Be more interesting.

The work life balance is one that is often difficult to get right, especially in an industry of tight deadlines, pitches and the ‘always-on’ mindset that we have in advertising.

In a very generous bid to ensure that all St Lukers take an opportunity to continue to expand their social and ‘extra curricular’ lives there is an annual grant available for each permanent employee to learn to do something to “Make yourself more interesting.”

The value in a well-rounded person should never be underestimated and St Luke's has remarkably valued this for around 20 years. People have done all manner of things such as nutritionist courses, learned to salsa or taken swimming lessons.

I’d been toying around with the idea of doing a few different things with my fund this year, until over Christmas I realised that I was now as an adult craving a hobby that I spent most of my teenage years enjoying – performing arts.

I set about researching immediately, and on Jan 2nd I signed myself up to a 12 week course for adults at Pineapple Performing Arts School – held for 3-4 hours every Sunday at the legendary Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Garden. Gulp.

After the first session I was beaming with excitement and the next day came bounding in to work, still buzzing off the adrenaline. The singing teachers had been in the original casts of Wicked, Billy Elliot, The Lion King and Mamma Mia. Drama was led by a pair of actor/directors, and dance classes were taught by performers at the top of their games in Street, Hip Hop, House and Musical Theatre. I was in awe of their talent, and it was overwhelming and terrifying to think that in 3 months time I’d be on a London stage, performing a showcase of pieces that we would learn over the 12 weeks.

                                            

When show weekend arrived I felt sick with nerves, and was glad I only had a few select friends coming to watch the 2 shows we were performing on the Sunday. Having a singing solo and a drama duologue, as well as numerous group numbers, made the personal pressure feel heightened, but in the end these were some of the standout memories where I felt I thrived most. The feeling of the adrenaline rush after both performances and seeing my friends' grinning faces in the audience is one I have tried to bottle.

The whole experience reminded me that you should never feel like you’re too old, too busy or too tired to throw yourself into doing something you find nerve-wracking or challenging. The buzz is amazing, and sometimes you just need reminding of that.

                                                     

Even if it’s not something you find daunting, it’s a sterling reminder that we should all make time for hobbies. And when an agency like St Luke’s will freely offer you money to learn to do whatever you like, you should grab the opportunity with both hands! 

Who's next?

ST LUKE’S BRINGS YOU CREDENTIALS, THE STRONGBOW WAY

One Facebook user recently commented, “what has this got to do with Strongbow?” after seeing a picture of an apple on the Strongbow fan page.   Well, Gareth Jones* from Dorset, there are, in fact, over a billion British apples used in the production of Strongbow every year. It’s this insight which is at the core of Strongbow’s latest ad, Bittersweet. This 40” spot works to remind consumers about all of the hard work which the farmers of Herefordshire put into growing their apples. 

 It is the unique bittersweet flavor of these apples which gives Strongbow it’s crisp, sharp and refreshing taste. This divided palette has given inspiration to the art direction of the ad, as through-out the majority of the advert we see both the bitter and sweet side of the British apple farming process. We see the hard working farmer fight through the cold, wet and snow one side of the screen, while on the other side the same farmer is seen striding around his sun bathed farm as we follow the apple’s journey from the tree into the glass.

This was a particularly exciting project for St Luke’s as it allowed us to get to the roots of Strongbow’s business and heritage  as well as utilise ground breaking cinematography. It is the use of the never seen before 3D technique along with soundtrack which makes this ad so distinctive and memorable. Watch the ad here.

*not his real name

Brit boys take on Brazilian girls in The Strongbow Rio Challenge

In every football match, be it a World Cup final or a Sunday league wooden spoon playoff there is a form sheet of some sort. Something that helps the fans pick a favorite based on recent form, the history of the club or star players.

So this summer, we’re asking Strongbow fans to pick between teams of a different kind: amateur Brit boys vs pro Brazilian girls – who has what it takes to win.

We know the boys team HMNB Portsmouth are good at their game, as they came out top in our Strongbow Rio Challenge trial day but how would they fare taking on one of the best female Brazilian teams: Vasco, in their home country?  With players who previously competed in World Cup and Olympic games, the girls certainly had the skill and footballing finesse but would the power and strength of the boys overrule?

The boys team, made up of the five players from HMNB Portsmouth and three subs as voted for by social media, all flew out to Rio in May to face a grueling training schedule ahead of the final challenge. To give these enthusiastic amateurs a chance against some of Brazil’s finest, they where put through their paces on the girl’s home sand by their coaching team, Chris Kamara and Janio Cruz. Their training covered all areas of the game including a tour of the favelas to understand how some of the world’s greatest players built up the physiological strength needed to reach the peak of their game.

