BBC Songs of Praise: School Choir 2012 Final

Three top junior school and three top senior school choirs went head-to-head in Sunday evening’s BBC Songs of Praise ‘Choir of the Year Final’, which was hosted by ‘Walking in the Air’ singer Aled Jones at The Lowry, Salford Quays.

Heath Mount School, Hertforshire, and St Georges College, Weybridge, prevailed as winners in their respected categories, based on performances judged by Russell Watson, Suzi Digby & David Grant.  The show also featured a performance from former X Factor finalist Joe McElderry.

Hive Manchester developed the Songs of Praise logo (and subsequently the School Choir of the Year logo) back in 2011 to celebrate the iconic programme’s 50^th anniversary.  The selected logo was designed to subtly reflect the underlying elements of music and worship running through the show.

Fears, Foes and Faeries Exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery

Hive have been working on the design of a fascinating new exhibition looking at British folklore through the ages for Scarborough Art Gallery. Opening on the 23th March and running until the 30th September 2012, Fears, Foes & Faeries features part of a large collection of charms and amulets assembled in the early part of the 20th century by Scarborough naturalist, collector and amateur folklorist, William James Clarke.

Hive have been involved in every aspect of the design from the marketing including posters, beer mats and advertising to the exhibition design itself including panel graphics, layout, plinths, cabinets, design and build of 3 interactive games to create an exciting exhibition space for these small objects.

The exhibition explores various aspects of British Folklore including:
Witchcraft – a collection of objects, many dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, which were believed to protect against witches
Faeries – charting the development of faeries from dark and threatening creatures to their current, more whimsical incarnation as benign beings
‘Charmacy’ – charms and amulets with a medical slant believed to provide protection against a range of ailments
Birds and Beasts – it’s believed that Clarke’s interest in folkloric objects may have  developed from his interest in the natural world.
Safety at Sea – a subject close to many Scarborians’ hearts!

Karen Snowden, Head of Collections at Scarborough Museums Trust, said: “This is a very quirky and eccentric collection. Charms and amulets are basically about managing fear,
the thing we find most unmanageable in our everyday life.”

Fears, Foes & Faeries is the culmination of a three-year project as part of Precious Cargos, Stories of the World, one of the key projects of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

There is a packed programme of events themed around the exhibition, including faerie workshops, Goth makeovers, and a witches and wizards academy. For more information please visit the website scarboroughmuseumstrust.org.uk

KidsCan Can Can World Record Attempt

The team here at Hive love to get involved with helping local charities, from participating in events such as the Great North Run to raise money, to giving support to the charity, by dedicating planning and creative time.

For the past two years we have been very proud to be supporting local charity KidsCan Cancer Research Centre, who we have worked closely with to develop their marketing.

When we first met KidsCan their supporter numbers were growing but they were looking for a fundraising idea that was a bit different; would inspire people of all ages to get involved; and would help raise their profile regionally and nationally.

Our response was the KidsCan Can Can Guinness World Record attempt. We wanted to reinforce the name KidsCan and the positivity of ‘can’.

Now after two years of planning we are extremely happy to announce that the KidsCan Can Can event will be taking place on the 1st July at Event City, just opposite the Trafford Centre.

We are looking for energetic people of all ages to continuously ‘Can Can’ dance for 5 minutes. The current record stands at 1503 people and we are determined to set a new record in Manchester.

The day will be a fun filled, high-spirited event with live entertainment, indoor fairground rides, face painting and photo opportunities, amongst other carnival activities.

KidsCan are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year and what better way to celebrate such a vital local charity than to slip on a tu tu and join in with the high kicking at Event City on Sunday July 1st at 12 noon!

We produced a microsite for the team to promote the Can Can event and to make it easy to sign up. For more details please visit: www.cancan4kidscan.org.uk and for more information on the charity please visit: www.kidscan.org.uk

Beans without the Gas – Mini Case Study

Client:
Malton Foods Limited

Project:
Wayfayrer Brand and Packaging Development.

Challenge:
Modernise a the brand with over 14 years of heritage to sit within a dynamic marketplace without alienating current core users.

Solution:
A fresh, modern brand and packaging – perfect for it’s position in the outdoor sector.

Packaging:
With the restriction of a generic pack and the need to overprint variant names, designing a strong and dynamic pack was a challenge. Following through from our development of the modernised and energised logo, we developed a deceptively simple design with enormous shelf standout.

Result:
Now with the BIG increases in sales following the launch the Wayfayrer brand is going from strength to strength.

