Known for their flair in disruptive branding and storytelling, brand and creative agency Hey! What? have collaborated with the much-loved South West fried chicken chain to elevate its profile as the brand continues its national expansion.
This partnership marks a major milestone for Miss Millie’s, which has been serving customers for over 30 years and is in the midst of a revitalised growth strategy. Hey! What? has developed a comprehensive brand and campaign that celebrates Miss Millie’s roots while embracing the brand’s modern vision.
Hey! What? delved deep into Miss Millie’s archives to rediscover the brand’s original identity, which prominently featured the Mildred mascot (inspired by Colonel Sanders’ daughter). Recognising that the mascot no longer felt contemporary, the team made the bold decision to retire it, instead focusing their creative energy on crafting a hand-drawn, timeless typographic marque.
Alongside the identity, they have developed a comprehensive design system and more youthful tone of voice which positions Miss Millie’s alongside the more on-trend high street chicken brands in the market.
Read the full case study to get an overview of the full suite of work and the branding process from start to finish.
Bristol creative agency SIM7 has swept the board this awards season, scooping three prestigious international prizes for a brand campaign which ‘redefines executive education marketing’.
The trio of awards, all won for the IESE Business School’s Real Leadership brand campaign, include first place in the Brand Campaign category at the Digital Communication Awards, Best Integration of Purposeful Marketing at the CMI Content Marketing Awards, and a ‘Búho’ award for Brand Strategy at Educafestival.
Each welcomed entries from around the world. Fierce competition for the top spots came from Ketchum, MSLGROUP, Weber Shandwick and a rollcall of other major global agencies.
Says Professor Dr. Ana Adi, Chair of the Jury for the Digital Communication Awards 2024, “IESE Business School’s Real Leadership campaign redefines executive education marketing. Through digital platforms, it boosts global visibility and underscores the school’s core human values, cleverly critiquing the past decade’s ‘hustle’ mindset. This campaign establishes a new benchmark for the future of leadership training”.
Campaign rationale
The brand campaign takes an honest, authentic and human approach which was conceived as an antidote to the clichéd ‘business speak’ creative that has dominated the sector in recent years. Assets include OOH adverts deployed across the world in Europe and Latin America, a major podcast, landing pages, brochures, Google Max ads, campaign videos and more.
Oriol Gil, IESE’s Brand & Content Senior Manager says, “The world of MBA and executive education is changing fast, with a more nuanced audience profile and expectations. SIM7 created a major campaign for us that pushed the boundaries of our brand guidelines and created a completely new strategy”.
Results
By using an authentic narrative and tapping into the genuine concerns and
motivations of business leaders, it resonated with IESE’s core audiences and has delivered substantial results in the form of awareness, enquiries and admissions. Its main campaign video has attracted 3+ million views, and season one of its podcast consistently ranks in the top 30 of the Spotify/Apple leadership and management charts.
SIM7’s Simeon de la Torre is proud of the campaign and the recognition it has earnt, “ As an agency that works with higher and business education clients around the world, winning these three awards is a huge honour for us. We knew from the start that this had to be a campaign with cut-through, and that pure creativity wasn’t enough.
“It was a huge strategic branding exercise that brought together all our skills in messaging, design and positioning, which ultimately spawned something really different with a big dollop of humour and heart”.
Notes
SIM7 is a Bristol-based creative agency that works with clients around the world in sectors including education, property, technology and more: sim7creative.co.uk
Founded in 2017, the agency uses language to empower design and drives growth by creating brands, campaigns and strategy. SIM7 currently employs six people, has increased its turnover significantly in the past 12 months and is set to build its international client base even further
in 2024/25.
It’s that time of year again when we turn our attention to BringYourOwnBold (BYOB). It’s our annual virtual summit for brand, marketing and creative folks that want to elevate your game with sessions designed to:
• Inspire
• Excite
• Empower
Our ethos was to create a summit people want, cluing you up on the latest shifts in your world – empowering you to build better brands and deliver more effective marketing.
