What is brand, and how are brands built? Our founder, Julian Kynaston, answers these questions and more in this no-holds-barred, fast-paced account of how he launched and grew Propaganda into one of the UK’s most successful brand consultancies.
Available now from Amazon and all good book shops.
We’re no stranger to international work – the beauty of Discovery is that it can be applied to different industries, across borders and to any size of business. But our latest international brief has seen the planning team visit the famous cities of the world, including Berlin, New York and London.
We can’t say too much about this latest work (we’re a tease – we know), but suffice to say we’ve been applying our award winning process to a multinational client with exciting plans in a high-stakes industry.
As part of this, vital field work was needed and our Planning Director, Julian Horberry, and Senior Planner, Cynthia Bell, were up to the task. Discovery is an immersive process, which requires us to get to the heart of an industry, sector or trend.
As such, we spent a number of days undertaking research and conducting interviews with consumers, distributors and partners in each city, which will feed into our debrief later in the year. We’ll be sure to update you on progress as plans develop.
Propaganda are here to help you make the most of the spooky season with a Halloween campaign for leading retailer, Ann Summers. During the build up to the most terrifying date in the calendar, a targeted strategy sought to bring the retailer forward as the leading “dress-up” destination for Halloween. Whether you want to be a flirty angel, a vampy witch or a hot devil, they’ve got everything in their dressing up box you could possibly need to bring your fantasy to life.
The campaign photos can be found here, sneak a peak – if you dare…
Lights, camera, action!
After months in the planning, the Ann Summers Valentine’s/Spring campaign shoot took place last week at the iconic Holborn Studios. Having started work to develop the concept earlier this year, it was really exciting to see our ideas coming together. Due to be released in January, the campaign will coincide with the launch of some gorgeous products, providing consumers with the perfect opportunity to get pulses racing and temperatures rising.
If you can’t wait until January, then here’s a sneak preview of the behind the scenes action from the day…
Hot on the heels of Neal & Wolf’s successful Summer campaign, which saw revenue double in the first month of launch, we have been creating their Xmas/Winter campaign to equip salons, stylists and consumers to get ready for the party season.
The Winter campaign invites people to Embrace the Night with Neal & Wolf. Whether they want a luxury night in, voluminous, glossy hair to party after midnight or gift sets for stocking fillers. Neal & Wolf has it all.
As a key sales quarter for hair brands, we wanted to ensure Neal & Wolf capitalised on their compact range of products that satisfy all haircare needs. Plus introduce the exciting new products Harmony Shampoo and Calm Diffuser using Neal & Wolf’s signature scent.
The campaign is supported through in-salon merchandise, POS, sales incentive schemes, consumer competition and social initiatives.
Get ready for the season to be seen and embrace the night with Neal & Wolf. Find it at a salon near you…
This week marks the official 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain – and we’ve been fortunate to have worked closely with our client Glenbrae, producers of the finest quality knitwear, during their official partnership with the RAF Benevolent Fund.
To mark the occasion, Glenbrae have produced a limited edition, official 75th anniversary scarf and are donating £5 from each sale to the fund. The scarf sports the distinctive commemorative ‘spitfire’ emblem which we are proud to have designed here at Propaganda.
We were truly honoured to have met with 2 of the surviving veterans, who shared their unique experiences with us – and gave us the inspiration behind these impactful adverts:
Listen to the veterans incredible stories in these 2 short films that we produced:
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[youtuber vimeo=’https://vimeo.com/133323683′]
This #battleofbritain week we remember all those who served and fought for our freedom. Lest we forget.
We recently told you about the strategic brand repositioning piece we had developed for Glenbrae, makers of the finest British hand-finished knitwear. We’re proud to share with you the beautiful press adverts that we created to showcase the quality and luxuriousness of Glenbrae knitwear.
As the brands key channel to market is through golf pro shops, these adverts are being placed within industry specific publications and focus on the incredible elasticity and sports performance of SPIROL®, Glenbrae’s unique technical yarn.
If you’re a keen golfer, keep an eye out for the adverts this month in Lady Golfer, National Club Golfer, and trade magazine Golf Retailing.
The stats don’t lie: Ann Summers’ Dark Desires campaign was the pleasure retailer’s most successful campaign to date (and arguably their most erotic).
But now it is set to add another title to the list – award-winning. As earlier this week Dark Desires was announced as a Best Marketing Campaign nominee for the retail industry’s Drapers Awards.
As creative and strategic brand partners with Ann Summers, Propaganda created the Dark Desires campaign to capitalise on the momentum of the Fifty Shades of Grey film release in February 2015. But rather than just reenacting the film, we inspired customers to act out their sexual fantasies for real. After all fact is way more fun than fiction.
The countdown is now on for the awards night in November to see if we can take home another trophy!
We’ve been appointed by MagnaColours Ltd, a leading supplier of water-based textile inks, to work on a strategic growth brief, with the goal of growing brand equity and gaining recognition as the world leader in ink innovation.
Following Brand Discovery™, we’ll work with MagnaColours’ unique strengths both in providing training and support, and in creating environmentally conscious inks at the forefront of water-based technology.
