Gong!

We were very proud to scoop DMA Gold for our fantastic artistic Bentley GTC launch campaign at last night’s Awards Ceremony. 

Much fizzy pop was consumed and everyone agreed that winning feels goooood. 

We are...Gold!

You can see the work here: http://bit.ly/XpEe9p

Well done team, with special thanks to a great client for getting behind the idea. 

Happy Birthday To Me

Pizza Express are the boss of email

A week before my birthday, I got this email from Pizza Express. It's yet another demonstration of them knowing what works in this space. While most brands show the first line of the email in the subject line (usually something dull like 'View email in browser'), the clever beans at PE have made sure that their first line is interesting and on point. 'Happy birthday Lauren - A free bottle of Prosecco to help you celebrate' allows them to keep the subject line short whilst getting the nice offer noticed.

PE also use a clever technique where they substitute images for a mixture of creative HTML/CSS, resulting in a simplified, uber-pixelated email should the images not load automatically. About 50% of desktop email users have images blocked by default and this is a great example of a creative hurdle being jumped.

MapMyRun are a bit rubbish

And here we have an insulting attempt at birthday wishes. This email is full of horrible things. Horrible thing one: 'Hi friend'. Friend? Did you forget my name? They know my name. I put it in the box every time I log in.

Second horrible thing? 'The MapMyRun team and the 11+ million members in the MapMyRun community wish you a Happy Birthday.' I'm pretty sure I don't wish 30, 137+ members (yeah, I know maths) a happy birthday on a daily basis. Perhaps I should start signing birthday cards 'Love from Lauren and my 627 Facebook friends' - just to make it a little bit more about me.

Third horrible thing? They gave me a $10 off voucher. They know that I live in the UK, and if they paid attention they'd know that every run I've ever mapped with them is in London. Rubbish.

Thanks Cara

This made my day a little bit. Ignore the fact that it's addressed to my brother (it's a long and interesting story - promise). This email is fun. You click through to a delightfully tacky video from Cara and the team ('the team' - hear that, MapMyRun? Not 'the team and all their policy holders'). When the video comes to an end, your invited to create one for a friend through Facebook. It's a shareable, lighthearted addition to a complete bore of a product.

Boots - it's all about you, you, you

Seen the new Boots ad? It's kinda sickly. And this email is like the ad. I'm just not that into the way Boots are talking to me. 'Preview our new TV advert!' and 'It's premiere time!' feels self-obsessed, as if they're assuming I'm going to be super-excited about their ad. They're assuming I want to engage with them as a brand. Do they really think I've been eagerly anticipating this for weeks?

Lauren Took

The Greater Good.

I have two confessions to make:

1. I recently finished Sir Richard Branson's latest tome: 'Screw Business As Usual'. In it, Sir Rich outlines his vision - a world where capitalism and philanthropy sing harmoniously together; where profit and 'doing good' go hand in hand; where anecdote and quip replace structure, argument or detail (that's a joke, FYI).

He's called this new vision Capitalism 24902, because that's the circumference of the earth (duh).

2. I'm sceptical about the whole thing. Putting aside the infectious enthusiasm of Britain's most successful entrepreneur for a second, I felt let down by the lack of real information. How does it work in practice? How does it work if you don't have Obama, Mandela, the Dali Lama and an all star cast of industry titans on speed dial?

But then I realised something. What we do at TBCH for our charity clients is the perfect example of Capitalism 24902. 

We work with a number of fundraising departments in a number of areas: one-off campaigns, data and targeting strategies, developing new propositions and so on.

And they pay us. They pay us to do the work and in return we help them generate income that's invested into whatever cause they represent: in this equation, 'the greater good'.

We approach the work in the same way as any commercial client - focusing on a measurable response. It's important that the creative works. 

And if it doesn't, we know why.

One of Richie's points (that I do agree with) is that you can't solve a problem by throwing money at it. Financial injections should act as the fuel for a business 'machine' that works to solve problems - whether that be funding for education, housing for the homeless or a vital suicide helpline.

And this is how our agency/client relationship works. They pay us to do what we do best - smarter insight, smarter targeting and smarter creative. 

And in turn we provide their charity with the injection of income they need to keep running, and to keep achieving some 'greater good'

Capitalism 24902 at it's best I think.

And not an anecdote in sight.

Ali Morgan

My Week in Emails.

Subject line art? I'm over it.

A couple of weeks ago I looked at brands putting cute stars and hearts in their subject lines. Sure, it was a cheap shot at getting noticed, but they worked a treat. Well, check out this disaster from Photobox. You know when someone arrives a bit late to a trend, fluffs it completely and it's 'totes cringe'? Our 'question mark, question mark, question mark sale?' Dude, subject line art is like, so over.

