The UK government have recently announced that they will introduce world leading legislation to ban the supply and sale of all wet wipes containing plastic in England. The legislation will be introduced later this year to help clean up the UK’s beaches and waterways, and reduce plastic pollution.
Across the UK, 11 billion wet wipes are used every year. The main issue with this consumption is how they are discarded after use. Unlike toilet paper, wipes that contain plastic do not break down as quickly, and when they eventually do, they decompose into microplastics.
The packaging information for disposing of wet wipes can often be misleading. Some wet wipe manufacturers claim their wipes are ‘flushable’ – but that simply means they can pass through a toilet u bend, and as they do not easily break down in water like toilet paper, these wet wipes often cause blockages further along in the sewer system. Sewer and drain blockages causes flooding in peoples homes and gardens, costing water companies for pipe repairs and often ending up littering our beaches. When wet wipes eventually do break down they release microplastics which can be harmful to health and contaminate our waterways. Once in the water, the plastic can accumulate biological and chemical pollutants, increasing the risk of harm to people and wildlife who come into contact with them.
The issue of not flushing wet wipes is a long standing one, increased education and a behavioural change is what is needed from everyone if we are to make a positive impact on our environment. Blumilk’s long standing relationships with some of the UK’s water companies, including Northumbrian Water, Yorkshire Water, Affinity Water and CCW, have meant that we are very aware of this ongoing issue and we wanted to create our own engaging animation to highlight the need to ‘bin the wipe’ instead of flushing it away.
Our approach was to create an upbeat, fast paced, engaging animation that not only informs the viewer of all the things that you use a wet wipe for, but what should be done with that wipe once it has served its purpose. Attracting audiences young and old, the animation demonstrates our ability to respond to current issues and come up with problem solving solutions that are simple effective and thought provoking. Our catchphrase BTW ‘By the way’ shows an alternative meaning… Bin the wipe.
With our expertise in crafting engaging narratives and impactful visuals, we can help your organisation convey important messages to your audience effectively. Whether it’s animation, campaigns, digital design or other creative services, Blumilk is here to collaborate with you in creating compelling content that resonates with your viewers and drives positive change. Let’s start a conversation and together, we can make a difference.
If you want to engage your audience with an animation or video, we can help. Chat with us.
Our recent collaboration with Cadent, a leading provider of gas distribution services, exemplifies our prowess in crafting captivating narratives through animation and digital design.
The Challenge: Educating on Gas Leak Protocol
Cadent approached Blumilk with a critical mission: to educate the public on the correct number to call in case of a gas leak. While the information was vital, the challenge lay in conveying it in a way that was both informative and engaging. Recognising the power of animation to simplify complex concepts, we embraced the task with enthusiasm.
The Solution: Motion Graphics Mastery
Our team of skilled animators and designers embarked on a journey to bring Cadent’s message to life. They conceptualised a video that not only informed viewers about the appropriate number to call but also presented various scenarios in which a gas leak might occur. Leveraging captivating motion graphics, they seamlessly integrated Cadent’s brand colours and identity into the narrative.
The Result: A Resounding Success
The collaboration bore fruit beyond expectations. The animated video garnered widespread attention, amassing nearly 200,000 views on YouTube alone. Its success catapulted it to become Cadent’s second highest viewed video ever, a testament to the team’s ability to strike a chord with audiences.
Blumilk and Cadent Gas: A Long-Standing Partnership
This triumph is not an isolated incident but rather a testament to the enduring partnership between Blumilk and Cadent. For years, Blumilk has been trusted to provide not just animation and video services but also strategic guidance, media buying, print materials, radio ads, branding, and an array of design-related solutions.
Looking Ahead: Continual Innovation
As Blumilk and Cadent celebrate this milestone, we remain committed to pushing boundaries and exploring new frontiers in digital design and communication. With a shared vision of excellence, we are poised to continue crafting impactful campaigns that resonate with audiences far and wide.
Our recent success with the Cadent campaign underscores their unwavering dedication to creativity, innovation, and client satisfaction. Through the power of animation and digital design, they have not only educated the public but also elevated the standards of communication in the digital landscape.
If you have an idea for an animation or a campaign you’d like to promote, chat with us to see how we can help you.
When Newcastle Gateshead Initiative (NGI) approached us earlier this year to support them with their Annual North East England Tourism Awards, we were more than happy to get involved.