Tom Abbey, owner of MagnaColours, said: “We have a wealth of experience and a lot to offer our market; we’re confident that we can realise our potential and become the global leader in the industry. We were struck by Propaganda’s energy and track record in positioning brands for significant growth. During Brand Discovery™, they got to the heart of our business and our market, helping us to build on our unique strengths and areas for development. We feel set to take our business to the next level.”
Craig Harrold, Director at Propaganda, said: “Aspiring to get to the heart of each business we work with is key to the Propaganda ethos: we are excited to be working with MagnaColours, adding to the diversity of the brands with whom we’ve achieved success in recent months. MagnaColours is a strong business with a unique aspect to their work in the water-based ink market. We’re confident that the insights we’ve gathered, fuelled by the ambition and innovation of Magnacolours, will help achieve their business goals.”
Whoever you are, whoever you want to be, Ann Summers has the power to help you Turn It On.
Ann Summers own a unique position in the market. They are a brand that speaks to every woman: across ages, personality and sexual experience. So with Propaganda’s latest campaign for the iconic British retailer, Turn It On empowers all women to be as sexual as they desire.
Like the extra sass a swipe of red lipstick provides, or a great pair of heels that lifts you physically and emotionally, the campaign celebrates individual confidence that starts from the inside but is clear for all to see. Because whether your style is cute and sassy, or a little bit saucy, Ann Summers has the lingerie that ensures you both look and feel unstoppable.
Live across Ann Summers retail stores and online throughout September, Propaganda created the campaign from initial concept through to photography working with photographer, Julia Kennedy.
Nothing is more pleasurable, or powerful than sex.
It makes us feel good about ourselves, both in and out of the bedroom.
We should celebrate it, not hide from it.
But sex goes way beyond sensation.
Sexuality is every woman’s right.
It is yours to own and do with what you wish.
Because when you feel unstoppable. You look irresistible.
It’s time to rise above judgment, and truly explore your desires.
Welcome to a new era of sexpression.
Because whoever you are, whoever you want to be.
Ann Summers will help you Turn It On.
Glenbrae took to the skies this weekend thanks to a special flyover organised by the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
Local residents, news reporters and history buffs gathered at Spa Mill, home to Glenbrae, on Saturday morning to watch the last remaining airborne Spitfire that flew in the Battle of Britain speed over the mill. Flying at low altitude, every detail of the plane – with the distinctive RAF roundel on the underside of the wings – was visible, and the pilot treated the crowd to some impressively nimble turns and a friendly waggle of the wings before disappearing into the clouds.
The flyover was organised as part of Glenbrae’s partnership with the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, a charity which provides welfare support to current and ex-members of the Royal Air Force and their families. The partnership, which will last for the next three years, is of particular importance this year as the charity celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
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To support the charity, Propaganda have developed a unique 75th anniversary crest, specifically for Glenbrae, to appear on a special commemorative jumper and scarf. £10 and £5 respectively from every sale goes directly to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
If you’d like to find out more or purchase your own commemorative jumper or scarf, visit to the Glenbrae website here.
Yesterday we were at Christian Scott Hairdressing shooting the Neal & Wolf Winter Campaign. Due to be released in September in salons throughout the UK and online, and coinciding with the launch of some exciting new products and gift sets, the winter campaign will provide consumers with the perfect christmas party hair styles, offer salons and stylists some great christmas POS for their salons, and not to mention the launch of two exciting competitions for stylists and customers to get involved with…
If you can’t wait until September, then here’s a sneak preview of the behind the scenes action from the day…
[youtuber vimeo=’https://vimeo.com/135359200′]
Propaganda has been awarded a strategic brief by leading independent commercial gas provider CNG, to achieve ambitious growth and position the business for future success. The news comes following a Brand Discovery carried out by Propaganda earlier this year, and will include a refocused sales, brand and marketing strategy, to be launched this autumn.
CNG will be looking at significant growth in the coming years, including an ambition to increase its market share of SME customers to 10%, therefore potentially increasing sales fivefold. Propaganda’s consultancy work to understand customer needs and sector positioning will inform its future strategy and direction.
CNG Managing Director Jacqui Hall said: “Since day one, Propaganda have demonstrated their insight and the value they can offer our business. Through their work, we’ve uncovered the opportunities available to us, which will help us to grow the business in line with our ambition. This is an exciting time for CNG as we look to launch new products and services. As such, we’re expanding our team to make sure we’re ready. We can’t wait to fully unveil our new strategy and branding later this autumn.”
Propaganda Director Craig Harrold said: “CNG are already a success story and we’re excited about being a part of their future growth. Our in-depth consultancy model has proven its worth again, by giving us the insight needed to develop this new strategy. Part of this will be to really elevate the brand in front of key audiences and celebrate their differences in what can be an extremely challenging sector.”
Propaganda’s consultancy model draws on a wide range of sources, to help unlock transformational change in an industry, sector or business. The resulting strategy delivers a proposition that will differentiate CNG from competitors, communicate key messages and attract new customers.