Hey BT Vision, you don't know me!

Hi Lauren! We know you're 23 and female. So what must you love? Twilight! Animals! Sob stories! Cooking! Holly Willoughby! Oh, do p**s off. I've been profiled within an inch of my life, targeted with rubbish and frankly, it's all a bit offensive.

Some of our more senior bods report being bombarded with charity DM as soon as they hit their 50th birthday. And guess what? They aren't happy with being shoved into the Dorothy Donor camp. We need to send the right stuff to the right people, without making them feel as though we've made stereotypical assumptions. See the email here

I don't want to Love, Layer and Laugh. Got it?

This is the perfect demonstration of too many emails, too often. Three emails in five days is a bit much as it is, but with the same subject line and headline? Boring and irritating. "Love. Laugh. Layer." is a rubbish line anyway. Why would clothes make me laugh? And layering? Abercrombie, you clever devils. Why buy one £80 hoodie when you can buy three and wear them all at once? You can see all the emails below, if you can be bothered.

Boring

Go away

Yawn

Less is definitely more.

I've noticed a bit of a trend with John Lewis emails recently. The subject lines are short and intriguing. They're not pushy or personalised. Just three words to whet the appetite. The latest one simply suggests I 'Deck the halls.' That's it. The one before told me to 'Prepare to party'. And who wouldn't want to see their social calender 'ignite'? The word 'opulent' is dropped in confidently, because John Lewis customers are totally sophisticated and elegant and use words like this in conversation ALL the time. At dinner parties. Dinner parties where the wine matches the food, and not just because it was £4.99 a bottle. Check out the email here

Lauren Took

Will you?

Last Friday, I made a Will and signed my life (well, my death) away.

It wasn't the cheeriest experience in the world. I had to think about what would happen if I died before my wife. If she died before me. And who would look after our son if we both carked it.

But one thing made me smile. I was doing it for a good cause. 

Will Aid is a scheme where, every November, participating solicitors give up their time to draw up your Will.

Instead of paying them, you make a donation to Will Aid, which goes towards a number of deserving charities.

It's a lovely idea that benefits everyone: charities get donations; solicitors get good PR along with extra clients; and people like me get peace of mind.

Which made me think. At a time when big business is being pilloried for failing to give back to the community, could this model work in other areas?

Would investors be more likely to open a trading account with you if they knew their first month's fees went to Samaritans? Or how about an option that offered a month of free eye tests, with donations going to glaucoma research?

At first glance, it may not look like it's good for business.

But your business will look good. 

Chris Myers

What's going on?

1. Apple users are hogging the internet - the ever-growing army of iPhone devotees just can't get enough of the internet. They account for 3% of all traffic use - that's a lot of people playing with their phone! Find out more here

2. A lesson from Red Bull - Every marketer in the world must be a little jealous of Red Bull right now. I wonder what drove more engagement; a Facebook app, or dropping a man from space with a balloon on his back? We might not all be able to do something this big, but we can certainly learn from it. Find out more here

3. More coolness from Red Bull - This idea is worth sharing too. Red Bull created a massive Rube Goldberg machine to celebrate their 'free running' athletes. Check it out here

4. Nike create urban art - Nike set up this amazing 'frozen moment' depicting basketball player Chris Paul slam-dunking in L.A. You HAVE to see it. Watch the video here

5. SNCF Lyons to Brussels - French train company SNCF came up with this lovely little idea to dramatise how quick their Lyons to Brussels service is. A simple idea, but beautifully and charmingly executed. Watch the video now

6. First World Problems - This is a hashtag that has been trending recently (#firstworldproblems). Used in a tongue in cheek way to moan about 'problems' that are far from serious, it was only a matter of time before a charity picked it up. Nice work DDB. Check the video out here

7. Acoustic Barcodes - Sounds confusing? It is a bit. Check out this video for a clear and interesting explanation.

Dom Roe

Timing is Everything

As I receive more and more emails from brands, I've come to realise that timing is everything. The point at which you drop an email can really enhance the impact of your message. 

Here are some great examples of both nicely timed emails and brands who've really thought about what they want their customers to feel.