Client quote:
“Hive not only understood our brand; they understood our consumers and created a pack that really delivered! Since its introduction we have seen an upturn in sales.”
Marketing Controller, Malton Foods

Consumer marketing:
To accompany the new identity we created a range of marketing materials. Powerful consumer ads, in-store posters, stickers and banners, as well as trade literature and product information leaflets.

NEW Range Extension 2011:
Following the success of the initial brand and packaging development. The range has been extended and New Self Heating Food Kits have been added to the product offering, which includes a heater pack as well as a meal, for instant hot food without the need for a stove. Perfect for the outdoor market.

The next step for consumer marketing:
A consumer flyer was also produced which was die cut with a euro slot making it easy to display in store right next to the Wayfayrer packs, this launched in 2011.

Trade promotion:
As part of the marketing campaign we produced a brochure for the trade. This introduced buyers to new additions to the Wayfayrer range, as well as
giving helpful advice on category management. As part of the project we undertook a photography shoot for the whole meal range, focusing on quality and taste. We also carried out a lifestyle photography shoot to bring the product up to date with the rest of the outdoor market.

A Great Salfordians Evening in aid of Start in Salford

After initially being involved in promoting Start in Salford, a local charity, in their successful bid for The People’s Millions, Hive Manchester are now helping Start to arrange their first fundraising evening:

We are delighted to announce that in October this year we will be holding a ‘Great Salfordians’ themed evening in aid of Start in Salford Creative Arts and Wellbeing Centre.

Start is an arts based and wellbeing charity, with a dedicated centre in the heart of Salford that supports people with or at risk of experiencing mental health problems and social exclusion through the arts.

Approximately 250 people from the world of sport, music, the arts and business will be attending in support of Start, including a number of celebrities, who were all born in or have strong ties with Salford. The evening will feature numerous live performances, including a set from local legend Peter Hook; speeches from keynote speakers; and casino entertainment. Though guests won’t win cash for playing on the casino tables, the person with the most casino chips at the end of the night will receive a prize that money couldn’t buy. Salford born Harold Riley, the prestigious painter who was friends with L S Lowry, will present the winner of the night with a personal portrait. Riley’s previous works include portraits of Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul II and George Best, with the lucky winner being added to this list.

Start provides services for nearly every group in Salford, from young people at risk from suffering mental health problems to the over 50s who, without Start in Salford, would have very little provision for their needs. It has been running for over eighteen years, after Salford resident Bernadette Conlon started delivering workshops from the boot of her car to help people with mental health difficulties.

All the money raised at the ‘Great Salfordians’ event will go to the centre, so that it can continue its essential work with people who are all too often ostracised from society.

In the build up to the ‘Great Salfordians’ event, Start is also running an art competition to encourage local creative talent, with a £1,000 cash prize for the winner, as well as two tickets to the evening. If your interested in entering email: info@startinsalford.org.uk for more details and an application form.

If you are interesting in attending the evening or getting involved with supporting Start in Salford then please email: info@hivemanchester.co.uk.

For more information visit the www.startinsalford.org.uk website or visit www.hivemanchester.co.uk

Making Britain Shine – Mini Case Study

Client:
Holt Lloyd International

Project:
New Range of Simoniz Car Care Products

Challenge:
A brand new range under an existing brand, which needed to stand-out in a saturated market and target a very specific audience.

Solution:
Concept for the Simoniz Protection Range. This simple clean design won hands down in the consumer research groups. The shield symbol, synonymous with protection, says it all.

Support for the product launch:
To support the launch we created a Microsite, with a prize draw to WIN The Ultimate Driving Experience! If its before the 31st August 2011, you can still enter, by visiting the website for more details:

www.simonizprotection.co.uk

The range and site was promoted through a series of ads in the motoring and national press over a 5 month period as well as a direct mail postcard.

Press Release: Top Chef at Lewis Street Primary School

PRESS INFORMATION

 

Top Chef trains pupils at Lewis Street Primary

Award winning chef Noel Goudling, who built his career cooking for celebrities and stars including the Queen and Princess Diana, is spearheading a drive for healthy eating at Lewis Street Primary School in Eccles, Greater Manchester.

The leading primary school is running a six week healthy lifestyles programme for all its pupils, which includes the top chef teaching school children about healthy living and cooking. The programme will be running throughout March and April.

His Fun Time Friday session will see teachers and pupils work together to develop a greater understanding of the importance of a balanced diet.

Originally from Prestwich, Noel started his career working in elite European hotels before heading up the kitchens at the Britannia Hotel in Manchester. Noel is now Chief Executive of the successful Food is Fun Programme, a social enterprise dedicated to healthy eating on a small budget.

Noel Goulding said “I want to help Lewis Street Primary work with the local community – and communicate that healthy meals are compatible with tight budgets. I will run a bespoke course for parents and carers focusing on five tips to save money on food and eat healthily – I will show the pupils that healthy food can be fun food”.

