Independent brand consultancy Mr B & Friends has acquired FutureKings, as it continues to capitalise on the rapidly growing demand seen for brand strategy in the SME segment.
FutureKings, launched in 2016 by Executive Creative Director Steven Anderson and Managing Director Ben Mott, specifically develops brand strategy and identity programmes to support ambitious start-up and scale-up businesses. The consultancy has delivered rapid business growth for scores of early stage and scaling businesses through a range of packaged programmes. Today, FutureKings has 10 full time staff based in Bristol and London.
“There’s something almost romantic about this union” said Mr B & Friends Founder & CEO Simon Barbato. “Steve and I first met and worked together in 1995 at Light & Coley in London, and we had discussed starting an agency together before I launched Mr B & Friends. To now have the chance to rekindle that relationship is just wonderful.”
“But let’s be clear, this is a strategic acquisition. We have long been admirers of the work that FutureKings produces for this segment of the market – it’s truly first class, and it’s a segment we’re also active in, having launched our brand accelerator programme Beta three years ago. Our aim is to leverage the FutureKings brand to accelerate this dynamic part of the market, helping more SMEs and early-stage companies to gain a competitive category advantage through brand development.”
FutureKings will retain its brand, team, clients, processes and systems, and will relocate to the Mr B & Friends Bristol city centre HQ to ensure a smooth cultural integration and better adoption of client opportunities. The FutureKings London team will continue their contribution for a transitionary period before opening the Mr B & Friends London office – a crucial element of the agency’s growth strategy.
Ben Mott, FutureKings Managing Director added: “From the first discussion about this acquisition, the mutual benefits and opportunities for both companies were obvious. Steve and I have been looking for the right way to grow, and this deal gives FutureKings the perfect platform. Our mutual ambitions for the future are clearly aligned; growth in Bristol, London and the US, delivering our proven processes to a wider range of SME and early-stage businesses. We’re thrilled we’ve made this happen and are excited about the next phase of our journey.”
This acquisition takes Mr B & Friends to 45 staff following an impressive trading year that has seen the agency grow revenue 34 per cent, winning new clients such as Lego Group, Persimmon Homes, Haleon Plc, Gresham Plc and British Canoeing. And with London now firmly in their sights and a presence planned for the USA, the company is predicting its best trading year of its 17 year history.
FutureKings ECD, Steven Anderson wraps up: “This move is testament to the hard work of the whole FutureKings team and the results we’ve had for our clients over the last seven years. A great strength of this acquisition is that culturally our ways of working are totally aligned as Simon and I come from the same starting place. I’m personally incredibly excited to be working with Simon again and that the stars have aligned for us professionally and as friends. Ben and I couldn’t be more pleased with the exciting future plans and it is exactly the right time in our growth to really hit fast forward.”
Eat Curious is on a mission to help everyone discover new ways to eat healthy and delicious plant-based food, without taxing the planet. They put curiosity at the heart of everything they do. So much so, they’ve built their own vertical farm – a near-off-grid, plant playground built to research how to add even more flavour, nutrition and sustainability to the way we all eat.
As a new player in a growing market, our challenge was to create a B2B brand – ready for consumer rollout in the near future, that stands out in supermarket aisles and confronts the preconception that plant-based food means a compromise on taste.
Following an in-depth research and strategy phase, Fiasco cooked up the brand idea ‘Flavour favours the Curious’. This was driven by the insight that many of us seek out meat-alternatives out of curiosity. Eat Curious serves to empower people to eat better, healthier, and more sustainably.
Unlike some of their competitors, Eat Curious isn’t crusading against the meat industry. Whether you’re veggie, vegan or flexi, it’s time to open the freezer door and feed your meat-free imagination.
Fiasco developed a visual language for the brand that’s full of flavour. Utilising Obviously from Oh No Type Foundry, the brand font is unapologetically bold, with luscious curves and details that are good enough to eat. This is complimented by a colour palette that’s energetic and packs a punch, inspired by the different flavour profiles of their products.
Mouth-watering photography heroes the product, showcasing plant-based foods as a delicious choice in their own right. Celebrating look and taste, playful repeating patterns echo the food’s ‘unreal’ texture and add visual intrigue.
Products are shot individually to be utilised on the website for a playful user experience; with cutouts also appearing across social media and packaging. Colour is used to signify the food type and help create ranges of products that sit well together on the shelf.
Fiasco worked with Madrid-based illustrator, Miguel Angel Camprubi, to push the brand narrative further. A vibrant suite of illustrations reinforce the feel-good nature of the brand and help to visualise the overarching theme of curiosity. Illustrated characters on the site lift the brand off screen and work to position sustainable eating as accessible for all.
