The Creative & Digital Agency

Our Approach

Blumilk’s approach was to restructure the website around visitor intent, creating a more intuitive experience that allows users to quickly self-select their journey whether that’s booking tickets, planning a stay, exploring events, or making a wedding enquiry.

The design and content strategy focused on reducing friction and improving conversion by strengthening navigation, clarifying content structure, and prioritising key actions throughout the site.

Visually, the design blends heritage-inspired styling with a contemporary tourism feel, using immersive imagery and experience-led storytelling to reposition Paxton House as a destination rather than just a historic attraction.

A flexible CMS was also introduced to give the internal team full control over updates, campaigns, and event content, allowing the site to evolve and change throughout the seasons.

What We Delivered

• A Modern Visitor Experience

  Blumilk redesigned the Paxton House website to create a modern, immersive digital experience that better reflects the quality and character of the destination. The website was restructured to make key areas easier to navigate, allowing users to quickly access information about visiting the house, the grounds and gardens, accommodation stays, weddings, and the Stable Tearooms.

  Improved usability and clearer calls to action were introduced throughout the site to better support bookings and enquiries. Additional educational content including the history of Paxton House, information about its trustees, and inspiring imagery now helps tell a richer story about the destination which is something the previous website lacked.

   

• Supporting Commercial Growth

  Previously underrepresented offerings including weddings, glamping, cottage rentals, and caravan stays were given greater visibility through dedicated content, enhanced storytelling, and more prominent positioning within the user journey.

  A bespoke wedding experience was also developed to position Paxton House as a premium wedding venue, combining aspirational imagery with simplified enquiry pathways. Beautiful photography and real wedding case studies help present the experience and inspire prospective couples planning their day.

  To support the internal team long term, we implemented a flexible CMS that provides greater control over content management, seasonal campaigns, events, and ongoing website updates.

Our Approach

Working closely with the National Trust team, we set out to design a campaign bursting with Victorian psychedelia, oversized decorations, and joyful festive chaos. Our goal was to create a visual identity that felt handcrafted, heartwarming and a little bit mischievous, reflecting both the energy of the event and the warmth of a Cragside Christmas.

What We Delivered

• A Whimsical Campaign Identity
  Our creative team designed a bespoke campaign logo and an illustration of Cragside House surrounded by festive foliage and multicoloured lights. The design combined National Trust’s signature pink and blue with a vibrant splash of turquoise to bring a contemporary twist to Victorian style.
• Playful Print Design
  We created an A6 gatefold leaflet that opened with an invitation – “You’re invited to The Servants’ Ball” – designed to feel like a whimsical fairground ticket. Inside, visitors discovered details of the festive events, all wrapped in a palette of handcrafted patterns and illustrations.
• Bold, Festive Imagery
  Posters and banners showcased both the beautifully decorated House and the return of the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree; a 42-metre Giant Redwood illuminated for the second year running, this time in glorious multicolour. Hanging baubles, paper chains, and star motifs added a sense of nostalgic charm throughout every asset.

Our Approach

We worked closely with the client team, architects, and interior designers throughout the project. Focus groups were held to test ideas and ensure the brand resonated with local communities as well as wider audiences.

The chosen name, The Sill, was inspired by the nearby geological feature, the Great Whin Sill, anchoring the brand in its natural and cultural heritage.

The visual identity was designed to complement the architecture, with the logo mark echoing the shape of the centre’s striking doorway. This created a strong connection between the physical and brand experience.

What We Delivered

• A Distinctive Name, Tagline and Identity that pays homage to the landscape while being bold and accessible.
• Brand Tools to ensure consistency across communications and marketing.
  
• Seamless Design Integration with the building’s architecture and interior spaces, ensuring the brand felt like a natural part of the visitor journey.

Our Approach

Blumilk was appointed to create a compelling brand that would highlight the bridge’s significance, attract visitors, and engage the local community. Our work included:

• Brand Identity Development: We designed a unique logo mark that captured the bridge’s engineering heritage and cross-border significance.
• Marketing & Communications Strategy: We developed a comprehensive plan to promote the bridge as a must-visit destination, ensuring longevity beyond the restoration.
• Community Engagement: Partnering with local businesses and attractions such as Chain Bridge Honey Farm and Paxton House, we worked to amplify the region’s appeal.

