So as we head into the Easter break, what’s been happening here at Ingenious? Well, we’ve moved offices to the top floor of the lovely Jordangate House! We needed a bit more space anyway, so now we’ve finally got the top floor finished, it made sense to get settled in. Best of all, we’ve got a lovely view over the hills. Plus we’re on the same floor as the kitchen, so it’s win-win. There’s a few pics of the move below. Oh, and the negotiations over the installation of a pool table are ongoing…

When we’ve not been moving in, we’ve been working hard on a number of interesting and creatively rewarding pitches. One in particular has had the glorious leader hand rendering type, amid mutterings of “takes me back, this…” Bless him. Ongoing work has also seen us busy, plus we’ve finally got some Barnaby Festival stuff out there, so it’s been good to see the fruits of everyone’s labours start to be seen around the town.

Just like the old days...

Barnaby 'save the date' cards @ Treacle Market

We’ve also been pressing on with new work for heritage car parts business Leacy Classics. We got some great new stuff through to shoot last week, including these retro oil cans, perfect for sitting next to your cloth cap and string backed driving gloves. (they give you a bit more ‘purchase’, according to Alan Partridge) Away from oily rags, we’ve been busy working on a branding project for a performing arts company, printed literature for Manchester Jewish Museum and a really nice project for the Development Office at Cheadle Hulme School.

Back to the future...

Lastly, whilst on our travels, we’ve been getting all “instagrammy” it’s becoming a bit of an addiction (to be fair, there’s worse ones to have!) and here are a few of our favourites…

Town Square, Macclesfield

Imperial War Museum, London

University of Manchester

Charles Street, Manchester

It’s another busy week post Easter, but despite this the glorious leader’s off to Devon with his family in a 1967 ‘splitty’ (a Volkswagen camper van to the rest of us!) so expect the Ingenious twitter to be commandeered with images of a ‘surf’s up’ nature. Or not, as the weather may well dictate…

Just a quick one from us this time as it’s been fairly hectic here. As we type the glorious leader’s on his way back from London where he’s been meeting with the wonderful Imperial War Museum, plus researching a number of locations to help us with a forthcoming project. Hush hush at the moment, but we’ll tell you more as soon as we can. Oh, the secrecy…Continuing the museum theme, our friends at Manchester Jewish Museum have been really pleased with the children’s ‘dressing up corner’ we designed for them recently, to coincide with the festival of Purim. As soon as we get some pics, we’ll put them up…

In addition to the IWM project, the studio is crackling away under a heavy but interesting workload, most notably new projects for the ever-interesting Cheadle Hulme School and also a pair of brochures we’re presenting to a new client next week. Perfect time for our colour printer to start being difficult. Not. That, plus a few other ‘admin’ issues will be tackled over the weekend, giving us a decent start to the week. In terms of recently completed work, it’s print all the way, with a couple of Manchester Business School brochures and this nice little piece for CHS, which outlines the future long term strategy of the School.

Forward thinking...

We have also recently completed the CHS former pupils yearbook, known as The Old Waconian (Waconian being the name for pupils of the school – see previous blog entries for a history lesson!)

WAC - Warehousmen & Clerks, dontchaknow...

The ongoing refurb of Jordangate House continues in conjunction with our neighbours, Axis Accounting. We’ve been working together over the last two years to bring our home up to scratch, and the next phase is about to commence. We’re going to be splitting the floorspace equally, and we’ll be moving to the top floor (always thought we’d get to the top one day!) to give us amongst other things, more space, a better view and importantly, closer proximity to the kitchen! All this means that the legend that is ‘Derek the Decorator’ will soon be back in, and to match the new interior, we’re getting the front of the building refurbed and painted, to match the back that was done last year. The front is slightly more problematic in that we need to get scaffolding erected, but it’ll be worth it when it’s finished, as the saying goes. Whilst we’re up there, we’re also going to be putting a flag on our tragically unadorned flagpole. Watch this space!

Soon to be painted!

Lastly, and to celebrate our glorious leader’s discovery of this new thing called instagram (he’s only just found out the Titanic has sunk!) here’s one of his latest masterpieces, of a bright yet moody Macclesfield. Hidden talents, you see…

Market Place, Macclesfield. March 2012

First things first. There’s been another birthday here at Ingenious this week, namely Louise who celebrated her big day by promptly booking the day off. No cakes, no treats, nothing. Cheers then…In fairness moving house probably had something to do with it, but even so, poor show really Still, Lou’s birthday was as good as excuse as any for a bit of design based retail therapy. Cue a nice box of pantone related items appearing…

Mugs, pads and pencils. All stuff we like...

Speaking of age, (well we kind of were) last night our glorious leader went off to Manchester Photographic to relive his youth, and listen to a talk by Kevin Cummins and Peter Hook, and see Kevin’s exhibition of Joy Division photographs. Once again, retail was involved, with a wonderful book making an appearance in the studio this morning, signed no less. He also got his “we’re not really here” signed, as of course Paul and Mr Cummins share a love of Man City.

