The ParaSnow Ball 2019

The ParaSnow Ball raises money for Disability Snowsports UK (DSUK) this charity focusses on helping people with disabilities, no matter how severe, to experience skiing and snowboarding as well as fun on the snow. We call it the “Power of Powder”.

This prestigious event was held at the famous Hurlingham Club in central London. Patron of DSUK Pippa Middleton was in attendance and Jonny was introduced to her as part of DSUK’s extended team. PE Creative are proud to help and support DSUK, having helped them with their creative branding, literature, signage and graphics.

CEO of DSUK Mark Kelvin reported that over £30,000 was raised on the evening and that ‘every single penny will go to ensuring that disabled people can experience the Power of Powder”. Making for a truly successful night.

Pippa Middleton said she has been 'truly inspired' at how DSUK 'transforms lives'.

 The evening was hosted by Alex Brooker (host of The Last Leg) who not only kept things moving really well but also raised more than a few laughs…

To find out more about DSUK please visit their website here

Or if you want to find out how PE Creative can help you transform your organisation then please feel free to call us on 01332 291141 and we will be delighted to help.

Who Let the Dogs Out..?!!

When Tara Worth decided to start a dog grooming business we were delighted to help her.
We created a simple but eye-catching brand for “A Mutt Above”. Using simple graphics this branding will ensure that Tara’s business becomes recognisable and approachable.

In addition to the logo we further developed this signage too - so if you have a dog that needs grooming, well - you know where to go!

If you want to find out more about how we can help your business, no matter how small, give us a call on 01332 291141 and we will offer the best advice.

Frequent Flyers

The Gatemaker offer a wide range of hand built gates as well as a complete metal refurbishing service.

They are proof that a company with a quality product, truly personal service and a traditional marketing approach can continue to be very successful.

PE Creative worked alongside the Gatemaker team to prepare these eyecatching A5 size four page flyers. By developing two kinds at the same time we helped them to save money too. One flyer is aimed at refurbsihing, whilst the other at new gate installations. We utilised some of thier own photography alongside a styish graphical approach to deliver a low cost yet practical solution to thier needs.

The flyers will be maildropped to prospects as well as being left at prominent locations around the region.

If you need some sales literature, then give us a call on 01332 291141 and we will be delighted to help...

UnionLine Facts All Packaged Up

UnionLine offer a wide range of services to the members of any trade union. These range from litigation, through to claims for unfair dismissal, accidents at work, and will writing services.

We often hear clients saying that their customers will tell them "we didn't know you did that" 

In order to help remedy this we helped UnionLine to develop a service pack, outlining all the superb services offered by the organsiation. This comprises a range of simple to understand fact sheets, all presented in a corporate style wallet.

Wallet packs can be customised to include relevant information, letters, specific contacts etc.

 If your business offers a range of services and you need to present a stylish image to your prospects, give us a call on 01332 291141 and we can help you to maximise your image and marketing collateral.

Anyone can ski..its true.

One of the maxims of DSUK (Disability SnowsportsUK) is that anyone can ski.

We are delighted to be partnering with DSUK in order to help them to improve thier image and graphics. PE Creative will be working closely with the DSUK team to help curate their new website, visual appeal and customer facing literature.

This little DL flyer represent one of many graphical items that we look forward to helping with throughout the course of 2019 and beyond.

DSUK will help anyone no matter what their physical or mental ability is, to experience snowsports - to find out more visit their website here .

If you or your marketing team want any help with your creative needs then why not give us a call on 01332 291141 and we will be happy to help.

What a lovely way to do business

Back in the Summer we decided that the rear of our property could do with some new gates. We did exactly what anyone in Derby would do...we put in "Gates + Derby" into Google and we were fed with a number of link options. Ideally we wanted someone genuinely local and someone we could talk to about our needs...(we had a front gate that needed repairing too).

So after some diligence we opted for "The Gatemaker" making an on-line e-mail enquiry, we were quickly contacted by Jami who arranged for their representative Bernie to come out and measure up. Bernie gave us a quote there and then, along with a very reasonable leadtime. We were impressed. Good quality, good price and totally honest.

Shortly after this we had a brand new set of gates delivered for the rear car park - with a promise that the refurbished front gate would follow a week later...

Unfortunately, due to some issues with the powder coating this was slightly delayed. Which led us to a couple of days of increasingly quirky but friendly email banter and communication (involving the mention of aliens and meerkats - both of which adorn the Gatemaker vans - when you see one you'll know it!). Problem resolved, and no harm done...