NGI wanted to find the best way to communicate to a wide audience, inviting them to attend and also give them updated ongoing details of the awards evening as it happened. An obvious solution would have been to send out a direct invitation email, then print event programmes which would be given out on the night and also to run social media content throughout the evening. We considered those ideas but our challenge was to find a better solution online, which could not only give a better service to attendees but also improve NGI’s environmental impact and carbon footprint.
eevent is the ultimate event engagement platform, built to automate communication and elevate engagement. It is a single platform that has multiple functions, providing support and latest information for anyone who may want to host their own event.
After many meetings and stages of creation, design and development, Blumilk worked in partnership with NGI, to ensure the platform was ready in time for their awards evening. The Awards night was a huge success with an excellent response from those who attended the event and used the platform to engage and stay up to date.
With eevent, you can easily create your own completely bespoke digital programme, unique to your event. From directions, table plans and menus, to sponsor details, schedules and photos. Add your own categories and tailor every aspect of your event to meet your unique needs, ensuring your vision comes to life exactly as you imagined. In addition, eevent allows you to send push notifications to your event attendees to give live updates and personalised content delivery, so attendees, organisers and sponsors feel connected and involved.
Our analytics showed that during the evening event there were 416 users, with over 780 views in total and that users were engaging with the platform before and after the event.
NGI commented: “The app worked great and it was fab to see so many people scanning the QR codes.”
NGI have since used eevent again for their Destination 2034 – The Destination North East England conference with over 310 users on the day.
Serving a diverse range of sectors, including commercial, corporate, non-profit, education, sports, concerts and professional networks such as awards evenings and conferences, eevent is an invaluable asset to add to your toolkit. eevent seamlessly integrates with popular event booking and payment systems, tools and services, ensuring a cohesive and efficient event management experience. Each eevent has a unique URL that can be shared with your event attendees in advance, you can also download your unique eevent QR code to display on your event materials.
For more information or to discover how using eevent can simplify your event planning, engage your attendees, and impress your sponsors, why not get in touch and arrange your own demo.
Blumilk are proud to have worked with speciality film producers, DuPont Teijin Films since 2015.
After successfully completing a full rebrand for them at that time in the UK, we established ourselves as one of their longest standing, most trusted marketing agencies for all things design and print, including exhibition stands, promotional literature and all a range of advertising outputs.
In February of this year, it was exciting news for us to hear that DuPont Teijin films had officially announced their global company name rebrand, changing their long trusted and established name from DuPont Teijin Films to Mylar Speciality Films.
With the intention of forecasting future growth in the polyester film sector, the change in the name reflects the heritage from which Mylar was a brand in its own right, created for the world’s first biaxially orientated PET film in the 1950’s. Mylar continue to market the Melinex® and Kaladex® range of films as well as Mylar® PET branded films.
The change in name applies to all their global operations around the world, in USA, Europe and Asia.
As part of the rebrand Blumilk were commissioned to take care of all the signage updates needed across five of the six global sites. The new identity mark features heavily on all signage points, with careful consideration taken to achieve colour consistency when applying this to their various signage requirements across each building. Signage produced included car park, reception, digital boards, welcome boards, directional location signage and multiple bespoke individual signs for each of their five sites.
If you are looking to rebrand your business or simply refresh your current brand, we’d love to see how we can help, contact us.
Northumberland Football Association (NFA) is a not for profit organisation which invests in the development of opportunities through football to inspire young people to take part in the game and create opportunities for all.
As a foundation, it is committed to developing a culture in grassroots football that is positive, inclusive and supportive, and helps everyone reach their full potential through having equal opportunities and access to football. Northumberland FA is the governing body in Northumberland and Tyne & Wear.
We were delighted to be approached by NFA last year to support them with the development of their new brand identity. Under review was the brand in its entirety. From potential new name and logo, to a refresh of their sub brands, the brief was to create something contemporary, different, and stand out from the crowd whilst retaining the heritage of what the foundation stands for.
We began by arranging a series of brand positioning and discovery workshops with the foundation team to gather real raw insight and deep dive into the direction for the rebrand, including their vision as well as objectives and future aspirations.
In workshop one, we met internal staff to gain an understanding of where they see their brand from an in house perspective, whilst in workshop two, we met their customers to understand brand perceptions and set out any potential for improvement. These workshops proved valuable to our understanding of the foundation and the direction they are headed.
Following the workshops we compiled their brand and competitor analysis to establish their market position. A written report was compiled and presented back to the team for consideration. Once complete, it was over to our creative team to generate names and initial identity concepts for the overarching brand. Several names were floated, from the simple shortening and abbreviation of the word, to more ambitious routes with the name having new meaning and direction. The client had given us clear direction in their workshops as to the routes they wanted to follow.
Our research showed us that a traditional crest or shield had always been successful in its longevity when establishing a trusted identity and brand, but the foundation wanted to move forward from a shield without losing their heritage, so the traditional shield shape was also in doubt – was it time to move away from the recognised crest?
