Wisdom Cannell Design's Blog

Lies, damn lies and the bad old days of ads

2012-02-15T12:31:00.000Z

As a child blighted by smoke from cigarettes, and as a schoolchild being made to design fictitious cigarette packs in Mr Brown's art class, it now pleases me how the world of consumers and pressure groups has changed the way we advertise and portray many products. It seems total honesty is now a prerequisite for brands.

We are not quite there yet. I still witness misleading statements in our TV ads we all sit through whilst trying to enjoy the programmes we set out to see. You just KNOW that a kitchen wipe doesn't cut through baked on grease as if Moses has parted the Red Sea with no more than a gentle swoosh yet still it gets past the sensors. Just tell us its probably the best cloth pound for pound, and I am MORE likely to buy it. I like to think we can smell BS a mile off.

And what of the people on the 'We Buy Any Car' advert - looking absolutely ecstatic with their 'deal' and catchy jingle? I was offered less than half my car's market value when curiosity got the better of me - all that passed over my face was a look of incredulity.

The best way of attracting customers HAS to be treat them with respect and be honest is what I say. As I hinted earlier, it's not all bad news - the strongest change in the rules of advertising cannot be better demonstrated than by the two images on this post. How far we have come in certain sectors. How far we have to go in others.

Pictures more powerful than words

2012-02-13T20:17:00.003Z

As graphic designers we are more than aware how imagery plays a major part in communication and getting messages to the marketplace. Woe betide those that bypass this rule. When building a snowman (we named him Steve) I chose to photograph him with my iPhone at key stages of his life. In just three images and a little accompanying text it visually shows the stages of our existence as humans only too well! If text alone how many well chosen words would have been required? Thank you Steve.

These and more general enjoyment on our Twitter account @wiscan

A little bit of Twitter (and it's cheep!)

2012-01-24T14:36:00.000Z

Twitter has been a mammoth-sized social media network from its conception and the company does not look to slow down any time soon.

We at Wisdom Cannell Design keep our clientbase informed of progress, new creations and our activity by way of our @wiscan Twitter Account. (see for yourself).

There are many reasons using twitter can be great for business but here are our top 10:

1) It is free to use and easy too! Signing up takes just a few minutes and using it takes the same amount of time but you can get lost in the moment of browsing profiles and “following” people. Any PC or cell phone can be used when on the social site.

2) It is one of the most basic applications to use. It uses the lowest possible common denominator for every single language: the internet protocol. Using ones and zeros allow this site to be one of the most simple to use in the world.

3) Out of six billion people, four billion have some sort of communication device that is Twitter ready. Of course, you have those remote areas of the world that were never wired for electricity and even plain landline phones now have cell phone coverage. There are hardly any spots on earth that can’t be Twitter-reached.

4) Twitter uses an open source code that is readily accessible to computer-inclined people who develop applications for cell phones or PC’s. There are at least 70,000 apps so far and that number is only getting bigger. These people have learned that with Twitter’s continued success, theirs will only grow.

5) It is much easier to spread a message in seconds than using a system that takes longer. You can reach out to millions of people in a matter of key clicks.

6) It is who you know not what you know. Twitter has a super-advanced search that makes it easy to locate people who may help your business grow. Then those people will know people and so on. It is an endless cycle that is sure to increase your business. There are celebrities, politicians and business moguls like Donald Trump and Elton John.
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7) It is diverse in every way making it outperform most of its predecessors and so forth.

8) Twitter is an “uber-sized” platform for media. You have to realize that every single “tweeter” is a part of at least one other media network.

9) Everything that happens is in real-time. Stories, news, rumors and ideas spread like wildfire faster than the speed of light. Combine that with Twitter’s massive media status and information will flow like the waters of the Nile.

10) It is the largest bridge of social media in the history of the world’s communication network.

See how we can devise Twitter as part of your marketing strategy. Call us today on 0845 2382383.

Web site? It's Child's Play!

2012-01-10T18:03:00.000Z

Jo and Tina of Little Legs Nursery

Little Legs Nursery & Pre School have now had their website that we created for them for just over one year and we see they are using the CMS (content management system) to its full advantage. They add fresh content to their news pages and the gallery to keep parents up to date and demonstrate what a fantastic nursery they have between Billericay and Hutton, Essex.

We took the first batch of photos to create the site and since then Jo Callaghan, Tina Lassman and the team have done very well in capturing all the fantastic day to day activities that go on in the nursery.

So if you have a moment to visit this website and discover it's nooks and crannies for yourself, we are sure you will be impressed with a site that looks like the children themselves have had input in its styling! Have fun, and remember don't eat paint!

www.littlelegsnursery.com/

2012 - Going, going, gone.

