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Adding Gold Foil Vinyl to a relatively small number of personalised Gold Playstations for the National Lottery to celebrate the locations around the country that sold the winning tickets is one of the latest ideas put in place by the PR companies used by Camelot to promote the various games offered.

We used Gold Foil Vinyl to highlight the game, the winners name and the amount won, the winner was then asked to add a gold handprint to the new Gold Playstations that have been launched, and installed into the stores that sold them their successful ticket.

Base printed inlays were laminated, die cut to shape and then contour cut vinyl in a Gloss Gold Foil Vinyl was applied and distributed across the country to coincide with the winner attending a series of special events celebrating their win where their winning ticket was purchased.

The specially made Gold playstations are just part of a campaign to reverse the decline in revenues that has been seen briefly by Camelot.  The specially made Gold Playstations are being installed in the locations where the winning ticket was purchased from often with the winner themselves on hand to deliver the unit and add their own message to the play areas. Two of the first gold playstations to leave the warehouse were delivered by the lucky winners themselves.

Stamping their hands in Gold

Winners got to cover their hand with gold paint and make a handprint on the Feature area.  They could choose to write a personal message too.  The nature of their particular win was also featured in Gold Foil Vinyl.  Depending on whether they were individuals, belonged to a syndicate and had won on a scratchcard, Euromillions or Lotto.

These MOT date prompt and test reminders are great examples of simple client communications  – we developed the programme using post as the prime media to communicate with the customers of Motorlux.  We designed the cards, printed them and then mailed them – staggering their release to suit the month in which the target vehicle was due to renew its MOT.

These A5 cards were the first direct mailing activity we ran at carbon colour using the new Royal Mail barcode PPI which when coupled with the benefits of short run colour printing allows the client to mix its marketing message, target the individual, highlight pertinent data to the recipient and deliver support to the brand.

At carbon colour we do all sorts of client communications – we print, pack, collate, stuff, produce envelopes, add labels, match contents, nest forms and information leaflets, collate inserts, seal and prepare for post, or simply finish and pack items and deliver bulk to your door.

If you’d like to talk to us about how we can help you design your next piece of outbound direct mail, or solve a particular problem you might have – give carbon colour a call and one of us will be only too delighted to help.

call us today on 01235 438 938

One area in which we excel is in dealing with last minute, short run solutions – which might involve adapting an existing idea, executing part of a plan or helping test several ideas at once, to inform measurement and response for a bigger marketing implementation plan.

carbon colour can help segment your data, add trackable codes or barcodes where relevant as well as source unusual outers, enclosures and promotional items to make your mak

Occasionally we get asked to help transform a workspace, corridor or wall, but this month we undertook a complete transformation by applying liftshaft graphics in a large house on the Thames.  In the past we have done doors, inside panels, exterior areas and bespoke signage for lifts, but this was our first complete interior of liftshaft graphics.

In a private house that had recently been refurbished, we were asked to applied high resolution liftshaft graphics to a three storey domestic lift, wrapping doors, edges and control panels with a series of very colourful designs all of which had been painted by Mike Simmons (a set designer from Wallingford).  The inspiration for the very original designs came from a lively mixture of space related travel, a bit of Doctor Who and even a nod to Harry Potter.

Inside the finished liftshaft – the controls are incorporated into the design, even the emergency telephone is camouflaged.

The aim was to create an immersive experience for anyone travelling up or down in the lift – which is a platform version(only the platform base moves, the walls all remain exposed).  We started with a very plain grey liftshaft, eventually we applied graphics to the ceiling, up to the running gear and all over the control panel.  With bespoke graphics added to the interface it was quite difficult to image what it had looked like before the graphics had been applied.  The client was absolutely delighted with the result, which gave the family something completely unique, exciting and innovative.

One of the latest bike accessories to hit the market is personalised headgear.  The new release from Lid is a semi collapsible helmet which offers protection – especially to commuters who tend to already have enough luggage without the incumbrance of a full bike helmet as well. With well crafted cut vinyl in suitable or contrasting colours we have helped this manufacturer stand out from the crowd.

LID Helmets is a lifestyle bike helmet brand, specialising in head protection for urban, commuter cyclists who demand convenience, style, safety and comfort. Our helmets are independently safety certified to EN and CPSC standards.  Bike helmets are a hassle to carry and store and most look unstylish – LID Helmets plans to change all of that.

Find out more about the latest in personalised headgear from LID here

Each segment of the LID helmet is made from recycled EPS (expanded polystyrene) with an in-mould polycarbonate shell and when you buy it you can make it your very own piece of personalise headgear. With option to add a corporate logo if you buy in bulk or your name if you bought as a single.  Lid says that this design not only allows the helmet to be compacted for stowage and portability, it also means it can shape to your head in use, making for a snug and comfortable fit, with the channels between the various sections allowing good airflow to avoid overheating. There’s also four-position size adjustment to the fit system and you get padding to stop the chinstrap irritating your neck.

As part of the marketing comms plan our client has been supporting their business development by personalising helmets for people like SOHO HOUSE and GQ Magazine amongst others.

As part of Highways England public consultation on proposals to upgrade the A303 between Amesbury and Berwick Down, as it passes the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, we helped create and manufacture a series of exhibition boards and other display materials. The boards highlighted the main aspects of the proposed scheme on which Highways England are seeking comment while one of our Twister systems was used to display a large map of the route.

