Connect brings sparkle with radio launch

Connect Group has been appointed by Midlands-based Orion Media to launch its new East Midlands radio station Gem 106.

The new regional ‘adult contemporary’ service was launched by Orion on New Year’s Day, with Connect’s ‘turn on the sparkle’ creative campaign supporting it.

The campaign, created by Wolverhampton integrated agency Connect includes outdoor, online and TV.

Connect’s new executive creative director, James Sinclair, led the creative team that worked on the Gem 106 campaign. He said: “Working with David and Andy from GEM 106 has been as nice an experience as I can remember in advertising. They know who they are, who their customers are, and what they want to say to them.

“With that level of understanding of their brand translated into a tight proposition and a great name to boot, all we had to do was sprinkle a little pixie dust on top – which of course is exactly what we did.

“ What’s more our partners Bert and Bertie from The Gate Films and Flipbook SFX did a great job of making the magic manifest.”

Orion’s chief executive, Phil Riley, said of the campaign: “The Connect team has created an excellent campaign. Turn around times were extremely tight, particularly as a lot of the work had to be completed in the run up to Christmas, but the team, led by James and client services director Antony Green, met all of our expectations. The campaign is backed up by a serious media spend.”

The media partner for the campaign was Brilliant, based in Birmingham.

To see the television advertisement visit http://www.thegatefilms.com/

Connect drinks to new partnership with Banks's

Banks’s, brewers of the West Midlands’ favourite ales, has appointed Connect Group to handle its new brand campaign.

Press, outdoor and point of sale combine in a campaign which focuses on the freshness of what is the region’s fastest selling beer.

Location, creativity and understanding of the brand were all vital components in Banks’s decision to appoint Connect. Wolverhampton is home to both businesses with Banks’s brewing its ales at the Park Brewery since 1875 and Connect being based in the city since the business was founded in 1993.

Rob Hampton, Connect’s founder and managing director said: “Banks’s was looking for an agency that understood its roots but also had a creative edge. In the last 17 years we’ve demonstrated that we’re an honest Wolverhampton agency with buckets of creativity. It was a true pleasure to work with Banks’s on this campaign and promote a fantastic product so closely linked with our home town.”

Connect’s clients include Tarmac, Chiltern Trains, Calor, Goodyear Dunlop, Baxi, Bentley and Uniball.

Connect appointed as build agency on new Land Rover website

Connect has been appointed as build partner for Land Rover’s new global website.

The appointment comes on the back of its successful work earlier this year with Jaguar Land Rover on its new website configurator.

As part of its remit, the Wolverhampton full service agency will work with Land Rover's web content management partner on the development and integration of Land Rover’s new website and will work with Land Rover’s other creative agencies in delivering the project. As before, Connect’s digital team will power, build and deploy the new Land Rover configurator.

Jose Espinosa, Connect’s director of digital services, said of the appointment: “This is a further demonstration of our capabilities in delivering innovative digital solutions as well as managing budgets and agencies. We’ve got some of the best digital brains in the business and it’s fantastic to be recognised for this again.”

2009 is proving to be one of Connect’s best ever years. So far this year the agency has picked up briefs from WD-40, Volkswagen, Goodyear Dunlop, Uniball and Ekornes.

Picture shows Jose Espinosa

Connect is now a happy word

As communication, language and literacy are vital to our work here at Connect PR, and many of us in the office understand the importance of children's education (being parents ourselves), our hearts were warmed when we heard about the latest initiative from the I CAN charity.

Adopt a Word, aims to help change the lives of children with speech, language and communications difficulties. Through the scheme, the whole of the English Language is up for adoption and celebs such as Stephen Fry, Mel C, Cherie Booth QC and Nicholas Parsons OBE have each adopted their own words.

In support of the charity, we too have once again become proud parents and are now official guardians of the word 'Connect'. We will make sure it is nurtured and well looked after whilst it is in our care and remains a happy word. Our adoption certificate will be given pride of place in the office for all to see.

You can Adopt a Word and support the charity at http://www.adoptaword.co.uk/.