2012-01-03T15:37:00.000Z

As another year starts, it's OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW. We at Wisdom Cannell Design supply photolibraries with creative images and the irony of the phrase above is very apt for some content on the photolibraries. The image we created of 2012 drawn in the crisp white snow in the field outside during last year's cold snap has had it's own little flurry of sales activity just recently.

But ironically this image is bang up to date, but it's also just a few days away from retiring, just like those marked down calendars in all the shops.

So spare a thought, for the foregoing 2011, for the image of 2012 and for all those who are busy preparing for 2013.

http://www.dreamstime.com/snow-2012-new-year-image22129229

Christmas Break

2011-12-20T16:03:00.000Z

We would like to wish all our customers a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years :)

Last day of creativeness for us is Thursday 22nd December 2011 at 5pm and returning even fresher and more inspired on the 3rd January 2012 at 8am. That's the plan and we are sticking to it.

Have a good one! Right, still some days to go….

Christmas cheer

2011-12-15T11:21:00.000Z

It's great being involved in the design industry at this time of year. We are into aesthetics and they come a plenty at this time of year - mostly to sell product, sometimes product we don't actually need.

Thats why it's refreshing to be commissioned to create a branded Christmas cartoon, just to give out season's greetings, and sincerely thank a client base for their custom during the year.

My children are at school using pens and pencils, making Christmas cards and decorations, and for those who choose a part in illustration or design, this doesn't end with our school days, it's for life AND Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all!

...So this is Christmas... and what have you done?

2011-12-05T14:52:00.001Z

We had every intention of erecting a standard Christmas tree here in the office, but our creative minds got racing and a spot of typography and branding went into ours.

We figure that makes it by definition, a 'designer' Christmas tree?

It's probably a good time to wish all our lovely clients a happy Christmas and extend a welcome for you to pop into the office for a cuppa and choccy* biscuits (Cadbury's).

And if you are are one of our top, top clients, a visit from Father Christmas (not 'Santa' - that's a brand we do not prefer) is very likey.

Rob and the team x

Perrywood: The image of Christmas!

2011-11-30T09:24:00.000Z

Sometimes seeing is believing, and believing turns into action.

We recently undertook some 360˚ imaging for the highly successful and highly visitable (is that really a word? : perhaps in this case, yes!) Perrywood Garden Centre in Inworth near Tiptree.

The Christmas gifts and decorations currently on display are amazing and we were commissioned to capture some of the beautiful displays' glory to further whet the visitors appetite and get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

The 360˚ VR files we capture are a sequence of high res images that are seamlessly blended to produce a virtual reality where the visitor can pan around, zoom in and zoom out.

So isn't time you zoomed into Perrywood Garden Centre too? Highly recommended.

See Perrywood here!

Jason completes City of Norwich Half Marathon!

2011-11-29T11:16:00.000Z

Our Jason (Besty) recently ran in the competitive City of Norwich Half Marathon on the 27th November 2011 in support of Macmillon Cancer Care.

Jason says "I ran the race in 1hr 42mins and 35seconds. This was the 547th fastest time, out of the 2200 competitors that completed the race.

I was very happy with this achievement as I had to battle through injuries that were picked up during the race, to complete my first race at this distance."

He's suffering a little with his heal, so well done Jason and hope the heal heals - hey?!

In search of Cheshire cats and happy bunnies...

2011-11-22T08:45:00.000Z

Every so often we go through our emails and uncover some of the praise we get and we would like to share this with you. It's really what makes us tick. And thank YOU.

So - enjoy (literally it seems!):

Thank you all very much. The stand looks great. Neil and Ismael also liked it so we are all happy bunnies. Kind regards and thanks again.
M. Bash, Body Clock Healthcare (large international exhibition stand design).

"We are doing really well in Bluewater and having an amazing response online".
S.Glashan, HugAPet (brand, website and stand design).

"You are totally worth your weight in gold. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
O. Hooper, Phoenix Commercial (brand and logo design).

"I have attached photos of the two shows we have just done using your graphics panels that everyone was impressed with. Thanks for your help on these."
P. Jones, Lasermet (exhibition panels)

"I am very pleased with all your efforts."
M.O'Donovan, Merlin Airways (advanced website design)

The rest is brilliant - you're obviously on a roll! ('Cutting Edge' & 'Land of' are really just the job)
A James, Second Sight Productions (Catalogue, Adverts and DVD Case design).

"I think it's a great piece of work; really pleased with it Will ask for feedback from the team, but for my part, its perfect."
A. Chilton, Floralis (animated skyscraper adverts).

