As we hurtle full steam towards 2020, Carl Steer takes a look back at the year in full-on, Top of the Pops style.
January
Planning, pitching and Pub In The Parking. We hung out with Will Young and an assortment of chefs and media, providing a teaser of the deliciousness promised at the eight-date festival series.
February
We welcome two additions to the Switched On squad, in the form of a new client and a new Account Director. Ecclesiastical bring us on board to handle their Movement For Good awards (more on that later), and we also sign-up the excellent Laura Gale (now Hunt, more on that later too).
March
We make boozy eclairs by teaming up Slingsby gin with Maître Choux. They become an Instagram hit and sell out. #Sweet.
April
What travels 800miles, holds 500 fluorescent piggy banks and visits London, Cardiff, Manchester and Edinburgh in one weekend? Why, that’s us. As the pre-planning for the start of Ecclesiastical’s Movement For Good hits full swing, our photography, that will eventually include shots in front of the iconic St. Pauls Catherdral too, kicks-off around key landmarks across the country. Notably Cardiff Castle, Manchester’s St. Ann’s Square and Edinburgh’s Castle Street.
Sleep? Nah, who needs it.
May
May ushers in a what a football commentator would call ‘a brace’ of new appointments, as we are hired by Mercure to showcase their Brighton property following a multi-million pound refurbishment and by Taj Hotel Group to oversee their London portfolio of luxury properties.
Laura Gale also becomes Laura Hunt as she gets married and goes on honeymoon for what seems like six months.
June / July
Pub in the Park clocks up its fifth event of the season and we add another string to our team’s bow as Courtney Smith joins as Account Executive.
August
Remember sleep? Turns out it’s VERY important.
We happened to notice that sleep (or lack of it) was making the news agenda a fair amount and we came up with the “Zzz-List”, a specially curated library featuring 30 titles carefully selected to aid a peaceful night’s rest, available only to guests staying in the club rooms and suites at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane.
Dreamy.
September
Another month, another new client win as we partner with The Source Bulk Foods helping them bring its zero waste shopping revolution to the South Coast for the first time.
Associate Director Chris Warr heads to Dubrovnik, or “Kings Landing” as he insists on calling it, and all he has to show for it is one image of him sitting on a plastic iron throne you could find in the Trocadero.
October
Our very own Junior Account Executive, Ana Radhanauth, graduates from Bournemouth University. Thats not a surprise, because she’s great. However, her somewhat glib admission that she “doesn’t really like music” sends halloween tinged shockwaves through the office.
November
Gold. Always believe in your soul. Also, your ideas.
We were delighted to pick up FOUR gongs at the CIPR PRide Awards in November – including THREE gold awards for our work with Ecclesiastical and the Royal British Legion.
But this month didn’t allow us to take our foot off the peddle and celebrate for too long, as we oversaw no less than EIGHT Christmas related events on behalf of our clients.
Sleep being important update: 50/50
December
It’s always good to end the year with good news and good friends.
The former took the shape of VisitBrighton, a client we have worked with for three years. And, following a competitive re-pitch, one we will be continuing to work with going into next year, we’re pleased to say.
The latter was our yearly Christmas pilgrimage to foreign climes to celebrate as a team. Valencia hosted us for 24 hours of paella, sangria and more than a couple of attempts at impromptu flamenco dancing.
No one is giving up the day job.
If you’ve read on this far, thank you. You’re a hero.
2020, we’re ready.