Once training was complete, the final challenge showdown took place when the boys took on the ladies team against the backdrop of Rio’s iconic skyline. Could the boys live up to their talk? Did these amateurs have what it takes to beat a pro women’s team? Watch their full story on: youtube.com/strongbow where you can watch all the content in this St Luke’s led campaign.

Banish the grey and Bring the Colour with Very.co.uk

As we slowly, and optimistically move towards a bright and colourful Spring and Summer, everyone at St Luke’s is delighted to announce the recent launch of our brand new Spring/Summer campaign, ‘Bring The Colour’ for our client Very.co.uk.

The campaign which features brand ambassador Fearne Cotton is initially set in an entirely grey scene, depicting the cold, dreary winter season. That is until Fearne Cotton steps out of a grey taxi wearing a vibrant pink dress from the new Colour Pop spring range. Steadily, the colour is transcended across other girls wearing the new trend and looking incredible in their bright colourful outfits against others, who are still stuck in their grey, winter clothes. By the end of the advert we see the trend has created a snowball effect and everyone is now wearing the new collection, where the advert ends with the line ‘Bring the Colour’.

 

 (Click image for 'Bring the Colour' Advert)

The ‘Bring the Colour’ TV campaign for Very.co.uk will be supported by a full range of communication channels, including print, digital, social media and outdoor.

Jon Owen, Retail Director for Very said, “Very.co.uk is on a roll. We are purposefully stepping up our fashion credentials with ever better on-trend collections and super cool advertising.”

Everyone at St Luke’s is incredibly proud of the campaign for Very.co.uk. If you wish to see some exclusive behind the scene footage from the shoot, then please follow the link here.

Client Services Internship

Fancy becoming part of the team?

We are looking for a Client Services Intern to help support our Account Management team. 

To find out more contact lpoole@stlukes.co.uk for all the details.

Good Luck!

Ding - we're at the top of the charts with Littlewoods Funfair!

We're delighted to have tied at the top spot in Marketing Magazine's Top 10 ads of the week.

The chart of ads is based on those which are most highly recalled for that week, and our delightful Funfair advert and its respective 10" cutdowns have raced to the top of the chart with 44% recall, alongside the anti-smoking campaign Stoptober.

We've received great feedback in industry press and on social media for the campaign, which you can watch below featuring Myleene Klass, Mark Wright and a track from the up and coming singer Arlissa.

Local Business Accelerator Awards announces 2013 winner!

The Local Business Accelerators was an idea born here at St Luke's for our client the Newspaper Society, as a partnership between local papers, fledgling businesses and established business leaders to give businesses a boost with free local advertising and the support of business mentors. When 32.9 million people read a local newspaper every week, making it the most widely read print medium in Britain, it seemed like a great way to encourage both local newspapers and businesses alike.

This esteemed initiative is fronted by national ambassador and Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden and backed by Prime Minister David Cameron. Now in its second year, the 2013 LBA Awards took place this week, where the winning business The York Cocoa House battled against 2,000 local businesses nationwide.

As the 2013 LBA national winner, York Cocoa House will receive a year's business mentoring from Deborah Meaden, a local newspaper ad campaign designed by us at St Luke's and £10k cash from the Business Growth Fund.

Strongbow Dark Fruit gets exemplary mention by Marketing Week event.

‘Outdoor Works’ an event run by Marketing Week magazine and the Outdoor Media Centre (OMC) has just taken place, with its over-arching theme as “The Power Of 5.” This refers to the five key benefits of outdoor advertising, according to the OMC, which are that it: Connects, Influences, Activates, Amplifies and Inspires.

Imagine our pride when we heard that our creative for Strongbow Dark Fruit was to be used as an excellent example of “attention-grabbing, disruptive creative executed at scale across a range of formats” by one of the expert guest speakers.

For our client to see their brand being praised on a big screen in front of hundreds of industry people is a huge credit to them, our team here and their collaborative efforts in strengthening the Strongbow brand as it expands its portfolio.

Cheers!

Whatever you do, do it in style with Definitions

Our much anticipated 'Everyday Stylish' campaign for Very.co.uk went live on 5th September, with its debut 30s spot during Emmerdale and the 40s during X Factor last Saturday night!

The ad follows a series of beautifully stylish women carrying out a series of banal activities but looking amazing in the new Definitions range from the brand. The idea behind the campaign is to show that no matter what you are doing: in the office, doing your weekly shop or making your breakfast, then Very can help you find the right outfit to make you feel fabulous.
 
Using motion control technology, along with trying to capture the stillness and beauty of a typical fashion photo shoot, results in a sumptuous film with a fluid and dream like quality.  By limiting movement to only a few small elements within the ad, then we are able to really focus the attention on the details of the product. The ethereal soundtrack is Fineshrine by Purity Ring, and it adds a whole new level of cool to the Very portfolio.

The campaign can also be seen across: static & digital posters, online and print, so it can't be missed!Watch below, and let us know what you think!