Great band, great club, great photographer. Manchester, so much to answer for...

Back on the work front, we’ve had a few great meetings recently, all leading to new work for Ingenious. We’re going to be working on branding projects for a Community Arts organisation and also a Commercial Property developer, and also some wonderful new pieces of design, both digital and print, for Cheadle Hulme School. Since being appointed by CHS in mid 2011, we’ve spent the first six months of our relationship refining and implementing our brand refresh and rolling out some wonderful pieces of work, some of which you can see below. The focus for the next six months is to move things forward, both strategically and creatively. We’re fortunate indeed that we’ve a client that trusts us and allows us to be custodians of such a renowned brand, and it’s a challenge we continue to relish.

A selection of CHS print work

As ever, we’ve got a diverse spread of ongoing work, but two projects in particular stand out. Both museum installations, but of very different types and for clients old and new – Imperial War Museum North and Manchester Jewish Museum.

The IWM project is all about creating a brand and environment in which a specially commissioned piece of film will be displayed. The MJM piece aims to engage with children and teach them all about different items of Jewish religious clothing. As we type, the MJM install will have begun, so we’ll be able to show some shots of that next time, whereas the IWM project is in the very early stages, and will see us work on it throughout 2012 at both IWM North and IWM London. So lots to get on with!

Closer to home, but just as close to our hearts, we’ve been working hard with the good people from Macclesfield Barnaby Festival, and following a meeting last week have all but signed off on the look and feel of the 2012 event. Again, we’ll be putting visuals of this work up as soon as we’re able. The initial roll-out will be around the end of March, so you’ll be able to see a sneak preview here soon!

It’s been a hectic couple of weeks since our last TWOWTW, so plenty to squeeze in here. So, where to begin? Let’s start with people getting old…

The glorious leader had birthday earlier in the month, and is now teetering on the brink of middle age. It’s kind of appropriate (and funny) that his rediscovered passion for mountain biking neatly mirrors his age, as they both involve rapid descents from here on in. Well, not so rapid, in the case of the biking…all joking aside, happy birthday boss, and thanks to the rest of the Hartley’s for the MCFC inspired cakes.

The Fire Brigade advised against a candle for every year...

Moving on to more important matters, the studio has been really busy recently, working on some major publications for our two School clients (Cheadle Hulme and Manchester Business) plus a lovely brochure for the equally lovely Eclectic Hotels. A marathon signing off session last week saw those all safely off to print, so we’re looking forward to seeing them completed and delivered shortly. We’ve also made some really strong progress on our work with Macclesfield’s Barnaby Festival, working up two creative routes – one evolutionary, one more revolutionary, so it’ll be interesting to see how far we can take things. Either way, we can’t wait to get the final work out in the Town over the coming weeks. Let us know what you think!

Sneak preview 1: Eclectic Hotels brochure

Sneak preview 2: Cheadle Hulme School magazine, "Vision"

A sea of proofs. Kevin Cummins' book isn't a job, it's just lovely to look at...

We’ve just finished off (at long last – sorry Mike!) a nice little website for prestige builder and all round good bloke, Mike Fairhurst. We did Mike’s corporate identity last year, so the website was the next stage. Whilst we’re always thrilled to work on large projects for big clients, we also love creating work for smaller businesses and actually help them grow. Here’s a quick screengrab (and link) to JM Fairhurst.

Finally it's live! www.JMFairhurst.com

Forthcoming work is equally exciting, with a number of museum and exhibition projects on the horizon for clients both old and new. As those of you who know us and our work will understand, we really enjoy working in “the built environment”, particularly when there’s an immovable deadline – usually a preview evening or press launch – that means project management is as crucial as creative execution. It’s early days for these projects so we can’t say much at the moment, but as ever, the combination of great subject matter and a good clients who understand the creative process means it’s up to us to deliver. No pressure then!

We’re also proving very popular with our suppliers at the moment – we’ve had a number of referrals from various sources, which is very welcome and gives us encouragement that we’re doing our job properly if people are prepared to recommend us. Furthermore, we’re already seeing significant growth with existing clients, so we’re thrilled with how 2012 is shaping up, but mindful that it’s only February!

A recent trip to London saw us pop into the Museum of Brands in Notting Hill. It’s a real treasure trove of memories, and what the place perhaps lacks in interactivity or a cutting edge museum ‘experience’, it makes up for in sheer depth of content. Particularly interesting (apart from the many “I remember that!” moments) were the displays that charted the evolution of a brand through the ages. Well worth a visit if you’ve an hour to kill between meetings, as we had. Paul also found time to take a photo of a Scooby Doo wrapped Porsche on the Portobello Road, but that’s probably just the mid life crisis kicking in…

Childhood memories (if you're as old as Paul...)

Johnson's Baby Powder

Fizzzzzzzzz...

"Yikes" indeed...

This week has seen us complete most of the projects with pre-holiday deadlines, host clients, suppliers and friends at our annual party, start some studio reshuffles and plan some new year resolutions…

Oh, and it’s SNOWING in Macclesfield. Sledges at the ready!

