New Year New Client

It's always a hard landing the first week back after Christmas, but it was made a lot easier with the fact that we picked up a new Client. We can't really talk about it, but a great addition to Pretty Green, and we're really excited about the project.

We also had Thierry from The Kitchen on the Market Kitchen last week, cooking a very simple ham hock macaroni cheese, and trying to convince Caprice that sardines are great (1 out of 2's not bad), and we're having conversations with quite a big brand about doing a large partnership, which could be interesting.

Also quite a sad week, one of our long standing Clients, and someone Strings has worked with for years at both Stella Artois and Red Bull has moved overseas, which is a little sad, but it does mean we've got a great place in the sun for trips abroad.

The main topic of debate in the office last week, was whether or not it really was as cold as people kept telling us, or whether it was just the standard British trait to talk about it. Virtually every person we met would start the conversation by saying "it's so cold", which for Emma it was as she'd just got back from holidaying in the sun, but there was no sympathy from anyone in the office. Especially as she made everyone else look like they really were ill, even if they weren't.

Take Off

This is why we love working with Red Bull.

New Year Wiings

Ask yourself why do Robbie or Rhys want to do this, just because they can

Welcome to 2009

It's a new year and it feels like it snuck up behind us and jumped on us when we weren't looking.

The last few days of the year ended in a blur with a new brief from a restaurant chain (great excuse for lots of research), a creative session for a Cancer Charity to help them with one of their big initiative for 2009, an Agency ice skating lesson with Torvill and Dean's trainer (more Bambi on ice than Dancing on Ice), learning how to play Hide and Go Seek Silent Disco with Red Bull, lots of mulled wine, chocolate and minced pies, plus the start of our very own Pretty Green wood.

We've spent the last few weeks recovering and re-energising with loved ones. Playing Wii, Singstar, monopoly, family fortunes, trivial pursuit, Skyping round the world, eating more than our combined body weights in, mulled wine, chocolate, minced pies, turkey, ham, nuts, whilst trying to work out if we've gone over the national average of 7lbs weight gain for Christmas and whether we can lose it by Easter for the next binging fest. And testing each other with useless facts from Schott's Almanac (did you know that only 0.45% of children in 2007 learn how to play the euphonium at school)

It's feels a little strange writing about 2008, with the New Year upon us. This evening feels like a new school term starts tomorrow. New uniform ironed, new shoes cleaned and new pencil case packed.

Who knows what the year will bring. We're sure it's going to be a tough year, but we're also fairly convinced it's going to be an exciting one, and hopefully a lot of fun.

We're 6 months old today (cheers), we've got a new office, a great new team, and some great new additions on the way, but more importantly we've also got some great new Clients. Clients (actually Clients make it sound so impersonal, People) who we want to thank for believing in us in 2008. Without your belief and trust, Pretty Green wouldn't have happened. THANK YOU, you know who you are, and here's to 2009.

See How We Grow

Our Pretty Green wood is being planted and they seem to be flourishing with a little bit of love, light and laughter.

There's been a lot of poor jokes (mainly from Emma, "wood for the trees", "trees a crowd", "trees release me")

We'll be keeping you updated over the coming weeks as to how they're all getting on. Like London Zoo we're thinking about offering some of them up for adoption. £20 a season, and we'll send you photo's of your tree with a name badge (doesn't quite have the same gifting magic as a monkey, donkey, or chicken, we can but try).

One Flu Over The....

We've been struck down with an epidemic, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. People have been trying various homemade remedies (eye of newt really doesn't taste that good). But the teams been battling on.

We've had a lot fun creating pomanders (yes we now know why they're called Pomanders), buying trees (our very own wood has been bought), spent a lot of time thinking about when it's too early to put up a tree, and had our very own poetry competition (what does rhyme with orange).

Tomorrow we're filming with The Kitchen for a TV show, and we've been busy with the Christmas campaign. There's nothing better than a homemade Christmas pudding (especially when there's a Michelin Star chef on hand).

We're definitely out of the blocks on 2012, trying to pace ourselves to the 4 year finish line and we've also been asked to pitch on one of the hottest restaurant chains around, which is always an honour.

The big question round the office this week has been whether or not the sales pre Christmas will mean that there aren't any post Christmas, and if there aren't then how will clothing retailers drive incremental footfall when they've been keeping stocks low, and what we will all spend our hard earned Christmas stocking money on.

A Musical Week In The Kitchen

High Spirits

We spent nearly a whole week discussing our new spirits brand with Sven last week (who introduced us to a Danish bitters, which we're not convinced about, but that might be because Strings has been making us do it as shots in brainstorms). We've got a name and positioning we're really excited about and briefed in our Master Craftsmen and Distiller David. It's looking like we're off to taste the first samples in France in late January, with full production starting in April.

