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

Guerilla advertising is a great way to make unusual, surrealistic visuals and situations that your audience will remember.

After all we just want to be entertained, here is a short selection of campaigns that we class as excellent examples.

*DISCLAIMER: We do not claim to own any of these images and have been re-blogged purely for inspirational purposes*

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.

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

Established in Ardwick in 2006, Hive advertising and marketing agency moved to The Pie factory at MediaCityUK in order to take advantage of the opportunities which might come from being a close neighbour to the BBC.

It’s a move which is already paying off, with the Hive having recently completed it’s first project for the corporation, designing a new logo and idents for Songs of Praise. Owned by Edwin Jones, Hive employs four people and also uses the services of freelancer staff.

He said: “With the BBC moving into the area and Hive looking to move, we thought that the move to MediaCityUK might create some new opportunities for us.

It’s been very good for us location wise and we’ve already been able to make the most of working along side other companies with similar interests.”

Published by Business Week

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.

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

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.