Working with the team at Eat Curious, Fiasco are helping with the roll out of the new brand which includes a digital home that’s vibrant, bold and playful. Curious and unexpected interactions drive the brand narrative, whilst a set of motion principles add extra flex to typography and illustrative elements.
“Thanks to Fiasco, We now have a brand that reflects who we are as a company and what we stand for. The entire Fiasco team were excellent to work with and their level of creativity, attention to detail and commitment to excellence has made all the difference. We are confident that our brand will continue to thrive and grow under their guidance and we are excited to see where our partnership will take us in the future.”
Preyesh Patel – Co-Founder, Eat Curious.
“Energy, open-mindedness and optimism. The Eat Curious team have it in spades – and this directly translated into the way we worked together, and the work itself. We designed the brand as the business was taking shape, which gave us an opportunity to use our creativity at every step. A dream project.”
Chris Tozer – Associate Creative Director, Fiasco Design.
You can view the full case study here.
Like many businesses, Stuff has been through a lot of changes over the last couple of years. And this has led us to carefully consider the best way forward for the agency.
We’ve seen a shift in the way clients work with creative agencies, with an increased demand for creative support and expertise and a reduced desire for account management.
That’s why we’ve restructured and gone back to our roots as a creatively owned and creatively led studio.
Our clients still get the great service they are used to, but they’ll be dealing directly with the people that ‘do’.
We believe this creates stronger relationships, which leads to better work and ultimately, better value.
Our ethos is simple – We get creative stuff done.
Our friendly team of hard working specialists use our creative and strategic skills to help brands shine brighter and make our clients’ lives easier.
We work across the three core areas behind all successful brand communications – strategy, development and delivery.
Whether we’re creating a new brand from scratch, refreshing an existing one or delivering tactical campaigns and assets, our pragmatic approach provides realistic solutions with minimum fuss.
You can find out more by visiting our new website – https://wearestuff.studio/
Mr B & Friends has created a future-focused new brand and website for digital learning provider, Sponge.
Sponge provides workplace learning for companies across the globe. They had a strong reputation in the industry for highly creative, cutting-edge bespoke learning content but, following a series of acquisitions, they needed a way to combine a broader range of product and service offerings. Sponge were looking for one compelling proposition that would resonate with a diverse audience set whilst retaining their strong brand positioning. Following a series of acquisitions to grow their portfolio of products, the company was poised for growth and needed a strong proposition to take them to the next stage.
Mr B & Friends conducted research with customers and colleagues to understand the true benefit that Sponge delivered. From here, the agency created an Organising Thought of ‘Unforgettable learning’. Combining an understanding of the way that humans absorb information, with data science and excellence in technology delivery, Sponge engages learners in a way that makes the subject stick.
The brand has been brought to life through a new identity that combines the magic of Sponge’s creative solutions with the logic of intelligence and use of learning science to optimise learning. This emerges through the colour palette – warm, earthy tones for logic, fused with vibrant colours for magic and ever-changing shapes that collide for unexpected effect.
Nathan Crosby, Associate Creative Director at Mr B & Friends, says, “The combination of magic with logic were at the crux of our creative approach. Sponge offers more than a learning platform – they use innate understanding of how humans learn with engaging solutions. We wanted to make sure this balance of cleverness and creativity was apparent.”
The website has a straightforward, easy to navigate interface. Key benefits are called out with opportunities to learn more at intervals throughout. Relatable examples from big name brands demonstrate expertise and impact without intimidating.
In addition to providing a dynamic new brand for customers, the transformation has also become a focal point to bring together the global Sponge team, providing them with one purpose and a unified culture.
Gareth Atkinson, Associate Strategy Director at Mr B & Friends says, “From our first contact with the team at Sponge we could see the value in their category leading approach. Combining creative excellence and learning science, with the support of technology innovation, delivers the holy grail of learning. The one thing their clients need; learning that works. Cutting through the noise and jargon of the category with a clear and relatable promise, positioning Sponge for their next phase of growth as a brand-led business. It was a delight to work with such a focused and ambitious team to help them bring their vision to life.”
Olivia Haywood, Chief Marketing Officer at Sponge says, “Throughout this process, we were determined to make a clear statement to the industry that, even as Sponge grows, our core ambition of creating innovative and visionary workplace learning is stronger than ever. From the start, Mr B & Friends were fellow visionaries: we just clicked. They were true strategic partners, guiding our decisions with creative integrity to ensure we never strayed from this path and, ultimately, delivering a great result.”
Built environment-focussed comms agency MPC has revealed an overhaul of its brand identity, name, website and values, as it launches as Meeting Place.
Established in 2006, the business is one of the sector’s most established agencies, working with clients across the built environment to deliver positive change for new developments through planning comms and public relations.
