Dark Angel, the animated film created for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation has recently been awarded yet another accolade, this time at the Kinsale Sharks.

The advertising awards, which were held earlier this month, were attended by some of the most accomplished creative and commercial directors, producers, and agencies from across the world.

Propaganda’s Dark Angel film faced tough competition and was short-listed in no fewer than three categories, short animation, low budget and the international, world winner. Dark Angel received the bronze award for best animation. A panel of eight esteemed judges including chairman, Trevor Beattie of BMB, chose the winners.

Dark Angel was the brainchild of creative director, Mark Williams, who was delighted with the win, he said: “To be recognised in this way is a huge achievement for us. The Kinsale Sharks are one of the most established advertising awards around and we were competing against some huge names, including the likes of Adidas and Ikea. It is great that we can succeed on this scale and I now want us to build on this and continue to work in this way.”

The awards are now in their 48th year and take place in the spectacular coastal town of Kinsale, Ireland.

Watch the award winning Dark Angel film here: www.youtube.com/user/SophieFoundation#p/a/u/1/qW2ve6_BkRA

Propaganda, has cast leading actress, Vicky McClure, in the star role for three launch films to promote up market fashion brand, Illamasqua.

Working closely with Gloss Director, Simon Burrill and Channel 4 TV Series, ‘This is England’ star, Vicky McClure, to produce the two engaging films which clearly demonstrate Illamasqua’s brand messaging of becoming your “alter-ego” by the clever use of split screen techniques, where the actress plays all the characters in the film.

To date, three films have been produced. The first, tells the Illamasqua story with a focus on the brands heritage. The second, ‘Poem’ is a beautifully poignant script by Propaganda, in which the actress transforms into her alter ego through the application of Illamasqua makeup. The third, ‘Vicky & Vic’ is a brief, humorous take on Vicky’s alter egos, with Vicky portraying two versions of the same person having a conversation during an interview.

Julian Kynaston, Illamasqua founder, commented: “We wanted to use young British actresses ahead of models for much of Illamasqua’s communications. We are a British pro brand, whose origins lie backstage with theatre, film and TV and so it seemed fitting for us to use British acting talent. Vicky’s portrayal of skinhead and pacifist Lol in Shane Meadow’s multi award winning screenplay ‘This is England’ resonated perfectly with the two themes which lie at the heart of Illamasqua – self expression and cultural tolerance, and for this reason we wanted her as our muse. Simon and Vicky have done an excellent job of translating Propaganda’s creative scripts into three engaging films that perfectly capture Illamasqua’s brand essence and bring it to life in a really compelling way.”

Mark Williams, our creative director said: “Illamasqua is already established as an up-market cult brand and therefore it was really important to us that the production quality of the films did the brand justice. The result is three engaging films, which have been produced not only to help people to understand the cultural heritage behind the brand, but also to empower people to explore their own alter egos.”

The films are being released virally from September 2010 on www.Illamasqua.com to coincide with the release of the follow up series to ‘This is England’ called ‘Now this is England’ which is currently being screened on Channel 4.

It’s not everyday you get to hang out with Galaxy radio… Well actually, it seems to be a regular occurrence for myself, and John Tague the MD at Seabrook Crisps. Having shown Hirsty and his Daily Dose team (JoJo and Danny) around the crisp factory in Bradford several months ago, John Tague and myself were invited back to the studio to get a taste of the radio world.

Well, this morning can only be described as utterly bonkers! For any of you who tune into Hirsty’s Daily Dose on a weekday morning, you will be able to appreciate where I am coming from. The three of them, all born and bred in Yorkshire, are not only Seabrook mad, but are just mad in general (and I am sure they will agree).

We were greeted at the door by Giles, the producer and Danny Oaks, one of the three presenters who welcomed us with a huge smile followed by…

“Can I just say, I absolutely LOVE Seabrook Crisps, especially Canadian Ham, have you got any?”

This is when John revealed shed loads of boxes stacked up in his car for the team to indulge in… And that they did!

We then entered the studio, which was like walking into an auditorium packed full of stand up comedians. We listened to them banter with each other, read out the news and play a number of tracks. We then got the chance to put on the huge headphones they wear and listen into what goes on, which is pretty ace!

Mid-way through the show, Danny grabbed a bag of Seabrook crisps and Hirsty started talking about Seabrook, their factory visit and how much they loved the crisps. They then passed the mic to John and I for us to join in on the conversations.

The morning was fun filled and we can’t wait to return…Galaxy’s a bit like Seabrook really, once tasted… well listened, loved forever!

Posted by Samara Bott.

Our new above-the-line advertising campaign, which launches today, for our client, The Car People, is set to drive consumers straight to the leading Car Supermarket brand.