One part of the exhibition was a series of linkable rigid panels that were interchangeable – so different venues could be best laid out, and a flexible single twister unit of over four metres in length that could be kept straight or bent to fit in a corner location or an awkwardly shaped  venue.  This was all printed and mounted together with additional collateral and small extracts produced as visual aids so that they could be used to help answer questions from the consultees as and when they arose.

One of the advantages of using modular boards as part of the solution for this client is the level of flexibility it gives both the event installation team and the designers.  Almost any size can be cut – and linked, panels don’t have to be either the same width or height – and to some extent can even be cut to shape as required.  Using a clamp system means that a board can be omitted, used in isolation or inter-changed really easily.  The scheme also used adjustable feet to cope with public venues and the possibility of variance in floor levels.

find out more about the A303 road scheme at Stonehenge here

With a new building opening on Milton Park there’s always lots to do – and the recent official opening of the new UK Headquarters of Adaptimmune was no exception.

With new albeit temporary graphics applied to the exterior of the building, with on the day signage applied separately to that, we also created and installed a series of huge timelines telling the story of the business its scientific progress and its corporate story.  From showing members of the founding team and early investors to rounds of investment in the UK and USA.

carbon colour provided creative services to design and artwork the timelines, which were then printed and applied to the walls in the new building, supporting collateral was printed, along with programmes for the day and temporary display boards supplied which carried press coverage alongside photos old and new.

Over 400 people, including employees and senior representatives from the regional and national business, academic, government and investor communities, gathered on November 6th to celebrate the official opening of their flagship facility. Professor Sir John Bell GBE, FRS, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, will unveil a commemorative plaque.

find out more about Adaptimmune here

or get some inspiration for your own printed materials from our collection of product types and case studies which you can find here

Here’s a new product – books of postcards – we developed recently for a publishing client.  Effectively its a slightly different way of creating and presenting a series of cards – it brings together a collection of marketing postcards which are glue bound on one edge and contained within a wrap around cover.

Printed in colour throughout with Matt Lamination on the outer of the cover this item has great desk top appeal and already a few of our other art led clients have expressed an interest in exploiting the principle to create their own books of postcards.  The same format would suit artists and illustrators who want to present a series of images from a collection of their work.

This collection was going to be used as a hand out at trade shows, the pack could be used for a multitude of other sectors – the postcards can be unique, or repeats, ideal to promote or market part of an artists collection or a series of linked ideas.  The cards peel off the short edge and when bound lay almost flat so its easy to read and yet strong enough to hang together like a bound book.

We also produce greetings cards and notelets for our clients – see some examples here.  From scanning your originals to designing a whole new range of cards we can help, we are used to colour balancing against originals and we carry a wide range of cello bags and envelopes so we can easily deal with last minute requests for urgent re-prints, bespoke christmas cards and cards for special events.

If you would like to discuss how carbon colour could help you promote your business, launch a new service or support the the sales of a product just give us a call on 01235 438 938 or get in touch here.

Getting it right at a business to business launch is often quite a challenge – to stand out from the crowd, not only do you need to get the creative look and content right for your audience, but making sure you having enough collateral needs to be thought about too.

With two new products to offer attendees at a recent conference, our client Investassure asked us for help to give them a new fresh look to their display materials.  We helped design some banners, new cards and a handout all of which were used specifically for this recent event.

It’s always good to get feedback and the comment from InvestAssure was particularly nice.

“I wanted to let you know how pleased we were with the materials. I think we were easily the best looking outfit at the conference.  We had a lot of interest in our services and as a result we will be doing another event in November”. 

The business was actively promoting two solutions:

SMART Online Self-Assessment and e-Learning

An online self-assessment and e-learning tool (SMART) allowing businesses to cost-effectively streamline their ethical communication, assurance and improvement programmes. It can support the interests of all parties by facilitating online factory self-assessment against a customised set of requirements, whilst at the same time communicating policies and good practice across a whole supply chain or investment portfolio.

NIMBUS Web Monitoring of Corporate Incidents and Allegations

A web monitoring service, NIMBUS, provides a cost-effective way of keeping tabs on companies all year long. It constantly scans the web for the latest reports of allegations and incidents relating to EHS, labour and other ethical aspects of corporate performance in Asia.  The data are available to investors, retailers, manufacturers and banks for use as early warnings of problems and also as inputs to screening and due diligence. Find out more here.

‘InvestAssure has built a free SMART module based on the BES 6002 standard for Ethical Labour Sourcing, developed by the Building Research Establishment. This will support the construction sector in implementing the UK’s Modern Slavery Act. SMART_ELS can be downloaded at www.investassure.net/smart.’

If you would like some help with your business to business launch or any other creative printing you might need – just give one of us a call on  01235 438 938

Here’s our recent installation of an impressive montage of mounted portraiture we produced for the talented photographer, Andrew Ogilvy.

A graduate from Glasgow School of Art, Andrew now lives in Oxford where he has also taught Photography courses to inspiring young students.

Known for his engaging, minimalist portraits that capture a depth of each individual character. His quick speed of work is fuss free, frequently shooting in limited time frames makes for an ideal combination for life on set.  Always well prepared and researched, Andrew is quietly commanding and quick to capture the moment. His passion for detail and exceptional use of light demonstrated in every photograph.

where to see this work

They are in the foyer of the Oxford Playhouse and all have a connection with the theatre. If you get the chance, call in to take a look. Or find out more about Andrew’s work here