It will be the first time a school in the region has dedicated a full six weeks to developing a teaching programme for encouraging healthy lifestyles. The intensive programme will cover topics including Keeping Clean, Dental Hygiene and Exercise. The school will also teach Tai Chi and promote exercise through cycling.

The six week healthy eating drive also includes training sessions with the Manchester United Foundation and a visit for the whole school to have lunch at the Hilton Hotel. The healthy lifestyle initiative aims to broaden the understanding of a balanced diet on a budget across the community.

Dr Tom Manion, Chief Executive Irwell Valley Housing Association, who recently spent time at the school, said “This truly was an inspirational morning. The school is doing a great job giving opportunities to people who otherwise wouldn’t have them”. Dr Manion is working with the school by supporting parent and carers workshops and providing financial incentives to improve behaviour and attendance including funding to help set up a bank account for every child at the school.

Wendy McCormack, Head Teacher at Lewis Street Primary said “We are dedicated to experiential learning through innovation and aspiration and we firmly recognise the link between a healthy lifestyle and higher academic achievement. We will be proving to families that healthy food and exercise needn’t break the bank.”

Lewis Street Primary has recently been awarded the Enhanced Healthy School accreditation and is a Leadership Development School.

 

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

 

Lewis Street Primary School is a well established mixed primary school and welcomes children from the age of three until they leave at the age of eleven. Lewis Street is a ‘hub’ school for EAL (English as an Additional Language) as well as an NCSL (National College of School Leadership) Leadership Development School.

www.lewisstreetprimary.co.uk

Media enquiries to:

 

Hive Manchester

Email: info@hivemanchester.co.uk

Songs of Praise for Hive

As the BBC’s Songs of Praise celebrates its half century this year, the busy bees from Hive Manchester based at MediaCityUK have given the brand a bit of a makeover.

The Songs of Praise format is one of the longest-running TV shows so the re-brand had to reflect the show’s traditional values while giving it a modern edge that would appeal to a wide viewing public. Hive lived up to the task and developed a vibrant new logo with a musical twist. Creative partners Mammoth Graphics animated the programme’s titles, name supers, hymn subtitles and end credits with praiseworthy results.

Creative Director, Edwin Jones said; “The 50th Anniversary of the programme is a unique milestone and I knew we had to pitch it just right, updating and modernising while not upsetting the core audience. We created a logo which subtly reflects the worship and musical elements, with vibrant light and colour which seemed perfect for this long running programme.”

Mammoth’s knowledge of on screen television graphics is second-to-none and together with Hive’s creative input the two made a formidable team.

Phil Long from Mammoth said; “With Hive’s creative ideas and pitching professionalism alongside our knowledge of on screen television graphics I knew that we had an unrivalled offering and so it proved. The feedback from the BBC as well as the viewers has been very positive and we are delighted with the end result.”

In the meantime, the companies are pooling their combined expertise on more Songs of Praise branding projects for special programmes running during the year.

For more information visit:  www.hivemanchester.co.uk

BBC Songs of Praise – Mini Case Study

Client:
BBC

Challenge:
2011 is Songs of Praise 50th anniversary and to celebrate this the BBC commissioned a new logo to be designed.

Solution:
We created a logo which reflects subtly the music and worship elements of this long running programme. The new logo has been used across numerous
applications from the TV graphics, Hymn books, dedicated website and music drops.

Applications:
The logo proved itself to be extremely versatile and can be seen on the BBC’s Songs of Praise website. In addition we also produced visuals of other applications for the logo such as indoor and outdoor banners and commemorative fold out cards.

Have Your Say! – Mini Case Study

Client:
Salford City Council

Project:
Salford Neighbourhood Management Campaign

Challenge:
To raise awareness of the Neighbourhood Management scheme and ensure residents know they have the right to be involved in decision-making in their area. The aims were to encourage residents to attend community committee meetings and to actively contribute to decisions made in, and for, their neighbourhood. The campaign needed to be clear and informative.

Solution:
Our solution to the brief was the ‘Have your say!’ campaign. We featured shots of people from each local community holding the ‘Have your say!’ speech bubbles, giving a clear and immediate message of the intent of the project. The concept is simple, inclusive and very campaignable across all the areas of Salford.

Marketing materials:
As part of the campaign a range of posters, ads, information packs and banners were created. For the information packs the concept was easily adapted by changing the key colour of the pack and speech bubble  to differentiate the areas of Salford. Each set of images also used local people and were shot at locations that were recognisably from each area. This strengthened the core message of ‘Have your say!’ and getting people involved in decision making in their local area.