When we talk about embracing your bold – it’s not the lazy definition of in your face, being daring or courageous. We’re inviting you to tap into your approachable confidence, your strength, and your unique vision. A bold that’s authentic to you and your brand.
Join us for 2 days of fresh perspectives and inspiration through expert sessions, panel discussions, and insights from people who love to think and do boldly.
You can register here for free access.
Is BYOB for me?
It’s for everyone, but let’s be honest – we’ve got a soft spot for the B2B tech crowd. Our content clicks with brand, marketing and creative folks as we get the unique challenges you’re up against – BYOB is here to help. But our speakers are top-notch, and their insights will spark ideas no matter your industry. So if you’re curious, jump in—the water’s fine.
Werkshop Weekender (formerly known as Werkhouse) is finally back! This year they’re changing it up, and the torch for hosting has been passed on to Halo.
The weekend, where future designers, copywriters, and strategists are given the chance to connect with the industry and get a taste for agency life first hand through a real brief, is happening in Bristol on 16th and 17th November 2024.
Breaking down barriers
As Halo takes over the mantle, they are continuing to dial up the focus on diversity and inclusion. The weekend is open to anyone over 18, no matter their previous experience or education, and all applications are being judged blind.
“We know that university isn’t accessible, or even the right route, for everyone but yet there’s still such a heavy onus on having a degree when trying to move into the Creative Sector. We don’t think this should be the case. Creativity is open to everyone, and always should be, no matter where you are in life or what you’ve been (or are going) through. “ ~ Bryony Greenwood, People & Studio Coordinator at Halo
Werkshop Weekender brings together professionals from some of the best studios in Bristol and Bath, with curious individuals looking to enter the creative industries. Participants are divided into squads to tackle a real life brief from a client in the charity sector, developing ideas and communicating their concepts, with the support of assigned team leaders and on hand professionals.
Studios that so far have signed on for the weekend are:
How to apply
Applications open on 2nd September and close on 1st October, but if you for any reason need more time to finish, please contact Halo at [email protected] and they’ll do what they can to accommodate you.
The Werkshop Weekender team has made it clear; the weekend isn’t for those with experience. It’s for those with an interest in communications, design, and commercial creativity. They aren’t looking for professionals, they’re looking for those with a curious attitude and drive, who want to gain insight into agency life.
“If you’re passionate, if you have ideas, if you’re curious, we want to hear from you. Good ideas come from every aspect of life, and the experiences and the way people perceive life right from day one are what forms rounded ideas. We know life isn’t linear, and your journey into the creative space may not be either (mine wasn’t), so if you have even an inkling to apply, please do!” ~ Bryony Greenwood, People & Studio Coordinator at Halo
Go to the Werkshop Weekender website to find out more and to access the application when it opens.
Bristol creative agency SIM7 has taken home a prestigious ‘Búho’ award for Brand Strategy at Spain’s Educafestival. The agency was recognised for its work creating the Real Leadership brand campaign for IESE Business School.
The Búhos (Owls) are awarded to the best global creative campaigns in the education sector, welcoming entries from Europe, Latin America and the USA. They are part of Spain’s Educafestival, an annual event (20 June 2024) held in the Centro CaixaForum de Madrid.
Simeon de la Torre, owner and creative director of SIM7 says, “As an agency that works with higher and business education clients around the world, winning a Búho is a huge honour for us. And we did it by creating something really different with a big dollop of humour and heart.
“The Real Leadership campaign for IESE has been a huge strategic branding exercise that brought together all our skills in messaging, design and positioning. It spawned a slightly insane video featuring unicorns and gorillas that has been watched over two million times, a hit podcast, billboard ads in Germany and Spain, and more.”
The Real Leadership brand campaign was conceived as an antidote to the clichéd ‘business speak’ creative that has dominated the sector in recent years. By using an authentic narrative and tapping into the genuine concerns and motivations of business leaders, it resonated with IESE’s
core audiences and has delivered substantial results in the form of awareness, enquiries and admissions.