The front gate duly arrived and we were all delighted, so much so that we ordered another gate for the rear, as this made the property look so much better...and finally the whole picture was complete.

About three months went by  - with no issues.

When, suddenly, quite out of the blue, we received a phone call from Bernie.

It turns out that he is actually a Director of the Gatemaker and at first we thought our BACs payment had maybe failed...however,  the call was about about something completely different...

Bernie explained that when he visited us, he was impressed with the work we do and more importantly, the attitude and approach to our correspondence (I sent them a picture of a meerkat with a machine gun at one point...!). It was our up-front and honest approach that they all liked, 'the way we dealt with a problem' is exactly how he put it.

So, a visit was arranged and we were delighted to be appointed as the creative agency for The Gatemaker and Derby Gates. It's early days yet but we are all very excited about helping this local company to expand and grow.

The pictures above show how we intend to develop the Gatemakers' corporate identity - you can see our initial concept compared to the original below. In additon there will be new sales brochures, a more comprehensive website as well as new stationery, signage and showroom. We are all very much looking forward to helping them throughout 2019 and beyond.

Quite simply, we love working with nice people - if you like working with nice people too,  then why not give us a call on 01332 291141 and we will happy to chat about your needs.

Also, if you need new gates or any metal work refurbishing, then look no further than The Gatemaker - top people, with top quality products.

When design was a real skill...

If anyone can remember, before the advent of the Apple Mac, all artwork was done by hand, using technical drawing skills to create logos, artwork and drawings etc. In principle, you had to be able to at least draw and have a some creative/artistic skill to even think about entering the design field. It was a real craft.

One of the tools we used to use was the technical pen. Several brands were available with the market leaders being Rotring and Staedtler.

I tended to favour the Staedtler brand mainly down to the fact that the 0.5 nib seemed to block less oftenthan the Rotring version of the same. While rooting through one of our cupboard here at the studio I found this brand new virtually unused set of pens in the original box!

This brought back memories of having to physically draw keylines for artwork using CS10 board, red film, and of course set squares and technical pens...

With computer aided design and so many application to help with design, it's easy to see how the craft element has been lost over the years...however, here are PE Creative we still believe that crafting a design is one of the key differentiators that we bring to your design.

Anyone can style something up, but not anyone can develop a concept in quite the same way we do.

If you'd like to see how we can help you to diffentiate your brand, give us a call on 01332 291141 and we can discuss your specific needs.

How to Make Mainframes Funky

Visual Concept

RSM move into new premises this month and to go with the move, a brand new interior concept was devised by PE Creative to help them to create a totally immersive experience for their customers.

By reading the walls, any RSM representative can 'pitch the RSM story and services' to any visitor.

From concept through to final execution, very few changes were made. A testament to RSM's clear direction and marketing savvy.

The Real Thing!

If your workplace needs refreshing or you simply wish to create an immersive experience for your customers give us a call on 01332 291141 and we will be happy to discuss your requirements.

Birkdale Adventures

I was lucky enough to visit the Open this month - golf's most revered major championship. The Open was won this year by 23 year old Jordan Spieth who had an amazing Sunday back nine...closing with birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, par. Quite simply put - amazing!

Spending time on the links watching the worlds greatest golfers is inspiring. So much so that I also ended up playing three lovely local
courses.

Southport and Ainsdale is best known for hosting back to back Ryder Cups in the 1930s. This course was in superb condition and I was lucky enough to finish with the same ball I started with, shooting a lovely gross 14 over.

West Derby is a Liverpool gem - hidden away unexpectedly within a housing area, you could blink and miss it. However, this tight little course played pretty tough and has a cheeky little stream running through the course which is like a ball magnet...!

Hesketh is the oldest course in the area and offers a superb challenge. With two closing par fives it lets you repair a lot of damage, or so I thought. Parring the 17th I went on to play a lovely drive up the left hand side of 18, followed by a sublime 5 iron  to leave exactly 70 yards to the flag. Routine par five...on no siree. I flailed at a 58 degree wedge only to pull my shot onto deep rough. It took me a further 5 shots to eventually hole out for a grim 7...not quite how I visualised the closing hole!
Still 12 over wasn't too bad for the day.

How do you get people to stop at your exhibition stand...?

Show them the money...!

There are some questions that are perpetually asked of designers and marketing professionals:

"please tell me who has looked at my website"
"why do I need to spend so much money on design"
"how do I generate more sales"
"how do I get people to look at my product"

The list goes on...

Eckoh came up with a quirky way to get people to stop on their stand - MONEY!

"Excuse me, have you dropped some money?"