On the back of several recent client wins, the rebrand coincides with record revenues for Meeting Place across its regional offices, a 28% boost in like-for-like revenues over the last six months, and a headcount growth from 26 to 37 over the last year.
According to Meeting Place’s Managing Director, Nikki Davies, the changes underpin a new direction for the business as it sets its sight on growth across streamlined core services – planning communications and public relatio
Meeting Place’s new website outlines how its planning comms team will utilise public affairs, social value and digital campaign experience in an effort to bring communities together to recognise the potential of the built environment.
And combining its sector knowledge with an integrated approach to PR, its public relations team will shape client campaigns to build awareness and understanding
Nikki said: “We’re thrilled with the outcome of our new rebrand, which coincides nicely with a period of growth across our teams, as we start the year on a strong footing
“Our new values – insight, inclusivity and courage – dovetail with our clearly defined mission to use the built environment as a catalyst for positive change; whether that’s environmental, social or economic benefits.
“We believe our streamlined approach of planning comms and PR will serve as a key differentiator in the industry, and one which champions best-practice and delivers for communities, clients and the media alike
“Whether we’re gaining support for a new hospital in East Anglia, homes for first-time buyers in Devon, establishing a housebuilder’s ESG strategy, or driving awareness through PR – we’re on a mission to use the built environment as a force for good.”
Meeting Place’s client roster, which includes Legal & General and Places for People was recently strengthened following several client wins, including Regal London, Longfellow Real Estate and several solar energy providers. Headquartered in Bristol, Meeting Place has staff working remotely in locations across England and Wales following a move to a flexible working model.
The agency’s Regional Director for Midlands, Western & the North, Helen Goral, said: “Having bolstered our public relations, digital and design offering, our expanded teams will be central to the company’s growth targets this year. Across the region, we have seen a significant increase in demand for planning communications expertise and we are working on numerous high-profile projects which have contributed to a 20% like-for-like revenue increase year on year.
“The range and calibre of our recent wins underpin our ability to deliver return on investment and impactful comms for clients. Despite the recent economic situation, we’re still seeing a lot of confidence across the built environment, with our breadth of services allowing us to take a holistic, integrated view of client needs
“It’s incredibly exciting to be starting the year on a high, with record revenues, project wins and a vibrant new brand. We believe the built environment has so much potential as a force for good and we can’t wait to see what 2023 brings.”
For more information on Meeting Place, please visit: www.meeting-place.uk
Just 4 months on from the launch of AgencyUK’s awareness campaign, Our Future Health has surpassed the significant milestone of 150,000 volunteer sign-ups.
Our Future Health aims to become the UK’s largest ever health programme, creating a 5 million strong database of adults to enable new ways to prevent, detect and treat human diseases.
Information will be collected from millions of volunteers across the UK to create one of the most detailed pictures of public health we’ve ever had.
By analysing this data, researchers hope to unlock new ways to detect diseases at an earlier stage and identify demographics that are most at risk.
Volunteers are asked to complete a consent form and a health and lifestyle questionnaire before arranging an appointment to collect a small blood sample, where they can receive feedback on aspects of their health, including blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
AgencyUK have been working with Our Future Health since their public launch, planning and executing targeted marketing campaigns in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Huddersfield and London aimed at raising brand awareness among the general public. The campaigns leverage creative and messaging that references specific health challenges most commonly faced by the population in each region.
They have been activated across multiple digital channels including social and advertising, as well as out of home with the aim of reaching a broad audience across a range of demographics. Out of home placements have included public transport, print and digital posters.
“We are really pleased with early results of the AgencyUK campaign, and we are seeing great levels of engagement across the various formats and platforms. The out of home executions have been high-impact and well targeted in support of our regional hubs. All of this has been delivered at pace and always with an eye on our next location. AgencyUK has added a lot of value to our communications activity as well as being a really decent bunch of people to work with,” says Peter Wilson, Strategic Communications Lead, Our Future Health UK.
“We are delighted to have been part of hitting the first milestone and that the programme is on track for building one of the largest health databases in the world, but we are just at the beginning and there remains a lot to do. Maintaining a high level of national exposure over the period and using creativity to maintain the public interest will be the challenge, but it’s one we’re prepared for,” says Amy Mansourpour, Director, AgencyUK.
The impressive milestone comes just 6 months on from the programme piloting in four Boots pharmacies, and two months since the first regional hub was opened in Leeds.
Since then, hubs have opened in Birmingham, Bradford, Huddersfield, London and Manchester, with national expansion into more areas in local Boots pharmacies planned this year.
For more information on the programme, including how you can volunteer to take part yourself, go to www.ourfuturehealth.org.uk.