Oriol Gil, IESE’s Brand & Content – Senior Manager (pictured, above) says: “The world of MBA and executive education is changing fast, with a more nuanced audience profile and expectations. SIM7 created a major campaign for us that pushed the boundaries of our brand guidelines and created a completely new strategy. The Real Leadership campaign features an honest, authentic and human approach that playfully mocks the outdated ‘hustle’ culture.”
SIM7’s Búho award was judged by a panel that included celebrated Spanish film director Daniel Sánchez Arevalo, as well as creative leaders from Google, Coca-Cola and Clear Channel. The Real Leadership campaign was scored for:
• Educational value and content
• Developed strategy
• Idea and execution
• Obtained results
Says SIM7’s Simeon de la Torre, “We knew from the start that this had to be a campaign with cut-through, and that pure creativity wasn’t enough. It had to be built on the foundations of solid strategy and an understanding of the sector. This is what our team does best and it’s superb to see all our hard work recognised. On a personal level, it’s been great working on something that my Spanish father can be proud of and talk to his family in Spain about – he’s always been a bit clueless about what I do for a living!”
Notes
SIM7 is a Bristol-based creative agency that works with clients around the world in sectors including education, property, technology and more: sim7creative.co.uk
Founded in 2017, the agency uses language to empower design and drives growth by creating brands, campaigns and strategy. SIM7 currently employs six people, has increased its turnover significantly in the past 12 months and is set to build its international client base even further in 2024/25.
IESE Business School is ranked #2 in the world (Financial Times).
For interviews, quotes and further images contact: Simeon de la Torre, [email protected]
For more information on the awards, visit educafestival.org/2024-edicion (Spanish language)
Creative agency Episode Two have created the identity and packaging design for start-up brand Percy & Pop, who are on a mission to create a more sustainable bath time experience for families.
As a mum to young children, founder Sarah was astounded by the amount of waste they were creating during bath time. With three little heads to wash, the volume of plastic bottles they were getting through felt excessive. Added to this, trying to get the kids to wash their own hair resulted in shampoo being squirted all over the bathroom!
“I’d used shampoo bars myself, but the ingredients weren’t suitable for sensitive kids’ skin. I searched everywhere for a child-friendly version, but just couldn’t find one.”
So, the idea for Percy & Pop was born – shampoo bars, formulated specifically for children. Each bar is made from 100% natural ingredients, with a coconut base that creates an amazing lather.
Personality through identity
Brand identity is the key to recognition, not only in identifying your products in a sea of competitors, but crucially for making sure the consumer remembers who you are.
The friendly, script font we chose for Percy & Pop has been combined with bespoke ‘bathtime’ elements to add extra personality and reflect the product proposition – making it a distinctive and recognisable asset for the brand.
Emotional connections that last
Our Bubblebuddies are the heroes of Percy & Pop’s packaging design.
These beautiful and bespoke, hand drawn illustrations are designed to engage and excite little ones, and win parents hearts through story and education. Building that all important emotional connection as the characters become part of the bath time experience.
The soft colour palette we chose visually reflects how kind to the skin these products are – all made from 100% natural ingredients.
A sustainable story
Everything about the Percy & Pop products has been driven by a desire to create a more sustainable bath time experience and so of course the packaging materials need to reflect this.
Our compact box structures are designed to be re-used for storing the shampoo bars, and the cardboard is Certified Carbon Neutral (using 100% renewable energy and sustainably sourced materials) with vegetable-based inks – so when the boxes are no longer required they can be recycled or composted.
“I’ve put so much love and care into developing these products, this brand is like another baby to me! I love how Episode Two took on that same care and attention to create our brand identity and packaging design, and I’m so excited to be able to share Percy & Pop with the world!” Sarah McKegney, Percy & Pop Founder
This month marks five years since we launched Gather Round. The seed of an idea that started back in 2019 has grown into two locations across Bristol, with plans for more expansion this autumn.