Its a great opening line and one that invariably gets a conversation going...we produced some mock dollar bills and stirling notes to help create this opportunity. Simple graphics combined with some pure messaging allows the Eckoh event team to open dialogue.

Not only that but the concept was tweeted by industry press - almost to the viral stage...which can't be bad!

A proven way to get to people - give them cold hard cash!

To find out how we can help you to gain more customers give us a call on 01332 291141 now!

Old Egyptian Balls

Look what I found in an old golf bag in the garage! If you remember where this ball was used let me know! One of the first balls we branded for an event in 1992!

If you need your balls branding just give us a call and we will be happy to take a look for you...

We also do all kinds of other branded merchandise too - from pens to fans to umbrellas and mugs - virtually anything can be branded nowadays. So just give us a call on 01332 291141.

Before and (almost) after...

If, like me, you love before and after images then you'll appreciate this.

We were asked by the directors of the Waterfront pub to comment on their current website. After some consideration this is what we concluded:

The Waterfront  is a pub that does food with a restaurant...so why try to be anything else – it does good food in a unique pub setting...

The tone of voice for the venue should be evident in the copy / imagery / content on the site – the current site has poor visual content. From a purely professional perspective our comments are below.

• the logo is not even the proper logo – this immediately dilutes the brand
• the font usage throughout is inconsistent – in terms of size, style and readability
• the social media icons at the bottom of the pages are way too large the images used throughout the site look as if they are poorly considered in terms of size and placement (eg cocktails)
• The Weddings section would not make me want to come to even visit the venue -
• Overall it just looks and feels amateurish

Other team member comments: Does not inspire, very samey, low res images, looks like a home made wordpress / wix site, does not reflect the venue or the quality, site has no atmosphere, feels cheap, it has no personality.

On the plus side – we all felt that the content is really good – tells you when its open – we like the wedding gallery – it works on a mobile (albeit the same rules apply) it has all the ingredients to be a great site but lacks a professional look and feel.

The upshot of all of this is that we were then asked to re-design the site (in Wordpress) and our fist attempt looks like the design you see above. We think its a good start to what will be an on-going project...

If you have a website that you'd like us to review, then please just give us a call on 01332 291141 and we can discuss your requirements.

Say Hello Wave Goodbye

It's year two for the amazing RSM "wave" banner - this funky banner is very versatile as the fabric wrap can be changed to suit the current message.

RSM will be exhibiting at the Mainframe event and this is the ideal time to launch their brand new services. As you can see they will make a big impact with this graphic. These powerful banners can be used anywhere, so if your company reception could do with a lift, why not consider one of these?

The picture below shows the whole stand in place at the venue - Whittlebury Hall - its easy to see how even a few simple graphic devices can add to the impact of a stand.

To find out more, just give us a call on 01332 291141...

Amazing what a difference a nice menu makes...

We were asked by rapidly growing US based PSS to develop their new website (opposite top)

Working closely alongside the PSS marketing team we quickly recognised the key weakness in their old site, which had served them well but was well in need of refreshing.

Main issues of the old site (shown opposite below)
Tired looking
Deep drop down menus (often so deep they drop off the page!)
Responsive to a degree but not easy to navigate.
Key messages a little overcrowded

The new site which launches in October 2015 will have a much cleaner look and feel. It will underpin PSS's next stage of growth into the late teens.

The thing that is immediately apparent is the way we now handle the menus. Large volumes of information can be displayed in an easy to see and navigate format which easily responds to mobile and pad versions. The site is also touch screen friendly too.

Both sites have been built in Wordpress, which whilst slow and rather unwieldy to develop within does deliver a content managed solution which clients seem to love.

Visit the live site here

If your current website is looking tired or if you don't have a website (surely not) then why not give us a call on 01332 29114 and we can have a chat about how we can help you.

Oracle Preps for OpenWorld in record time...!

Oracle is one the World's largest software vendors. We have worked with them off and on for around 25 years (lordy it seems like only yesterday!). We were asked to develop a new look and feel for their Partner Network collateral. The Oracle Partner Network (OPN) is a  global community of Oracle partners with expertise in many varied vertical markets.

OPN brings together the knowledge and skills of these professionals in order to deliver only the best for their customers. By sharing information across the Partner Network, developers can easily reach out to the most knowledgeable experts in their fields. Not only that, but partners can also earn 'points' to improve their own learning and skill-base.

The brochure is aimed at Oracle's partners and explains the on-going benefits of OPN as well as underpinning Oracles goal of continual improvement and expertise. Using simple graphical imagery the brochure tells a story of how members benefit and how they can become an OPN champion.