Our 2012 work with Fallon and PHD has really picked up momentum and it's got to be said, those boys (& girls) at Fallon are good. It's just such a lovely, big challenging project to be stuck into, with a great integrated team.

We're off to the Access Sports black tie dinner tonight (great Sports charity set-up by Charlie, Mack and James from Threshold). Very humbling and inspiring to see an Agency put more in than they take out.

Tomorrow also sees us with more drinks in our hands with a Red Bull Urban Junkies party, which should be fun.

We've also be pondering why a pomander is called a pomander, and whether or not the basic principle of what goes up, must come down, means that if you shout swearwords skywards, somewhere in the world those same swearwords are landing on someone's shoulder???  

Incy Wincy

Sometimes it feels that you've been here before other times it's all a totally new game. Maybe that's what's great about start-ups. That roller-coaster ride.

We've gone from a couple of people in an office that was far to big for us, to now wondering if we're going to run out of space. A few new faces have turned up at The Green (hopefully they'll be back on Monday), Sarah from Scunthorpe, a veggie who eats chicken, fish and veg (ok the fish bit is true, we lied about the chicken, but it's spurred on our debate about vegetarian sushi), and Claire a free runner from the Westside, who knows everything there is to know about music, who on her first week, managed to get invited by a Client to a box at the Kanye gig at O2, and tomorrow we've got lovely Amanda joining us, who's great Auntie once swam the channel backwards.

It's now just about getting more desks, computers, printers, phones, mugs, chocolate, beer, wine etc etc. We're thinking about maybe running a campaign like the Wispa campaign to try and kit out the office. Not sure it's going to work though.

We had our biggest week ever at The Kitchen, with some great coverage in the Metro, and the introduction of some amazing Masterclasses and Christmas calendar. Thierry also did his first screen test last week, which is looking promising.

And we couldn't help but smile when we read the about the 7 legged spider picture. If you'd like to see a very funny email about spiders. Drop us a line to hello.

This week, sees the arrival of another business partner from Asia, Sven, who we're working with as part of our brand incubator, on the creation of a new spirit brand. We've got three names, and positioning territories we're fairly happy with, so we're close. And this week, we're briefing in the actual product development to an industry master distiller. Roll on product testing phase.

Just In Case You Ever Wondered What Happened....

Now this needs to be read in the most serious voice you can muster.

"An agreement has been reached between Mark Stringer and Exposure Promotions Ltd concerning Mark Stringer’s exit settlement.

The agreement was reached prior to the commencement of an Employment Tribunal. It is an amicable resolution for both parties and each is satisfied with the final outcome.

Both parties will now move forward and focus their attention on their respective individual businesses".

Well lets focus that attention, anyone for a Shambles (that's Red Bull and Champagne for those who don't know).

Out with the old in the with new....

A sad day last Weds when our lovely Faye (slash Humpty) went off to have babies... She'll be greatly missed and we wouldn't have been able to get through the past few months without her stoic wit and ability to source the weirdest of products (Kola Nuts anyone?).

But all is not lost as Kimberley has now taken the baton and joined the Pretty Green team...a great addition to the Green House...even if she is a vegetarian.

The last couple of weeks have been fairly hectic, but we're having a lot of fun. We're working with a new Client on a great big sponsorship platform alongside two great Agencies, which has been great for the grey matter, last Thursday saw us working over at Matter in the O2, the new venue from the Fabric guys and a fantastic night of music from Wiley and Annie Mac (even Emma now likes 'Grime'), and last but not least, we've been given our full set of Wiings and we're now flying.

We've also been eating a lot of Sushi, but been pondering the question, as to whether there's such a thing as 'vegetarian' Sushi?

Anyone Know Where The......

The great thing about moving home is that you get sent lots of presents, so thank you to everyone, especially Ed and Vikks from Steam (we've now got our very own tree). 

The downside is the amount of boxes you have to try and recycle, the chaos and the fact that something always goes missing (currently we've lost Hamish, but we think he's in with the letterheads)

All in all a great week in the new House. especially as we've been appointed on a very exciting piece of business. So if you're looking for a new challenge, drop us a line (AM's, SAM's, AE's).

Pickfords We're Not

We left our old home on Friday. A little sad to be leaving the old office, where we made some great friends, and were very well looked after. We can't thank them enough for their generosity.

But the times come for us to finally stand on our own two feet. So we've packed up our wares and moved round the corner to a great office on Percy Street. Our new "landlords" the digital Agency Underdog, so watch this space for some exciting collaborations moving forward.

Currently we've got lots of chairs, stationary, printers, etc etc, and we're all ready to go. Feels just like the beginning of a new school term. Just a shame we haven't got any desks yet.

If you fancy popping round for a coffee, or even a glass of something stronger. Drop on round, we'd love to see you.