Over the past five years, Gather Round has grown and evolved. Towards the end of 2023, as we took time to reflect and talk with some of our members, we realised that the most rewarding aspect of working out of Gather Round stems from the people themselves. It’s the spontaneous conversations about things you know nothing about, the sharing of ideas, the odd collaborative projects and inspiration from everyone you meet.
With a growing network of 220+ like-minded creative professionals, Gather Round is a place built for its people; soaking up the energy, passion and positivity from the ideas and expertise of other creative folk. A place where work and life tend to blend, rather than balance.
With this in mind, we took a look at our brand strategy and designed a new brand that captures the energy of a growing, diverse creative community.
We enlisted the help of Fiasco and refreshed the brand under the strategic banner of ‘We’re More Creative Together’. The new strategy emphasises community first, and co-working second. Rather than being just a desk for hire, Gather Round is a place to belong and we wanted the new brand to reflect that. Because, unlike other co-working spaces, our members don’t just use the space — they shape it.
With such a diverse offering, we wanted a typographic system that would work hard to carry that message. Pairing serif (GT Alpina) and san serif (Nacelle) gives the identity a nostalgic tinge whilst still feeling fresh and current. When combined, the typography toes the line between creative flair and accessibility.
A bold, confident new colour palette grants the freedom to express the brand in a more playful, energetic way that talks directly to our members and an audience of creatives.
To add a dose of surrealism, Fiasco helped us to create a suite of illustrations that add moments of charm and wit to more functional areas of the brand experience – even the ‘Dishwasher in use’ sign!
Our new marketing materials effectively capture our vibrant programme of public and member events and creative gatherings across Bristol and Bath. Our events calendar reflects our strong sense of community and now the brand does too.
Alongside Fiasco, we collaborated with talented local illustrator Con McHugh to create a series of striking t-shirts for our staff and members. Keep your eyes peeled, these will be available soon.
Sign up to our newsletter or follow us on Linkedin for updates and some exciting announcements coming soon!
Words by Daisy Dobson.
Fiasco Design, an independent brand and digital studio based in Bristol, is delighted to announce several significant promotions across the agency as it marks its 14th year in business. Growing from a team of two to 15, the agency has delivered impactful work for major brands such as Microsoft, Just Eat, Miro, Vertical, and Good Energy.
At the heart of Fiasco Design‘s success is its people; a diverse team of 15 creative thinkers and doers, who are committed to making a positive impact on the businesses and people they partner with. “From day one, we had the belief that great ideas could come from anyone, anywhere. Our work is the result of a collective effort involving teams of passionate, determined individuals. Giving everyone a voice has been crucial to our growth,” says co-founder Ben Steers.
This belief in the potential of all team members has fuelled the agency’s growth and has been vital in allowing those who started as interns and juniors to advance into significant roles, thereby shaping the agency’s culture and output. “Our focus on cultivating an inclusive environment where contributions are valued at all levels has shaped our culture and meant our people stay with us,” adds Ben.
This commitment, along with growth across some key areas of the business, has led to a series of promotions within the agency:
Chris, who joined two years ago as Associate Creative Director from Bristol-based agency Mr B & Friends, has been promoted to Creative Director. Known for his leadership and balanced approach to strategy and creativity, Chris has become an invaluable member of the senior management team.
Julia, starting as a junior designer in 2018, has climbed the ranks to Senior Designer and now steps up as Design Director. Her integral role in so much of the studios output over this time, underscores her professional growth and undeniable talent.
Marj, who began as Studio Manager in 2017, has moved up to Project Manager and now to Senior Project Manager. Marj has been instrumental in developing the Accounts team and nurturing the agency’s culture, now leading the agency’s project work, content offering, and workflow.
To further support the agency’s growth and ensure its financial stability, co-founder Ben Steers will transition from Creative Director to Executive Creative Director, and Jason Smith will take on the role of Director of Finance.
“Despite the challenges of the past year, we are optimistic about the future and new opportunities. These promotions are not just well-deserved; they are pivotal in helping us achieve our future goals,” concludes Ben.
