It's a stylish summer with Very.co.uk and the Holiday Shop

"Summer summer summertime... Time to sit back and unwind."

Finally!

So to mark the occasion, our latest ad for Very.co.uk’s Holiday Shop takes us to beautiful Barcelona and celebrates the best of summer living, even if not all is as it first seems. Check it out below:

The ad, which launches today (10^th April) opens on a stylish, summer’s evening and shows our first girl looking glam as if she’s posing on a photoshoot, with smoke billowing around her. The camera then swings round to reveal she’s actually cooking on a BBQ with her friends in her garden, which is kitted out with outdoor furniture from Very.co.uk. The following scenes follow a similar pattern, and then in the end scene we meet Fearne Cotton, taking a selfie at the beach with her friend. 

Canada, the Spanish commercial directors we worked with on this, took a 360 degree approach to shooting this. The camera constantly moves in a sweeping circular motion, taking in the outfits and surroundings from BBQ to airport, patio and beach.

This is the first time our focus for Very hasn’t just been about style and fashion, we’re widening the reach to the department store offering – from bikinis to BBQs there is everything you need to do summer in style.

As always, we've made a behind the scenes film to give you a sneak peek of how the ad was made. Check it out in the image here:

This campaign will also be supported by national print, OOH and digital which will go live after Easter.

Let us know what you think!

Tweet us @stlukescomms.

Roll up! Roll up, to the Littlewoods Funfair!

To sit alongside our current Autumn Winter TV campaign for Littlewoods, featuring Myleene Klass and Mark Wright, we have been busy creating and developing a social media campaign to encourage interaction and engagement with the Littlewoods Funfair this season.

The Autumn social media campaign kicked off on October 3rd and will feature a series of Funfair themed Facebook games that employ a mixture of platforms including Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat over the next month.

Littlewoods are offering participants a chance to win a range of prizes, from the latest tablets to fashion essentials. The games themselves are all based on classic funfair games, each given the Littlewoods touch – such as ' Snap-a-mole, Hook-a-Duck and Test your strength.'

The first game was Test Your Strength, which received over 1800 likes, making 3 winners. The 2nd game opens today, and you can keep up to date with all the games and have your chance to win on the Littlewoods Facebook page, and you can watch our Autumn Winter adverts here.

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!

Take a bow, Dark Fruit.

The combination of cider and blackcurrant is one which has earned its place in the hearts and tastebuds of many British drinkers. The initial thought may trigger the nostalgia of "cider and black" and "Snakebite," but this time it’s getting the Strongbow treatment.

Step up Dark Fruit, the latest addition to the Strongbow portfolio flavoured with sweet, but sharp blackcurrant and blackberry juices.

The art direction is dark and moody, with brambles and twisted thorns showing that this fruity cider stands out from its sweet and, dare we say, more gentle competitor offerings.

Our work can be seen all over billboards and digital screens nationwide, the digital version can be viewed from clicking on the image above. Bulletproof designed the matte black and purple can, reflecting the more premium nature of this cider compared to original Strongbow.

It has been going down a treat too, with hundreds of fans tweeting that it’s “the future,” tastes “amazing” and is their "new favourite" drink this summer. We're mighty pleased.

It’s available in cans at the moment, but will be released in bottles next month. If you haven’t tried one yet, what are you waiting for?

Earn it, enjoy it, and let us know what you think!

Moments of Truth - New Strongbow Work!

Last night, after the England V Brazil match, was the grand debut of our latest Strongbow advert. The 60s spot is entitled 'Moments of Truth' and encounters blokes in a variety of nerve-wracking situations, showing how fear distorts their reality in each of the scenarios. However, they all triumph, smashing it as they step up and face their fears! From the best man's speech, to the nail-biting penalty shoot out, these characters embody the Strongbow brand which rewards the man who gets the job done.

Beautifully directed by Sam Brown, with the undeniably epic O Fortuna (Carmina Burana) as its soundtrack, the tension is palpable throughout the spot, yet exaggerated facial expressions and comedy moments provide some relief - keeping the suspense but making the ad more entertaining!

This spot is the spearhead of the 2013 'Earn It' campaign which involves a range of Strongbow challenges that men can apply to participate in - if they think they're up to it! The first challenge is looking for fellas to step up to take a ball from top cricket fast bowler Jimmy Anderson.

The ad has received coverage in Campaign magazine and Brand Republic amongst others, but the most overwhelming thing was the amount of Tweets registered after the spot went out. We briefly trended worldwide, and were 8th in the UK! Tweeters really got involved and loved the ad - some even calling it their ad of the year so far. We're all very proud of it, and I for one feel it was definitely worth sitting through a pretty dull football match to see!

If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? Click the image below, and let us know what you think!

New Mailout

We've set up a new weekly internal email as a "Mashup" of the latest industry news and happenings which relate to us and our clients. And some stuff of general random interest too. The sort of thing that's quite nice to have a glance through over a cup of tea, or while you're "checking your emails."

If you're interested in having a look too you can find it here http://ymlp.com/z8grgJ.