Brand Guidelines: We produced a detailed set of brand guidelines to maintain consistency in all visual and written communications moving forward.

Our Approach

Blumilk has worked with The Alnwick Garden since 2019, and when they asked us to support the launch of Lilidorei, we couldn’t have been more excited. Our goal was to create a campaign that reflected the village’s magic, mystery, and wonder – one that would engage children and families while building anticipation for the launch.

What We Delivered

A Spectacular Launch Campaign

• We developed the ‘What’s Your Story?’ concept, encouraging children to craft their own adventures within Lilidorei, guided by storytellers.
• We designed and produced membership and founder cards, giving early supporters an exclusive way to engage with the village.
• Working with CGI concept images of Lilidorei, we crafted motion graphic animations to tease the playground’s arrival, building excitement across social media.
• Our team created a mini brand guidelines document to ensure a consistent visual identity across all launch materials.
• We developed social graphics and supporting content to build anticipation leading up to the grand opening.

Bringing the Magic to the Screen

• We produced a TV and cinema advert, seamlessly combining limited real-world footage from the construction stage with animation to tell the Lilidorei story and inspire excitement.
• We crafted a bespoke motion graphics animation for the VIP press launch, ensuring a visually captivating experience for the media and key stakeholders.

A Digital Home for Lilidorei

• We designed and built the Lilidorei website (www.lilidoreialnwick.co.uk), providing an engaging and informative platform for visitors to learn about the village, book tickets, and immerse themselves in the world of Lilidorei before they even arrived.

Festive Fun for Lilidorei’s First Christmas

• Lilidorei adores Christmas, and we brought its festive spirit to life with a North East-wide out-of-home (OOH) campaign for its first-ever Christmas season, spreading seasonal joy and attracting families to celebrate in the village.

Enhancing the Visitor Experience

• We illustrated and designed a bespoke activity leaflet given to every child upon entry. This included a hand-drawn map of the village, essential visitor information, and interactive activities such as colouring pages to extend the storytelling experience.

We illustrated all of the clan houses, ensuring a consistent and engaging brand presence across all marketing and promotional materials.

A Charitable Mission Behind the Magic

Lilidorei is more than just a play village – it’s part of a greater mission. Behind the scenes of the wonderful experiences you’ll have here, there is a hard-working charity that seeks to support those in our community who need it most; The Alnwick Garden Trust. The proceeds from The Alnwick Garden and Lilidorei are used to support the most vulnerable community members and enable disadvantaged children to enjoy the magic.

Our Approach

Blumilk has been a proud creative partner of The Alnwick Garden for years, supporting them with branding, digital innovation, and event-driven marketing. Our goal was to showcase the wonder of The Alnwick Garden while ensuring that its charitable work was also at the heart of the brand.

What We Delivered

A Digital Transformation

• We redesigned The Alnwick Garden website, creating an intuitive and visually stunning platform that enhances the visitor journey.
• We developed a microsite for partnerships, allowing The Alnwick Garden to showcase opportunities for sponsorships and collaborations.

Bringing Events to Life

• We designed branding and marketing materials for major events, including Goth Weekend, Dinosaur Month, and ‘Alnwick in Wonderland.’
• Created six bespoke limited edition illustrations for the 20th Anniversary Celebration which were sold as prints in the shop and online.
• Designed animations for a Wind in the Willows performance and illustrations for ‘Around the World in 18 Days’.

Christmas Campaigns That Sparkle

• We’ve developed multiple Christmas campaigns, including ‘All is Bright This Christmas’ and ‘Meet Me at The Alnwick Garden’, both featuring stylised graphics and strong messaging.
• Our most recent campaign, in collaboration with a media agency, invited visitors to share their magical memories of Christmas at The Garden. Selected photographs became the face of the campaign, appearing across out-of-home advertising in key locations across the North East and on social media.

Illustrating Stories That Inspire

• We designed and illustrated two children’s books, ‘The Reindeer Who Couldn’t Fly’ and ‘The Forgotten Snowman,’ both gifted by Father Christmas in grotto visits and available in the gift shop.