How to use language to foster stronger, happier, more productive relationships.
Words: Simeon de la Torre, SIM7.
The language that an organisation uses in its content, copywriting and comms influences not just how it is perceived, but how it makes audiences feel. It’s a complex, nuanced arena, but there are a handful of golden rules to remember around using brand language that’s appropriate and inclusive.
First up: what’s DEI?
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) aims to make everyone within an environment, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, ability, gender or sexual orientation, feel supported and welcome.
Why is it better to use inclusive language?
According to Deloitte, companies that embrace inclusivity and inclusive language have 22% lower turnover rates, 22% greater productivity and 27% higher profitability. Externally, those companies have 39% higher customer satisfaction.
Rule #1 Avoid certain ways of identifying people
Only use race, gender, gender identity, ability, age, sexual orientation, etc. to identify people when strictly necessary, otherwise doing so can draw attention to something about someone’s characteristics that might make them feel different or excluded.
Rule #2 Use people-first language
People-first language prioritises the individual. This is an especially useful point to remember when talking about people who have disabilities.
For example, it’s better to say ‘a person with a disability’ than ‘a disabled person’. The former implies that the disability is a secondary characteristic rather than a defining one. But as mentioned in #1, it’s best to simply avoid mentioning disability unless relevant or strictly necessary.
There are a few exceptions to this point. The deaf community, for instance, generally prefers the term ‘deaf person’ to ‘person with deafness’. If in doubt, it’s best to ask.
Rule #3 Be wary of connotations
Terms such as ‘sexual preference’ or ‘preferred pronouns’ can be problematic. ‘Preference’ implies choice, and that can create a false impression. It’s best to err on the side of caution and use the terms ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘pronouns’ instead.
Rule #4 Avoid inappropriate references
Try to avoid using terms such as ‘bipolar,’ ‘OCD,’ ‘ADHD’ or ‘ASD’ as metaphors, especially in a jokey context. These are real disabilities and disorders. Using their names to refer to things they aren’t can offend people who have them.
Rule #5 Use gender-neutral language
Yes, you may often use language with a specific audience in mind, but pronouns are generally best avoided.
When making a hypothetical point – ‘if he or she went for a walk’, for example – the ‘he or she’ clause is unnecessary, and including it can make non-binary, gender non-conforming or genderqueer folks feel excluded.
When in doubt or when using a pronoun is necessary, ‘they’ is a good choice. It’s gender-neutral and can be used to refer to an individual or a group, so has all bases covered.
Rule #6 Avoid universal phrases
Jargon is often best avoided and it’s a good idea to think before using idioms – not all translate well across cultures.
Rule #7 Avoid using your group as the reference group
Using your group as the reference group can imply it’s the norm and that other groups fall outside that norm. Terms like ‘non-white’, for example, imply that white people are the norm and everyone else, a deviation.
It’s best to take care when saying…
Guys
This term is best avoided when speaking to or referencing a group that contains non-male members.
Good alternatives: ‘Folks’, ‘you all’, ‘everyone’, ‘team’.
Girls/ladies/gals
If she’s over 18, she’s an adult. And take care when saying ‘ladies’ and ‘gals’, these terms can be patronizing. Good alternatives: ‘Women’, ‘people’.
Handicap/handicapped
Today, ‘handicapped’ is considered impolite.
Similarly, when talking about people with disabilities, avoid using terms like ‘afflicted by,’ ‘victim of’, ‘suffers from’, and ‘confined to a wheelchair’. ‘Challenged’, ‘differently abled’, and ‘specially abled’ are best avoided too.
Good alternatives: ‘Disabled’, ‘person with a disability’.
You might also consider…
Mentioning pronouns
Including pronouns – he/him, she/her, they/them – in email signatures can help non-binary, transgender and other folk feel more included.
Trigger warnings
If you’re going to publish content that has the potential to trigger people, it’s a good idea to add a trigger warning to that content. Forewarning people about potentially offensive content can help prevent causing offence.