The brochures were conceived, developed, written, art-worked, printed and delivered from the UK to California USA in less than 20 days.

If your business would like some expert advice in communication and if you need it fast, then please call us on 01332 291141 and we can discuss your needs.

The force is strong in this one...

RebelX secret cinema is a sensual overload experience - Jonny was lucky enough to be invited to take part in this Star Wars extravaganza - 5 hours of total immersion in the Empire followed by a screening of the Empire Strikes Back. 

If you love your dog...

If you, like millions of other people love your dog, then you won't be surprised to know that the growth of 'pet sitting' has been building steadily in the UK.

A pioneer of this form of 'holiday's for dogs' concept is Spoiled Rotten Pets. Set up over a decade ago before the idea of pet sitting was barely in its infancy, Carolyn Griffiths developed the idea of exclusive holidays for dogs. She and her team have built an enviable service aimed at high net worth pet owners in the South of London.

At Parkhouse, we are proud to have been involved with Spoiled Rotten since its inception. We created the original brand and also its first website. Plus all the support collateral, such as stationery, cards, flyers and brochures.

But time does not stand still and whilst the original website was a pioneer in its field, it was time to move forward again. With history in mind, we created the latest website to be a natural development
of the original, with the added value of being responsive and much more customer friendly for pads mobiles and desktop. The site is also optimised for social media and search engines. The site is due to be launched in September 2015 and can be viewed here

The images show the old and new sites by comparison.

In addition to this we also developed a short movie which outlines the services offered by Spoiled Rotten Pets. The movie is part of an ongoing commitment we have to our valued clients to help them to grow and was offered as a complete surprise - and just part of the service we offer. View the HD movie here

It's time to prepare for the next phase of growth for Spoiled Rotten Pets as they continue to offer quite simply the best holidays for dogs to be found anywhere. Simply put, why would you put your dog in a kennel when your dog can enjoy a holiday too...?

To find out how we can make a big difference to your business please call us on 01332 291141 and we can discuss your next project. Be that big or small we aim to offer you a bespoke service second to none.

and the Oscar goes to....

Parkhouse Evans Ltd...well, we wish...!

Have you ever wondered who makes the gold envelopes used for the Oscar ceremony?

No, well neither have we. But on a recent visit to a wedding in Germany, I had the opportunity to visit the Gmund paper mill and factory shop.

It was amazing to see just how much care and attention goes into producing these hand made papers. On display was the genuine Oscars stationery. Each envelope is 'watermarked' with the Oscars logo and the paper contains real gold leaf. The gold leaf is ground into fine strands and added to the paper making process using a secret method.

If you are a bit of a paper nerd like me then you'll find all this fascinating, but if not then at the very least you'll appreciate just how important choosing the right paper can be. It is often the first impression that someone gets about you (ie our business card or letter).

I love quality paper and the paper produced by Gmund is second to none...

If you'd like a chat about paper then why not give us a call on 01332 291141 and we can discuss your next project and the paper choices you have?

Tic-Toc Time for Eventing

A horse called Tic Toc is becoming a regular competitor on the eventing circuit and we were asked by her owner to develop a brand logo which could be used to promote both her and Tic Toc.

'Tic Toc Eventing' is the result - there were some very specific requirements - as with all logos...but in this case specific meant that the logo had to suitable for 'brushing' into Tic-tocs hair. Its a first for us - making the logo appear on a horses backside (or hindquarters as is the polite description!)

Brushing requires a template mask to be fixed to the horses body and the hair is then simply brushed up to create a 'live' logo effect. Some owners evenuse hairspray to keep the logo in place - its a high tech world...

In any event, the result look great and both horse and owner are regulars and the logo is now being recognised and commented upon within the equestrian circuit.

If you have any branding requirements, you can count on us to deliver - even if its for an unusual end use - just call us on 01332 29114 to discuss and we will be happy to help.

He/She Pepper does the Logo-motion

I couldn't resist that pun in the headline...

I am one of a lucky handful of people to have met Pepper the robot up close. You can expect to see a lot more of Pepper as he/she travels the World on his/her whistle-stop promotional tour.

At around £4000 just imagine what Pepper can do for your event or promotion. Pepper can be programmed to guide your clients to virtually any location in your shop, office, factory or workplace. He/she can even provide detailed information about your products too.

I am thinking of ways my clients could use Pepper during the short window of opportunity that will exist before he/she becomes passe.

By the way, I use the phrase he/she because in Japan, Pepper is a boy, but in the rest of the World, she is a girl!

If you would like to know more, give us a call on 01332 291141