A Captivating TV Advert

Our team storyboarded, directed, and produced a TV advert, even featuring a member of staff and her family to bring the warmth and authenticity of The Alnwick Garden to the screen.

A Charitable Mission Behind the Magic

Behind the scenes of the picturesque water features, Poison Garden, Labyrinth, and many other wonderful experiences, there is a hard-working charity that seeks to support those in our community who need it most. Using the proceeds from The Alnwick Garden and Lilidorei, The Alnwick Garden not only maintains the site but also delivers on its charitable objectives – reducing social isolation, improving well-being, and supporting vulnerable community members.

Identified challenges in the local community include:

• Increasing young people’s employment chances
• Drugs education and helping children make positive choices
• Supporting organisations in creating mindful, sensory outdoor spaces for their beneficiaries
• Reducing isolation and increasing social networks for older people

The Challenge

As a major national employer, Parkdean Resorts needed to better connect, motivate, and inspire their diverse workforce. With roles ranging from front-of-house to leadership, the company wanted to show every employee that a rewarding long-term career path was possible. The internal comms team approached Blumilk to help create a centralised platform and campaign that could communicate progression clearly and engagingly, while boosting a sense of belonging, value, and ambition across the business.

Our Approach

Creating ‘Thrive’
Blumilk developed a new internal mini-brand called Thrive, a name we chose to reflect the organisation’s commitment to helping team members grow personally and professionally. Designed to stand apart from, but align with, the main Parkdean brand, Thrive became the heart of Parkdean’s internal career communications.

Building the Platform
We designed and built a bespoke digital platform where employees could explore roles, progression routes, and development opportunities. Colourful, intuitive, and filled with practical information, the Thrive portal helped demystify internal career paths, from seasonal team members to general managers, and beyond.

Mapping the Journey
At the heart of the Thrive initiative was a beautifully illustrated Career Pathway Map, showing visual routes across different departments and leadership roles. This storytelling-led approach helped employees see the bigger picture, and their own future place within it.

Rolling Out Across the Business
Blumilk rolled Thrive out through a coordinated campaign including video screens, printed brochures, office installations, uniforms, event graphics, and on-park signage. We created everything from digital touchpoints and branded toolkits to pop-up displays for onboarding sessions, helping embed the initiative company-wide.

Ongoing Support
As part of our creative retainer, we continue to support Parkdean Resorts’ internal comms team with fresh campaigns, content, and design, ensuring Thrive evolves in line with the business and continues to make a difference across teams.

THE CHALLENGE

Bamburgh Castle needed a refreshed brand that would reflect both its historical significance and its modern role as a vibrant, must-visit destination. The existing branding lacked consistency across signage, marketing materials, and digital platforms. Additionally, the Castle sought to improve its visitor experience by introducing a new website with online ticket sales and developing a stronger promotional strategy for weddings and seasonal events.

OUR APPROACH

• Brand Reinvention: We guided Bamburgh Castle through an in-depth rebranding process, crafting a striking new visual identity and comprehensive brand guidelines. These guidelines ensured consistency across all visitor touchpoints, from printed materials to digital assets.
• Enhanced On-Site Experience: We applied the new brand identity to all signage across the castle grounds, creating a more immersive and cohesive visitor experience. A new visitor leaflet and an interactive children’s activity pack were also introduced to enrich engagement for guests of all ages.
• Digital Transformation: We designed and developed a brand-new website that not only showcased the castle’s rich history but also introduced an online ticketing system—an essential new feature to streamline visitor bookings.
• Wedding & Events Marketing: We helped elevate Bamburgh Castle’s wedding offerings with a beautifully designed brochure, a dedicated wedding section on the website, and strategic advertising in leading wedding publications. Our creative support extended to summer event promotions, including the outdoor cinema experience, where we produced a custom movie trailer to set the scene.
• Seasonal Campaigns: We played a key role in the Castle’s Christmas festivities, crafting dedicated campaign webpages and setting up bookable Father Christmas Grotto slots to enhance the holiday experience for families. For summer 2025, we created a campaign look and feel for Bamburgh Castle’s pirate themed summer activity – ‘Ahoy At The Castle’ which included a naming exercise, a website landing page and supporting graphics for magazines and socials.