Having worked closely with the car retailer for over 3 years and more recently completed a ‘Brand Health’ programme for them, there’s not too much we don’t know about consumer buying habits and more specifically, about buying a car – Red, Green or Blue? Hmmm, decisions, decisions…

But seriously, the research we conducted proved pretty insightful, and the new campaign we’ve created has been designed to drive footfall and increase customer affinity across all channels and to create a distinct tone of voice for the brand, activity includes, TV, Radio, Press and Listings Advertising, on-line Social Media and banner advertising and Point of Sale.

The new TV Campaign has been produced in a case study style and features two adverts, one with a female and one with a male narrative, both focus on the importance of delivering the brands promise of making the car buying process as enjoyable and ‘hassle free’ as possible. The TV campaign forms part of a wider advertising campaign, and the same distinctive signature music has been used on both the radio and TV advertising to provide a clear and instantly recognisable link to The Car People in the minds of the consumer.

Commenting on the new campaign, Jonathan Allbones, sales and marketing director at The Car People said:

“We are delighted with the new creative campaign. We recognise that buying a car is a major purchase for most people, and its important that they get the right information and advice, without any of the hard sell or hassle usually associated with buying a car. The creative campaign is based on genuine feedback we have received from our customers, who tell us that buying a car from us has been a really positive experience and one that they would be likely to repeat. Our advisors are helpful, friendly and knowledgeable, and the campaign created by Propaganda does an excellent job of reflecting this, and our brand promise of helping our customers find their ideal car, in a hassle-free environment.”

Craig Harrold, our client services director, said:

“We have worked very closely with The Car People to uncover the truth behind the brands promise, and our findings have unveiled some interesting insight into consumers car buying habits and The Car People’s customers. The TV campaign has been designed not only to drive footfall to the showrooms and website and increase brand awareness, but also to bring their customers’ stories to life in an animated way, whilst at the same time, reinforcing what our findings have told us, that The Car People, genuinely does deliver on its hassle free promise”.

Check back later when the full campaign will be revealed in our portfolio, or register here to be updated.

One of the UK’s hottest talents and star of ‘This is England’, Vicky McClure, is officially Illamasqua’s new leading lady.

If like us, your waiting with baited breath for Vicky’s premiere in Channel 4’s This is England ’86, airing tonight at 10pm, watch her in action first in our new short film ‘Poem’. Having previously worked with legendary film director, Shane Meadows, and queen of music herself, Madonna, Vicky is the muse and star of three beautiful short films specially commissioned by Illamasqua.

The first in the series, ‘Poem’ has just launched today, is a poignant portrayal of Vicky’s transformation into her alter-ego through the art of making-up.

You can see the video here, and find out why we chose Vicky here.

Posted by Natalie Hargreaves.

Yes, it’s finally launched! After our endless hours staring at computer screens, not blinking for days on end, our work is done (at least until the Spring/Summer campaign). 150 Republic stores woke up in August with a shiny new campaign, including new logo, strapline, window dressings and some impressive cash desk POS. ‘Your Rules Your Republic’ is now live in all stores across the UK and Ireland, so if you’d like a closer look then drop into your local Republic. If you’d like a not-so-closer-look, scroll down to the pictures below.

A massive thanks to all involved – it looks fantastic.

View more of the work here, or read about it here.

Posted by Nicole Leavings.

The 24th August marks the three-year anniversary of the tragic and brutal attack that lead to the untimely death of Sophie Lancaster.

Sophie’s boyfriend, Rob Maltby, who also suffered serious injury in the attack, had understandably kept a low profile until last December when he announced that he was ready to help the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. In June, he created a series of 15 stunning paintings that proved to be a great success and now he has put pen to paper once again.

To mark the anniversary Rob has designed a T-shirt to celebrate Sophie’s individuality, the “fantastical” nature of her style and personality. The T-shirt is available now and it is hoped that on the 24th August people will show their support by wearing the T-shirt and upload images of themselves on The Sophie Lancaster Foundation Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube.

Rob’s used his creativity to design a T-shirt that celebrates “the weird” and speaks out against prejudice and intolerance. “The design of this T-shirt celebrates the fantastical, within oneself and others. It’s all about expanding the mind; just because something’s a bit weird, and doesn’t make much sense, doesn’t mean that it has no right to exist”

Rob aims to evoke hope, faith and anger through his designs. With this in mind, this T-shirt, which depicts a beautiful orchid with a sinister twist, to communicate the support and awareness that the foundation needs to help people understand subcultures and people who choose to express themselves “differently”.

The T-shirts are available to buy now for £15.00 from www.backstreet-merch.com/stores/sophielancaster

All proceeds will go to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation to fund raising awareness and encouraging tolerance and understanding.

And make sure you take a look at the award winning film that we produced for Sophie, Dark Angel.

Having recently completed an in-depth Discovery™ for new client, Republic, there’s not much we don’t know about floral playsuits and skinny jeans right now. And with a targeted above-the-line campaign launching imminently (a first for Republic), the hip high street brand is set to wow the market with more than just its cool clothing range.

The ‘YOUR RULES YOUR REPUBLIC’ campaign has been designed to drive brand awareness and increase customer affinity across all media channels, creating a single iconic brand with a distinct tone of voice that clearly speaks to the core target audience of 16-24 year olds.