The traditional Red and yellow colour scheme which is consistent throughout all foundations across the region was also to be explored and developed. After evaluating all these elements, several concepts were presented. Throughout several stages of development and amendment, one logo identity appeared to remain consistent throughout. Testing its appeal we sat it alongside many other concepts, with many variations and adjustments but throughout the whole process it was felt that one of the logos created right at the very start of the process did indeed stand out in the crowd and it was ultimately agreed.
“We’re delighted to unveil our new branding which modernises our image while retaining some of our traditional colours as a nod to our history.” Northumberland FA
Following approval of the identity and subsequent sub brand logos, we created a brand guidelines document to ensure the consistent use of the new identity and its sub logos. There are two versions of the logo for ease of use, with and without the containing shape. The sub brand logos use the simplified version of this identity.
We also established a brand look for their communication tools and digital outputs including reporting, powerpoint templates and social media styling.
We hope this brand will take NFA into a new era as they prepare to open the St Peter’s Sports Hub this year. If you’re considering updating or refreshing your current brand, we can help. Contact us.
As we usher in the promising year of 2024, Blumilk extends a warm welcome to our cherished clients, partners, and collaborators. Reflecting on the triumphs of 2023, it was indeed a year of growth, innovation, and strengthened relationships.
One of the highlights of the past year was the addition of dynamic new clients to the Blumilk family. We embarked on exciting projects in collaboration with these clients, pushing the boundaries of creativity and digital solutions. The diversity of these ventures not only showcased our adaptability but also fuelled our passion for delivering exceptional results and not just in our specialist utilities industries – but also showcased our ability to obtain work in a broader range of industries.
Embracing the evolving landscape of work, we have seamlessly transitioned into a hybrid working environment. This flexible approach not only enhances our team’s work-life balance but also allows us to serve our clients with greater efficiency and creativity.
Here’s to another year of innovation, collaboration, and shared accomplishments!
Reflecting on the amazing journey over the last 24 years, starting with just a duo with big dreams in the heart of Newcastle. Fast forward to today, with the awesome Blumilk team, we’ve evolved into an established strategic creative powerhouse proudly based on the iconic Grey Street, working with some of the most prominent brands both regionally and nationally.
This momentous occasion is a testament to our cherished clients. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have been part of our journey over the past 24 years. Here’s to many more years of working together, creating amazing brands, executing impactful campaigns and so much more!
Please join us in raising a glass and cheer for the future. Hip hip hooray!
For every creative, digital and marketing agency, pitching for a new contract of work can be a tough challenge, or a rewarding, team building, confidence boost.
A pitch win can elevate your business, attracting clients and staff who want to work with you, and whatever the outcome, there’s no denying the rollercoaster ride that a pitch proposal can take you on.
From the initial invitation and the decision to consider whether to ‘go for it’, the process can sometimes be long, time consuming and expensive. Inevitably, the odds can be stacked against you and the rewards unknown, but when the outcome is in your favour, the reward is complete elation and justification that the products and services your business offers, are the right solution for your new client.
What makes the perfect pitch process?
Over the years, we have tried and tested a number of methods and processes to find the best way to successfully win a pitch, and although we like to think we have a good track record when it comes to success, the one thing that we have learnt is that there is no set format and no single process, output or delivery that guarantees success.
There can be a tendency to exceed expectations, sometimes submitting only what has been asked for, just doesn’t feel enough. There’s also the realism that budget and cost will always play a huge part, so whatever creative and strategic submission you put forward, the cost of delivery and output can sometimes be the deciding factor. Asking the right questions at an early stage about client expectations, scoring methods and budget spend can often give good clues as to the direction to take for any submission.
Although not every pitch is the same, we have found throughout our 23 years, a series of reoccurring myths which present themselves time and time again. We’re bringing you raw insight on bridging the gap between our the reality of the pitch process and the incorrect perceptions that we regularly hear.
Dispelling the pitch process myths.
1. Pitching is something only creative agencies do? False
In most competitive pitch scenarios, we find ourselves up against specialist data insight companies, PR companies and VR companies, for example. This makes for an interesting experience as there are clear strengths presented from each type of organisation. It’s quite often a case of ‘may the best service win’. It’s often better to be humble as we are and be accepting of the fact that there may often be a need to share elements of a project out amongst a few different specialties.