John Lewis

Mon 15th October, 10:12am

This email is like a big hug. From the blocks of burgundy to the pictures of snuggly things to the excellent choice of products, it creates the feeling of 'cozy night in' perfectly. It prompts the reader to imagine their own perfect night in at a time (Monday morning) when most people would much rather still be snuggled in bed, and are looking forward to nothing more than getting home and crashing out on the sofa. Bit cruel, but it works. Check it out here

Waitrose

Thurs 27th September, 11:53am

The strength of this email lies in one word, and that word is 'inimitable'. It shows a level of respect for their reader, that Waitrose know that their customers are intelligent enough to understand. They also recently launched their 'Reasons to Shop' Twitter campaign, where customers were asked to finish the sentence 'I shop at Waitrose because...'. Amongst the responses (see them here) was 'I shop at Waitrose because they say Ten items or fewer not Ten items or less'. Things like this obviously matter to their customer. Check it out here

Pret-a-Portabello

Thurs 4th October, 11:48am

What's great about this 'Bargain Bin Bonanza' is that connects online behaviour with offline. This taps into something which people love about markets, and that's finding a bargain in amongst all the tat. You get the £10, £15 and £20 rail like you would at a real market, prompting customers to act how they would in real life - grab it, quick, because you might not get another chance. Check it out here

Hollister

Sun 7th October, 3:31pm

This email lands in a teenager's inbox on a Sunday afternoon. Imagine you're a preppy teen for a second. Your Sundays might be spent desperately doing all your homework. But then here's Hollister, with the subject line "Relax, this week is going to be totally EASY!". They're reassuring their young readers that week ahead is gonna be a breeze. And. seeing as life's gonna be so chilled, you might as well buy this horrifically over-priced leisurewear to go with it. Check it out here

Nike

Sat 13th October, 7:55am

This message is a great example of how Nike talk to their customers. As with their recent campaigns 'Make it Count' and 'Game on World' (see more here), Nike speak to them as if they're serious athletes. Nike believe that you can do anything, and they'll help you do it. The weather won't stand in your way, in fact, rain is just a challenge. This hits on one of the core truths about running - as soon as you think you're getting good at it, you do it more. They want people to run more - make them feel as though they can do it. Check it out here

Taking the time to think about what you want your customers to feel when they open your message can lead to them to think that they are choosing to be associated with your brand, and aren't just being coaxed into buying something. 

See? Timing... is everything.

Lauren Took

Why am I doing this?

Can you remember the last time you thought to yourself, "What the hell am I doing? This is stupid. How did I end up here?"

No?

I can.

It was on Sunday 7th October, at approximately 10:17am. Let me explain.

Over the last year we've been fortunate enough to work with an amazing little charity called Tommy's. The wonderful charity offers help and support during pregnancy and funds research that attempts to understand and prevent birth complications. We've helped them understand more about their donor base and how their previous fundraising strategies have defined their existing base. We've also created two highly emotive and impactful creative concepts for them to roll out.

But this isn't about all that.

This is about the Royal Parks Half Marathon that the team at Tommy's so kindly introduced TBCH to. As a 'thank you' for the work we'd done with them, Tommy's gave us the opportunity to assemble a crack team of Claydon Heeley 'athletes' (in the flimsiest sense of the word) to run this iconic race.

13.1 miles through some of the most scenic parks in London. Lovely. Joyous. Idyllic.

Painful.

So it was that at 10:17am last Sunday I found myself seven miles into the half marathon, along with 11 other members of Claydon's Heels - 11 other people who are as easily persuaded to do daft things as I am. For the more mathematically astute of you, you'll have already noted that at 7.5 miles I was just over half way - another 6.1 miles lay in front of me. And it was here that I thought, "What the hell am I doing? This is stupid. How did I end up here?"

But despite the pain and the seemingly endless, weaving circuit, we managed to fight the urge to give up. 12 Claydon's Heels were at the start line, 12 Claydon's Heels crossed the finish line. What more could you ask for?

So well done our team. And from all of us, a big thank you to all those who supported us with donations; to Nicola for her excellent Race Night and scrummy Tommy's Tuck Shop; to Kate 'The Bake' for her marathon cake-fest.

We've raised nearly £4,000 for a fantastic cause. It was worth it.

But never again.

(Until the next one).

Top: Jerry, Bec, Richie, Ali, Alex, Steve

Bottom: Muz, Lauren, Eve, Rebecca

Ali Morgan

What's Going On?

1.       Brands on Facebook infographic – a bit of research into what consumers really think of brands being on Facebook. For example, 50% of respondents felt that they preferred the brand's FB page to their websites – maybe not that surprising considering consumers are already experts at FB navigation.  Click here

2.       Twitter feed in a press insert –  The CW Network put a tiny screen into one of their press inserts - the screen plays a promo video and when that finishes, it streams live tweets straight from their Twitter account. The technology isn't quite there - but the idea certainly is. Click here

3.       Painting real life pictures with your smartphone – Crowd sourcing is nothing new, but painting with your smartphone and a paintball gun certainly is. Below is a cool group project where the participant uses an app to move the paintball gun around and clicks to fire their paintball onto canvas. The finished work is then displayed as an example of internet based collaboration. Expect to see more of this sort of thing over the next few months. Click here