It’d be far too straightforward if we were able to wind down well in advance of Christmas, wouldn’t it? In true Ingenious style we’re still flat out in the studio with a number of weighty projects that have early January deadlines. Great stuff to work on, so it’s no hardship really, plus of course we consider ourselves very fortunate that we’re in such a strong position in otherwise challenging times.

Go on, you know you want to...

This week we finally completed our annual Manchester Business School festive game, “Let there be light”. In just four days it’s attracted over 2,000 hits from outside the initial distribution list, so the client is very pleased with how it’s gone. Can you help Santa by harnessing the power of the magic Christmas Tree and lighting up Manchester? Well, can you??!  Why not try it and find out? Click here to play…

Wednesday saw us enjoy an evening with clients at the lovely Didsbury House Hotel, which as some of you may know, belongs to one of our clients, Eclectic Hotels. As usual, they looked after us wonderfully well, and despite some people not being able to join us, a great evening was had by all.

The Lovely Didsbury House

Hic!

The equally lovely Snow Goose Cafe

However, those who missed it have another opportunity for festive cheer on Thursday 22nd when we venture out to the equally lovely Snow Goose Café Bar in Macclesfield. Nearby? Come and say hi…

It'll look a lot tidier soon!

We’re taking the opportunity to rearrange our studio over the holidays. Oh, we know how to live…Well, a change is as good as a rest, as they say. Plus, we need to create a bit more space to allow for expansion early in the New Year. More details soon…

There’s been much talk this week about new year’s resolutions, and even more talk amongst certain people about ‘getting back in the saddle’. Literally. Grown men (who really should know better) have been getting overly excited about bikes and the riding thereof. It seems to be more of a gadget fest than anything, with hydraulic brakes, lock out forks and the like being scrutinised, so it remains to be seen if this ‘top trumps’ bike fest translates into pedalling activity. Our glorious leader has a ‘fitting’ for a bike (yes, really) next Friday, so expect to hear more about this in the New Year. Anyone wishing to donate bandages, plasters and soft cushions to help patch up and comfort our intrepid bikers, please get in touch…

The Ingenious boys in training...

We headed off to People’s History Museum in Spinningfields, Manchester, for the opening of ‘Picturing Politics’, their latest changing exhibition. It’s the third one we’ve worked on for PHM, and follows ‘Death and the Working Class’ and ‘On the March’. Here’s the exhibition identity and also our lovely little postcards in the museum shop.

Exhibition Identity as soon on the preview evening invitation

Get your postcards here...

From an advertising perspective, perhaps the most iconic piece of work on display was this Saatchi & Saatchi poster designed for the Conservative party for the 1979 general election.

Good ideas never date...

Moving on, we’ve been busy this week on work for Manchester Business School’s Executive Education team. It’s been almost a year since we started working with ‘Exec Ed’ and we’re delighted to report that, following a successful review meeting, we’re to continue doing more of the same in 2012. Phew! Always nice to have a happy client, and we’re just as pleased with how things are going as they are. Here’s a quick shot of a double gatefold brochure we’re putting together, with more stuff in the pipeline, not least the annual Christmas interactive game, which will be coming to a screen near you soon…

Another client we’re really pleased with is Cheadle Hulme School. We’re very fortunate that we’ve a client that trusts us with their brand, and are happy to sit back and let us deliver the strategy that won us the pitch earlier in the year. It’s really starting to come together now, and over the next few months we’ll be rolling out some more new work that represents a significant leap forwards creatively from where they were. But we can’t show it you yet. Sorry…

The ever lovely environment that is Cheadle Hulme School

We’re also really enjoying working on the Barnaby festival brand. Regular readers of our blog will recall we were appointed a couple of weeks ago, and work has already begun! At present we’re delivering the last of the 2011 festival documents, but are also looking towards 2012 and an evolved look and feel. There are a number of potential creative directions we’re developing before presenting to the Barnaby Committee next month, so yet again, would love to show you, but can’t. Oooh, aren’t we secretive!!!?

Barnaby the Bear, not the Festival. Apologies in advance to the under 25's...

We got out and about in Macc this week, when we headed over to The Snow Goose for the second Digital Edge meeting. This is a great initiative, set up by local developer Chris Garrett, for like minded digital / design types (plus the odd photographer and account manager for balance!) to meet up for a drink and a chat. Top idea, and one we’re happy to support. Visit here for more info…

So, lots going on, but not much to show. ‘Twas ever thus! The next couple of weeks will see some fairly major pieces of work completed, so we’ll return to a more visually stimulating blog. Promise. In the meantime, we’re delighted to see Christmas officially begin in Macclesfield. We know this is true, because…

1. The tree’s gone up! (see below)
2. Costa have those red cups out again
3. We saw a busker in a Santa hat.

It's Chrrrrrrriiiiiiisssssttttttmmmmmaaaaaasssss!!!!!!! Apparently.

The weekend sees (some of) us working, so whatever you do, enjoy yours. We will!