Republic currently has over 100 fashion outlets across the UK and Ireland, and the campaign aims to recognise the retailer’s long-term growth plans to increase its number of stores to 250 and to triple turnover to £600m within the next five years, establishing it as a key high street player.

The above-the-line activity will be supported by a fully integrated PR and Digital campaign, which uses various social media channels to engage with, and capture, the imagination of its young target audience, as well as re-educating and influencing trend setters, fashion bloggers and the media. An exciting new direction for Republic, it’s an up-to-the-minute approach for an up-to-the-minute brand.

Jo Molineux, head of multi-channel, Republic, said: “Working with Propaganda has been a truly eye-opening experience; our new brand proposition and campaign perfectly captures Republic’s essence, and the fresh direction in which we are taking the brand. We look forward to working with Propaganda, and to taking the new brand proposition to market.”

Julian Horberry, planning director, Propaganda, said: “Our robust ‘Discovery™ programme had provided us with a rich insight into consumer buying habits, and, in particular, into the needs and aspiration of Republic’s core target audience.”

“Republic is a dynamic brand with big ambitions and our creative articulation of the brand’s new proposition, together with the social platform we’ve created, has been designed to reflect just that.”

So watch this space, and get ready to make your own rules.

Wednesday July 21st
A pretty ordinary day, really.
Got up.
Got the 8.36 to King’s Cross.
Got to my hotel.
Met the actress Vicky McClure, from Shane Meadow’s unforgettable This Is England.

Woah! Hold your horses! (Noise like a scratched record)

Actually, there was nothing ordinary about that day or the 2 days that followed. We had the absolute pleasure of working with Vicky on three films for our make-up client, Illamasqua. Vicky played the title role (actually, ‘roles’ plural, is more accurate – you’ll know what I mean when you see them) in each film.

Make-up was designed and created by Illamasqua’s very own Spob, who had actually turned down a Martin Scorsese shoot to be with us for the 2 days. We shot the films on location in East London and all three films will be posted up here in the next few days so look out for them.

Posted by Mark Williams.

A little under two years ago Illamasqua launched into the UK. Well, ‘launched’ probably isn’t the right word to use. ‘Exploded’ is more accurate. Whilst everyone involved was confident the brand would be a success, few would have predicted how quickly it would achieve its cult status. So we’re delighted to announce that Illamasqua is about to open its first independent retail store in the heart of London.

Nestled on Beak Street, within a stone’s throw of Oxford Street, Regent’s Street and the theatres of the West End, the store will not only provide a physical home for the brand, it will house the new Illamasqua School of Make-up Art. Through a series of professional courses the school aims to equip pupils with the skills and confidence to unleash their alter-egos onto the streets and create stunning after-dark looks. As you’d expect from Illamasqua, the school is open to anyone interested.

It’s a totally unique proposition for a totally unique brand, and strengthens their commitment to making professional night-time make-up available to anyone who believes in self-expression.

The store is due to open in September, so be sure to check back for pictures of the grand opening.

See more our our work for Illamasqua here:
S/S 2010 Body Electrics Collection,
A/W 2009 Dystopia Collection,
S/S 2009 Sirens Collection,
Illamasqua launch campaign.

So… after a few days on the road, up and down the country at various meetings, I’m finally back in the office, camera in hand and ready to tell you what we were up to with the Boost Drinks team on Sunday.

As sponsor of an up and coming motocross team (Proppa.com Honda), Boost asked the Propaganda team along to the 5th round of the Maxxis British Championship at Foxhills near Swindon. Who said marketing wasn’t glamourous!?

Now, to say that Kirsty, Claire and I weren’t really up on the ins and outs of motocross is the understatement of the year, but after leafing through the July issue of Dirt Bike Rider in prep, along we went, with wellies at the ready, expecting a high-octane mud-fest.

We couldn’t have been more surprised at the beaming sunshine and record temperatures, and aside from the sunburn, we had a great day out with Boost and the Proppa.com Honda team.

Both our riders (James Noble & Nathan Parker) put their hearts into all three MX1 races of the day. The mud was flying and after a load of thrills and some spills, plenty of passing and a bit of crashing, they finished in 7th and 14th place overall.

Of course the motocross crowd was out in force, with thousands of fans there to see their favourite stars, so when our riders weren’t busy racing around the track, they were busy signing autographs.

As well as having a jolly from time to time, sponsoring the team gives us the chance to not only increase brand awareness in this high energy sector, but also to get consumers to taste Boost. And since our research told us that once consumers taste Boost they come back for more time and time again, of course we were handing out loads and loads of Boost samples… Sports and Active drinks for the kids, and Energy drinks for the grown-ups – with the sun shining, it’s all we could do to keep up with demand.

In a nutshell, it was a great day of family fun, and thanks to Boost everyone had plenty of fuel in their tanks!

See our work for Boost Drinks here.

Posted by Libby Greasley.