Writing for web accessibility
People with certain disabilities can have difficulty navigating online content. We can all help ensure the content we create is accessible. See our designing for accessibility cheat sheet for useful tips.
Keeping up-to-date
Inclusive language best practice is constantly evolving. Periodic refreshers are a great way to stay up to date. Taking a moment to think about how the language you’re going to use is inclusive often goes a long way, too.
To learn more about creating an inclusive brand, visit https://sim7creative.co.uk/ or get in touch with Sim (he/him): [email protected]
Why you need a brand review before you even start thinking about rebranding (and how to do one)
I often find myself being invited to assess a brand identity; the meeting we have might go something like this: The client knows they have a problem and sometimes they’re able to articulate, at least in part, why that is. But, having already gone through an extensive branding process, maybe as recently as within the previous three years, they’re cautious about what should happen next.
There’s understandable anxiety around throwing good money after supposedly bad. After all, something hasn’t worked out with the not-so-long-ago completed branding. There’s also an awareness that they might not want to scrap everything and start again – throwing away what’s valuable (their brand baby) out with the bath water.
And it’s not as if I haven’t been at the sharp end of this myself…
As well as being the brand consultant brought in to assess a supposedly faltering brand identity, I’ve also found myself on the receiving end. I was recently told that a rebrand we’d completed no more than six months earlier, following months of research and discovery, and an extensive design process, was being scrutinised by an agency owner invited in by the company group.
Confident that this was a definite case where the client would have done better to steady their nerves and give the rebrand more time and support, I thought the experience presented an opportunity to write about the subject of how you can achieve a level of certainty about determining what the problem actually is, and the solution that’s called for.
The question is, do you actually need that full-scale rebrand or something altogether more nuanced?
First of all, it’s important to remember that the sort of changes a successful rebrand can yield don’t happen overnight. Chopping and changing things only causes confusion and damages your brand equity. Branding is never a case of ‘done and forgotten’ because you shouldn’t leave your brand to fend for itself out in the wild.
A brand not only takes time to bed in, it also requires you to actively check in on it. Checking-in might include a number of elements such as examining whether the intentions set at the outset are being realised and assessing how the rebrand is landing with audiences. It’s an important exercise because all sorts of outside influences, from the wider economic and cultural, to the sector-specific, will be having an impact on the fortunes of your brand.
But of course, when doubts remain and the checking-in exercise yields more questions than answers, it’s probably time for a brand review.
A brand review is a comprehensive, 360° audit of the state of your brand. It asks a whole range of questions, from those that are external-facing (Has the world shifted? Do you need to evolve with the changing cultural landscape?), to those that concentrate on looking at what’s going on inside your organisation (Have you developed a new service? Has your business strategy or positioning, i.e. where you stand in the market, changed?).
A brand review will help you find out if there really is a problem and will articulate any issues precisely. This means that you’ll discover if a full rebrand is on the cards or whether something more nuanced is called for – a minor adaptation perhaps, or maybe just more time for your brand to become known in its new guise. And, if there is a fundamental problem, it’ll help you determine the direction your rebrand should take you in.
So, if you’re being plagued by doubts about how your brand is doing, particularly if it’s not that long since you last rebranded, or if you’re worried that you seem to head for the drawing board at the first sign of trouble, read on to find out how taking stock and conducting a brand review worked out for one of our clients.
Recent months saw us working with a charity client that had fundamentally changed their way of working, from focusing solely on end-user beneficiaries, to expanding their focus to take in both end-users and service commissioners and partners. Their existing brand identity wasn’t able to accommodate or resonate with these two distinct audience groups.
In addition, the client was experiencing issues with brand application – brand rules were being broken and they didn’t know why. We were tasked with finding out how the changes that were necessary (i.e. evolving existing branding so it was meaningful to both its distinct audiences) could be introduced as smoothly as possible, ensuring the sort of consistency that would build the brand awareness they were after.
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