Read the full article here…
Initially trusted by Frog Capital to conduct due diligence, as part of the Series A investment round our role then transferred into that of an interim CMO post-investment. During this time we conducted a thorough repositioning of the brand to support the growth ambitions of the business and new investors, whilst helping to build the team and recruit a permanent CMO.
“We’ve been working with Talisman Sparro for over a year now, and they have become an integral part of the Clue team. Initial engagement was to develop a high level marketing strategy to support us through our investment round and prepare for the scale up journey. The output highlighted the potential for Clue, swiftly progressing into a brand programme and a series of workstreams which included an interim CMO role. I have personally enjoyed building a positive relationship with the team and it’s been a really collaborative and productive process that has bought the whole business together and gives us a fantastic platform for global growth.”
Clare Elford – CEO
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Beet It Sport is the most trusted natural supplement of the worlds sporting elite. It is backed by science and has been used in over 300 published medical and sports performance research papers.
They have carved out a space for themselves as the go-to brand for elite athletes and sports nutritionists, but their performance enhancing product range is equally effective for aspirational and recreational sports consumers – and they could see that this was a rapidly growing market.
With several well-known brands already in play, Beet It Sport knew that they needed a brand identity refresh and packaging re-design to help upweight their sports credentials and really own the benefits of Beetroot’s natural nitrates.
“This is such a unique product, being both natural and scientifically proven. So, a key challenge for this sports packaging design refresh was to strike the right balance. The final design truly embraces Beetroot whilst incorporating cues from the sports category which ensures consumers know this is a serious sports nutrition product they can trust.” Rikki Payne. Creative Strategist at Episode Two creative design agency
We are absolutely delighted to announce that Wilkinson Sword has chosen Activation to create their in-store activation campaign for 2023.
Wilkinson Sword is an iconic British brand with a heritage spanning over 250 years, and we were thrilled when they decided to move forward with our striking campaign idea, “No More Hairy Moments”. The campaign launches in stores in January 2023, after extensive development through 2022, and will run throughout the year.
The “No More Hairy Moments” creative platform is purposefully bold, brave, and disruptive to seek attention when it matters. Its goal is to make Wilkinson Sword relevant in situations/events where they would not generally be linked and stand out in these moments in stores.
The creative is unlike anything the brand has done before. The goal is to draw customers’ attention both in-store and online, encouraging them to purchase Wilkinson Sword products and enter the promotion.
This year-long campaign will come to life across many key seasonal events, including Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and more, across multiple retailers. Each activation highlights a ‘hairy moment’ that the customer might want to escape from and we have partnered with travel brand Secret Escapes to provide the perfect prize. Each activation offers up to 5 entrants the chance to win £1,000 worth of Secret Escapes credits to plan their ideal escape.
The campaign kicked off in ASDA stores where customers have the opportunity to escape the New Year’s resolutions. ASDA shoppers can see the campaign both in store and online and enter the competition via www.asda.com/win. Future activations will be available across the major grocery and high street retailers so keep an eye out!
Building communities of global thinkers and explorers around the world, Bayswater combines two of life’s greatest adventures: education and travel. Bayswater is an international educational provider on a mission to educate and inspire the next generation through a life-changing educational experience.
Following their acquisition of Eurocentres – a renowned language school, and opening new campuses in locations around the world, Bayswater approached Fiasco Design with the brief to capture their progressive outlook on education; to challenge the status quo; and design a visual brand that is fit for the expansion of the business.
“We were tasked with developing an identity that is dynamic, progressive and optimistic, a fresh take for an educational brand. Harnessing the spirit of adventure, the brand idea celebrates travel and Bayswater’s global community.” – Ben Steers, Co-founder and Creative Director, Fiasco Design.
A suite of bold, colourful patterns are the backbone of the visual identity, reflecting the vibrant and diverse community taking a bold leap into new experiences. Whilst the brand palette and typographic system works to capture the aspirational and energetic tone of the brand.
The logo with its coloured pathways represents students of different backgrounds following their own unique pathway; uniting in the Bayswater community to be a part of something greater.
Typeface Fann Grotesque helps to ground the playful visual identity, giving the brand name a characterful, yet trustworthy feel. A reassuring nod to parents.
Meanwhile, photography is intended to feel active and optimistic. Celebrating individual personalities, the imagery is inclusive of a diverse global community of students.
The end result is a spirited brand that inspires the next generation to embark on the educational adventure of a life-time.
“We established Bayswater in 2017, but after rapid expansion and the integration of a variety of legacy industry brands, we wanted a reset and to double down on the Bayswater name with an exciting new brand canvas. It’s been great working with Fiasco on our full rebrand. We have appreciated the process, it’s been very collaborative and it’s very exciting to see the new look come to life across so many different platforms and formats.” – Stephan Roussounis, Founder and Managing Director, Bayswater.
You can read the full case study here.
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