekly brand recall listings during their time on air, but for both to make the top 10 of the year is a fantastic achievement for them and for us!

It's even more remarkable when the budgets for both brands were considerably lower than any other ad in the top 20, making us the best value advertisers of the year!

It's been a fantastic team effort, and has seen both brands making the best creative and effective work they have ever done - from Littlewoods launching their first Kids ad for Ladybird, to Very and their new uber-stylish Definitions brand it's great to see recognition from the ad industry as well as those crucial sales figures increasing.

Doing Christmas 2013 in a Very stylish way!

Besides celebrating the birth of Jesus, singing Carols about wise men and eating far too much; Christmas is a time for spoiling each other (and ourselves) with gifts, new outfits and celebrations.

Our 30" Gifting advert for Very celebrates important Christmas preparation tasks such as gift-wrapping, cooking up a storm, hanging decorations and dining with friends, in a beautifully stylish and effortless way. With Very's range of gifts, fashion, homeware and electricals, it's easy to look effortlessly stylish whilst simultaneously delivering the perfect Christmas.  

The ad launches today, 7th November, during Emmerdale (ITV 7pm) and features a remix of the traditional Christmas Carol Silent Night. But this is Silent Night as you've never heard it before! Now well-known for having stand-out soundtracks, this Very spot follows on from our Christmas Partywear ad and the Definitions campaign using original remixes, a motion-control camera, and freeze-frame vignettes.

Fearne Cotton appears in the final scene, celebrating a toast and sumptuous festive feast with her friends. Get ready for a stylish Christmas with Very.co.uk

Check the ad out here or the image above and let us know what you think @stlukescomms.

Our agency Reception display is looking rather Christmassy too now that both Shop Direct clients, Littlewoods and Very have launched their Christmas campaigns!

Ho Ho Ho! Christmas excitement arrives as our Littlewoods advert airs!

It's the first of November which can only mean one thing, Christmas is coming and the best adverts, seasonal songs and  festive jumpers are all heading our way!

 We've been quick off the mark with our campaign for Littlewoods, which launched today. It's set in Santa's workshop in the North Pole, where a girl has posted her letter to Father Christmas, and he starts to read it aloud. Myleene Klass magically wraps presents while Santa's other celebrity helper Mark Wright, is sitting on a shelf, waiting to be chosen as a Christmas gift for a lucky lady. There are a whole host of elves bustling around in the workshop too, to make sure that every child and family gets the presents they deserve, all with the help of the Littlewoods Touch, meaning you can spread the cost of your gifts. We also filmed a Behind the Scenes film, so you can see what it was like on set, and how we made the magic.
The ad features a "Christmassed-up" version of Arlissa's track "Into The Light"  which was featured in the Funfair campaign, and was also directed by Michael Gracey through Partizan.
Let us know what you think, it's given us the Christmas spirit at St Luke's, and there's even more to come this week...

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM EVERYONE AT ST LUKE'S

With only 4 days to go, here are 4 elftastic members of our team to get you in the festive mood!

And if that's not enough... have a cheeky look at our festive homepage to see what these pictures are all about!! Visit our festive homepage!

Dad Dancing Elf!

Twinkle Toes Elf

Karate Kid Elf!

"Look mum no hands" Elf 

Our new Christmas ad for Very.co.uk!

Following the success of our Autumn TV advert,

 our brand new Christmas ad for Very.co.uk has just launched!

Watch Holly Willoughby & Fearne Cotton solve all your Christmas dilemmas...