"Awesome Rob"
M. Rogers, FTSS (interior design of boardroom).

"Just a quick note to confirm that the Leaflets arrived earlier and they look really good, so many thanks for all your efforts and creativity in putting this together, by the way the print on the ones I have looked at look have real impact, thanks once again."
K. Pratt, Atlantic Print Solutions (design and print of brochure).

The design work has been magnificent. I have merely implemented your excellent ideas and I appreciate your skills very much. I am looking forward to finishing the whole thing off and starting the next one!!
J. Bash, Body Clock Healthcare (website design).

"Thank you so much for your hard work, effort, patience, creativity, sense of humour and professionalism in helping to make IBC10 such a success for Netgem. I know it has not been easy. However, I hope you are as proud of the results as we are."
V. Vigar, Netgem (stand design).

"Just seen the pics of the coloured in version, truly unbeleivable ! so much better than I could possibly have hoped for, your a bloody genius. Thanks so much.
A. Ekins (product design and visualisation).

"Can you pass on my thanks to Jason for the artwork he's done for us over the last couple of days. I'm impressed. It's good work and he's on the on the ball. Also given that I know I'm not always the easiest to get hold of with my responsibilities in PR it's good that he chases me up."
K. Woodyatt, HSBC (corporate design).

Pencil-case genius

2011-11-21T08:35:00.000Z

Credit where credit is due. I saw this rather appealing poster whilst enjoying a pint in the Queen's Head in Maldon on Friday night, and it struck me how nice this home-grown poster was. The essence of Christmas and crafts I feel are is captured in its execution. It has soul, which is perhaps the hardest element to capture.

I took me back to the days before computers and Photoshop, when talent had to be present to make your way through this world. This is the kind of 'one off poster' I used to create for my school, Billericay Town Football Club, and local charities. The poster pictured is as good a solution to publicise the Fayre than any created on £1000s of kit. All achieved with little more than the contents of a primary schoolchild's zip up pencil case. Genius.

So, unknown creator, well done, nice work and good luck with the Fayre! Cheers!

Flatter or deceive?

2011-11-18T09:03:00.006Z

Treat or trick?

My mother bought my son a rather nice chocolate cake for his birthday. At a glance the packaging promised that gorgeous Cadbury's taste.

The cake was nice, but I couldn't fathom out why they hadn't used their chocolate on the top. Hey ho. It wasn't until I was putting the box in the recycling that I realised Tescos had been up to their games. The game? Convince customers right up to the point of almost trademark infringement that the product is in fact one of the big brands. And would the original brand ever sue the Supermarket. Don't bite the hand that fed.

How easy it is in this case. Nab the Cadbury purple, nab the Cadbury style flowing script lettering. Hey why not even plonk in the Cadbury oval for good measure?! All set. Cue the busy shopper, the partially sighted shopper, the distracted mum.

As a designer I see the values in brands that are built up over 100s of years, a trust in product, and a brand loyalty that breeds automatic familiarity with colour and packing style. All copied in moments by those who would be king.

So watch out, all that glitters in not gold. Legally speaking in my personal opinion, not in the opinion of Wisdom Cannell Ltd. Of course.

Foresight newsletter big hit

2011-11-15T14:44:00.000Z

Just published is the second issue of Foresight that Wisdom Cannell Design have created. Foresight is the student update published by The College of Optometrists in London. The colourful newsletter welcomes back second year students and reminds them of the benefits of membership along with other news and case studies. This follows on from the First year newsletters that welcomed students to the college for the first time.

Our team is fast at the production of newsletters and would be pleased to help create or take on any pre-existing newsletters. Please contact us on 0845 2382383 to discuss.

Point of sale packaging

2011-11-14T08:33:00.000Z

Body Clock Healthcare sell a number of successful TENS machines that we have designed the packaging for. The image below shows the 'Femme Elite' in Lloyds Pharmacy last week. Its always rewarding seeing your design on the high street and they compete for attention with some of the best know brands in the world. Body Clock now have product placement in Boots the Chemist and they are going from strength to strength. The TENS hire pack is another of our designs and we hope to get a shot of it in Boots very soon. Watch this space!

TENS pads are placed on or near the area of pain. Soothing pulses are sent via the pads through the skin and along the nerve fibres. The pulses (controlled by the user at all times) suppress pain signals to the brain. TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) also encourages the body to produce higher levels of its own natural pain killing chemicals called Endorphins and Encephalins.

So now you know!

Never forget

2011-11-11T08:09:00.002Z

Don't Forget we can design personalised Christmas cards from just 60p each!

2011-11-10T16:00:00.001Z

Design classic or kitsch?

