Showcasing creativity in the North East

Fresh Smokefree North East: Story

The challenge

New figures from the ONS Annual Population Survey (APS) survey show the North East has seen the largest fall in smoking rates in England since 2005. However, smoking remains the single biggest cause of cancer and ill health, costing the North East nearly £1 billion a year in medical, health and social care, lost earnings and smoking-related unemployment.

This campaign is part of a commitment by all North East local authorities to aim to reduce smoking to 5% or below by 2030.

Our brief

To create a campaign that communicates with our smokers and to encourage them to give quitting a go.

Key aims include:

To increase awareness of the harms and impact of smoking. In addition to educative harms, it should highlight the benefits of quitting and encourage quit attempts by providing information and tips on the best resources available.

Creative strategy

This campaign sees the start of a new creative strategy to allow better engagement and cut through in a very difficult health area. Through researching a range of concepts a new approach was developed using real peoples stories and experiences. Our NE smokers value hearing from “people like me”….they appreciate the rawness and truth of people from their own communities.

The core proposition for the campaign was: “You lose a lot from smoking, but gain so much from quitting”

To communicate the proposition our campaign platform is: “Put smoking behind you”.

And our case study stories each demonstrate: “From the moment you stop a better life starts”.

A multi-channel media approach was developed with broadcast TV at it’s core.

Results

Through the use of real people this campaign visually stands out through the impact, rawness and emotive authenticity. Real people reflecting on real experiences, including a combination of emotional and physical harm creates cut through. People relate to these truths, empathise with the situations and more importantly realise that it really could happen to them.

Tracked awareness, perceptions and intentions to quit have proven very successful compared with other bench-marked quit campaigns, with almost three quarters of the
region’s smokers recalling the campaign and over half of those taking a quit related smoking action.

Standard Chartered: iProspect

Back Story

To engage global investors and amplify brand presence around key financial events, Standard Chartered launched a high-impact out-of-home campaign across strategic transport hubs in Europe and the Americas, including London, Frankfurt, Jersey, and Heathrow.

Our Brief

• Position Standard Chartered as a confident, innovative force in global investment.
• Maximise visibility around major financial moments like CIB Investor Day, Sibos and Now Is Your Time Brand Campaign.
• Drive brand engagement through bold creative and high-dwell placements.

Strategy

We selected high-traffic, high-value locations, from first-class lounges to airport corridors, to intercept influential audiences. Each site was chosen for its relevance to financial decision-makers and global investors.

Creative

The campaign featured clean, confident visuals and messaging tailored to each location:

• Jersey Airport: XXL wall wraps celebrated the Jersey Marathon and global investment themes.
• Frankfurt & Heathrow: Digital screens placed near lounges and exits captured attention during dwell time.
• Messaging invited social sharing via #TogetherWeAreBetter, reinforcing community and brand values.

Results

• 3.5 million LinkedIn impressions
• 11,000 clicks
• CTRs exceeded forecast benchmarks
• Media over-delivery added measurable value, validating the creative and strategic approach

Reiss: iProspect

Back story

Reiss wanted to evolve its media strategy for SS25 by moving beyond paid search into a multi-channel approach for the first time. The goal was to amplify brand visibility and connect with style-conscious audiences through premium, high-impact placements.

Our brief

• Develop an integrated plan combining digital and out-of-home (OOH) channels.
• Ensure strong presence in high-footfall locations and premium retail environments.
• Deliver a visually striking campaign aligned with Reiss’s premium aesthetic.

Strategy

We collaborated closely with Reiss to design a comprehensive activation that integrated YouTube, Blis display, and a mixed-media OOH strategy. This included branded taxi wraps and digital screens in high-traffic areas, leveraging programmatic precision to maximize reach and engagement.

Creative

The campaign embraced bold visuals and a sleek, aspirational look that reflected Reiss’s Spring/Summer aesthetic. OOH placements were particularly significant as this marked Reiss’s first foray into outdoor advertising for a seasonal campaign, a bold move that expanded their presence beyond digital channels.

Results

• Secured a larger-than-usual YouTube budget and achieved strong engagement across display formats.
• Delivered impressive reach through OOH, with early metrics indicating CTR stability despite audience expansion.
• Client feedback was overwhelmingly positive, leading to additional spend for AW25 and proposals for always-on YouTube activity. By combining strategic insight, creative execution, and cross-team collaboration, this campaign set a new benchmark for Reiss’s integrated marketing efforts.