4.       The Like-a-Hug Vest – A designer has invented a jacket that inflates every time the user’s social media activity is ‘liked’. The effect is like a hug as the inflated jacket squeezes the user. It's a bit silly but interesting to see people trying to take popular online elements offline. I reckon we might see more of this as people try to live more of their lives offline. Let’s hope the jackets get a bit more fashionable though... Click here

5.       A vending machine that makes you play for your food – simple but sweet idea. New York Bakery Co. set up a vending machine that allowed hungry folk to grab a bagel with an old fashioned claw machine type game. Not widely original but quite a nice little stunt. Did I mention it was placed in the heartland of the trendy Londoners too? Click here

6.       Pay with a tweet – great new way of generating some positive WOM. Instead of paying for products with money, customers can pay with tweets by sending a message to all their followers about the product. It has recently been used by Kellogg’s for the launch of their Cracker Crisps and is a great way to create a buzz. Click here

7.       Facebook release their first advert – According to W&K USA, chairs are like Facebook - I'm not sure I agree.  My problem is that I just don’t think the ad is truthful enough - everyone knows Facebook is predominantly out to make money, so maybe they shouldn't claim otherwise. Love it or hate it? Click here

8.       Using '404 not found' pages for good – Often the simplest ideas are the best. The Not Found project have come up with a great thought that could potentially help people find missing kids. They take over error pages on the internet with a missing child descriptor and a hotline to call if the user has any information. Simple but possibly very effective – move over milk cartons, the worlds gone digital. Click here

9.       Converse CCTV – this is the second time I have seen marketers use CCTV for the greater good (the first being McDonalds). Converse set up cameras in trendy spots across the UK and invited people to perform in front of them. The things that people do range from BMX tricks to football stunts to acrobatics to rapping. It's a really nice idea and an engaging campaign – sort of like an urban Britain’s Got Talent. Love it. Click here

10.   Angry Birds are back – but this time they're the enemy and the pigs are the heroes – shocking, I know. It'll be interesting to keep an eye on the sales of the game. Maybe mobile OS game makers will find it hard to have repeat success with every launch. Popular games seem to rise and fall pretty quickly these days. Anyone still play Draw Something? Hmmm, if only I knew the magic formula for a hit game... Click here

Dom Roe

Customer Comms Round Up

Pret a Portabello: Name your price.

What’s the best thing about going to a market? Haggling for a bargain. In this email from Pret a Portabello, customers are given the opportunity to haggle down prices with a market trader. I had a go, going in for a pair of £65 trousers at £40, then pushing my luck until ‘we’ settled on £54. It felt pretty good. I doubt anyone believes there really is a little trader person sat haggling with you, but who cares?
Regardless of whether or not you’re up against a person or a piece of code, the fact that you’ve bargained down the price of something makes it that little bit sweeter. You’ve worked to get to that price, and now you’ve got there, you’re jolly well going to buy the goods, thank you very much. I think this is a really clever, confident move for this brand, and I hope to see it elsewhere. Click here

Subject Lines that make us :)

Now for another trend I’ve noticed recently - pictures in subject lines. It started out with an ‘ickle aeroplane from STA, then daily deals site Wahanda started sneaking the odd loveheart into their headline. Then there were stars from Tastecard. And you know what? They stick out like a sore thumb.  Like many people, my email inbox has fast becoming a filing system for daily deal sites and various random brands. It’s nice to see something different, and this really cuts through. Here are a few screen grabs to illustrate..

I wonder how long it'll take before these icons become commonplace, and stop having so much stand out? How creative will headline art go? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Think of the possibilities!  

easyJet: As one Summer ends, another begins.

The heating’s on, X-Factor is in full swing, and the air-con's finally started working in the office. It can all only mean one thing – Summer is officially over. But according to easyJet, Summer 2013 starts today!  The reason ‘Summer Starts Now’ works so well is that initially, for a split second, the reader feels uncomfortable. ‘What? Summer doesn’t start now. It’s October. Summer is, like, SO over.’ This initial discomfort makes the realisation of the benefit even more appealing. ‘Oh! It might feel like Summer’s over, but I can get next Summer started today by booking a holiday!’. 
Following this with the ‘release’ of their Summer schedule makes it all feel very exciting, as though the easyJet summer schedule is on par with an eagerly anticipated festival line-up, or a batch of exclusive tickets. ‘We just wanted to let you know..’ isn’t pushy, it feels polite. It’s as though they’re saying, ‘We’ve come up with a bloody good idea for a way for you to save money on your holiday. Take it or leave it.’ This makes the customer feel as though they’re making the decision off their own back. They’re not being given the ‘hard sell’-  just being made aware. Click here

Lauren Took