2011-11-10T10:23:00.000Z

We at Wisdom Cannell love great design. We build longevity into all our brands.

Globemaster strong iconic design cannot die

Sometimes high fashion, 'of the moment' designs come at a price, and inevitably fall out of favour when that particular fad has passed. I have just bought a soda siphon for the office which I feel underscores the fact that fashion sometimes travels in 20-30 year cycles. Take the Mini, Beetle, Fiat 500. The retro style soda siphon once a symbol of all that was kitsch and bad taste, is now the height of retro cool it seems.

The Sparklets Hostmaster is the soda syphon most people are familiar with. Its profile suggested up to the minute modernity in the 60s. Used as a prop in many 70s dramas ensured it became it became a symbol of 70s kitsch. The Globemaster was the ultimate party soda syphon. It took two sparklets bulbs, so it would last twice as long without a refill. The garish colours are now filtering into the high end kitchen stores and are again attractive to the eye. Have pastels seen their day (once more?)

Our Globemaster pictured was the most expensive soda siphon in the range. Its ball shape fitted in well with a modern house. Now it graces our window sill at Wisdom Cannell Design. Whatever next?

Pets that generate smiles all round

2011-11-10T09:44:00.001Z

It's always rewarding to hear how Wisdom Cannell Design's considered branding and product placement helps achieve speedy results for our clients. The loveable Hugapets Pillows soft toys that magically transform from a cuddly toy to a must have pillow is proving irresistible to children and adults alike.
Communicating this metamorphosis to the customer was key to success.

It's a Pillow - it's a Pet! The pets go online

Sarah Glashan of Hugapets comments in a recent follow up email "Good news is that we are doing really well in Bluewater and having an amazing response online."

We developed a brand logo featuring some core USPs of the toy - namely the pillow silhouette, the paw, and a heart shape, all brought together by the colour of passion: Red.

The stand theme conveys the transformation strongly and allows people with the shortest attention spans to 'get' the proposition in moments.

The website features strong product photography, again all completed here at Wisdom Cannell Design.

In fact so irresistible are the toys I have become a customer too, the Panda and the Pink Poodle.

It's coming into pantomime season, and everyone loves a happy ending. Make sure you check the pets out and see if anyone you know would love one too? http://www.hugapet.co.uk/

Marketing - to the power of QR

2011-11-09T13:27:00.001Z

Flourel move with the times and adopt a QR code to take clients from their printed 2012 wall planner to their new website. We stylised the code heavily to reflect the colours and styling of their current brand.

Remember there are many avenues to get the message out there - talk to us for a free appraisal of your current methods and whether there is room for improvement - invariably there is :)

Websites to excite

2011-11-07T16:02:00.001Z

A client asked us today if he could have a list of some websites we have created - not all are on our profile so these may be the first time you have seen these!

http://www.excessmeless.co.uk/
http://www.atlanticpsm.com/
www.caskwasher.com
http://www.eurostanddisplay.com/
www.payphoenix.co.uk
www.littlelegsnursery.com
http://www.fluorel.co.uk/
www.cannellgraphics.com
http://www.ftssuk.com/
http://www.homelye.co.uk/
http://www.hugapet.co.uk/
http://www.angelandharp.co.uk/
http://www.onlinedisplay.co.uk/
http://www.woolpackfryerning.com/
http://ljjassociates.co.uk/

Country location

2011-11-04T16:21:00.000Z

We are continually complemented on how nice our offices are. If you haven't already popped by we extend an open welcome.

QR Codes

2011-11-04T15:03:00.000Z

Just letting our customers know we the a source for creative and
custom QR Codes.

Quick Response codes (QR codes) and other two-dimensional codes are
expected to achieve widespread use this year – and for good reason.
Consumers want immediate access to what’s relevant and QR codes are
being used to make that possible.

If you’re not yet familiar with QR codes, they’re similar to the
barcodes used by retailers to track inventory and price products at
the point of sale. The key difference between the two is the amount of
data they can hold or share.

When you scan or read a QR code with your iPhone, Android or other
camera-enabled Smartphone, you can link to digital content on the web;
activate a number of phone functions including email, IM and SMS; and
connect the mobile device to a web browser.

There are opportunities not only to use these on your leaflets,
posters, advertising and exhibition stand, but actually allow us to
create a bespoke piece of art that will grab attention and take
customers directly to your product, website or sales method.

I attach and example featuring our logo we have created, which can be
scanned with a (free download) QR Code reader to see for yourself. (or
visithttp://www.wisdomcannell.co.uk/custom-qr-code.html)

Prices start from £200 for a totally bespoke design.