2. There’s always a good statistical chance of winning? False
Over the years we’ve been fortunate to have been invited to pitch for a wide range of clients, large and small, and we very rarely refuse to get involved and submit our approach and ideas. The phrase ‘in it to win it’, is a bit of a motto for us, if we’ve been chosen as part of a select few we are happy to accept and take up the challenge. However, to maintain a positive mindset is often the best approach as the statistical chance of winning can often be as low as 10%, based on 10 agencies taking part.
3. Pitching doesn’t always have to include creative? True
Having been part of hundreds of pitch processes since our inception, we have seen all sorts of requirements, briefs, budgets and questions when it comes to expectations. We feel it’s a common misconception to believe the creative will always be the selling point for the prospective client. Quite often we see methodologies, strategies and approaches weighted higher in terms of the marking then creative itself. Sometimes the awesome creative solutions get the wow factor and sometimes its showing how we think which seals the deal, there is generally no ‘one size fits all’ approach.
4. The pitch process doesn’t take very long? True and False
No two pitch processes are ever the same and we are finding an increasing differential with the level of requirements dependant on the positioning of the pitch title. Tenders and frameworks generally are the longest processes, which can take between 6 and 12 months to formally complete (that’s a lot of time!) where as requests for competitive pitches and/or proposals can take anywhere from a week to two months end to end.
5. Pitch presentations are always the same format? False
There are always multiple components to any pitch scenario.. in some instances there’s a strategic proposal first, and then creative delivery, sometimes creative concepts are not essential but optional. Costings, timings and a plan for delivery always form part of the overall presentation, as well as a brief introduction to showcase who we are, what we do and our experience specifically in the sector we’re pitching to. Leaving a lasting impression can be tricky if there’s a Q&A session at the end, often the answers to any questions can be as crucial to the pitch as the pitch itself!
6. A pitch win is always a cause for celebration? True!
The one part of the pitch process that we can categorically say is absolutely true is the need to celebrate upon being awarded the win! Does this mean drinks all round? Sometimes, of course, but most of the time, it’s a real opportunity to bring the team together, thank everyone for their contribution and hugely bolster morale. When we can see our process, ideas, thinking and innovation really make a difference to the point where we are chosen, it’s the best feeling in the world!
And… we’re pleased to announce that in the last week we have won two pitches!
We would like to say a big THANK YOU to all the team involved and also to welcome onboard our two new client relationships. Thanks for choosing us, we’re over the moon and can’t wait to get started working together with you to show you what we can do!
If you have a business problem, need or requirement, whether large or small, and would like to see how we can help you, give us a call or drop us an email, we’d love to chat.
Earlier this year, CCW – The Consumer Council for Water, approached the team at Blumilk to see if we could help them encourage people all over the UK to drink tap water instead of purchased bottled water. There are two main reasons for this:
1. The Environmental impact
Drinking tap water instead of bottled, can help to reduce the production of single use plastic, and therefore reduce carbon footprint and support the wellness of the planet. Carbon emissions for bottled water are 900 times higher than for tap water, making tap the environmentally friendly option.
2. The Economical impact
Bottled water can cost up to three hundred times the price of tap water, and in our current economic climate with everyone feeling the pinch financially, the option to have a drink from the tap instead of purchasing a bottle could save money.
Did you know that drinking two litres of tap water every day will cost you less than £2.50 a year?
The choice is clear, tap water is kinder to your wallet and also tastes great!
But, does tap water actually taste as good as the purchased water you drink from a bottle?
The only way to answer this question was to ‘take the taste test challenge!’
Blumilk began by creating a name and identity to give the campaign a look and style. ‘GO TAP’ was chosen as a positive reinforcing message that was simple and easy to understand.
A cross section of the public from all over the UK were then invited to taste both tap and bottled water and see if they could tell the difference and which they preferred. Filming took place across the day and a wide demographic audience were approached, given both options to try and decide which option they thought was tap water. Check out our behind the scenes film of how the taste test challenge was created.
The results were really surprising! Most were unable to tell the difference and agreed that tap water tasted just as good as bottled.
For those that take the challenge, five hundred special limited edition water bottles are also being given away as further encouragement to drink tap water.
Once filming was complete, the footage was edited into shorter clips and a social media campaign created. The results so far have been fantastic. The campaign has created a lot of topical conversation and with over 100k views on Facebook the message to ‘GO TAP’ is certainly gaining momentum.
Have you taken the taste test challenge yet? Try it and see if you can tell the difference. Visit CCW on Facebook and Instagram to see what our sample audience thought.
If you have an idea for a campaign or message you’d like to promote, chat with us to see how we can help you.
Consumer Council for Water is a non-departmental public body whose sponsor department is Defra. CCWater is independent of both the regulator, Ofwat, and the water companies. CCWater represents the interests of water and sewerage consumers in England and Wales.
