HOME - :: Alex is a brand planner by trade, armed with years of experience across a variety of categories and brands. Back in the day, he was a strategist for CSR brand consultants 3CV in Manchester, developing ethically based campaigns for good northern brands like the Co-operative Bank, the Mines Advisory Group and Opera North. He wrote about how to research ethical consumers in a book called the Ethical Consumer. Best of all, he did some really interesting stuff for Yorkshire Water that produced results for both the brand and the children of Yorkshire.:: When London beckoned, he winged his way down to Ogilvy to work as planner on fancy global brands like American Express, Lucozade, the WWF and BP. He never forgot his northern roots though and developed ‘Brand Devolution’; an approach to connect more deeply with consumers at a regional level that managed to bag him a WPP Atticus Award. :: In 2006 he made his way over to AMV BBDO where he worked on Guinness’s three most successful campaigns to date, created a new pet food category and got Snickers to bring back Mr T. When those weren’t keeping him busy, Alex played an integral role in the ‘Running Club’; an AMV unit dedicated to stretching big ideas into new spaces and channels. He has also worked on a number of new business pitches.

:: Click here to see the work » -

HOME

-

:: Alex is a brand planner by trade, armed with years of experience across a variety of categories and brands. Back in the day, he was a strategist for CSR brand consultants 3CV in Manchester, developing ethically based campaigns for good northern brands like the Co-operative Bank, the Mines Advisory Group and Opera North. He wrote about how to research ethical consumers in a book called the Ethical Consumer. Best of all, he did some really interesting stuff for Yorkshire Water that produced results for both the brand and the children of Yorkshire.

:: When London beckoned, he winged his way down to Ogilvy to work as planner on fancy global brands like American Express, Lucozade, the WWF and BP. He never forgot his northern roots though and developed ‘Brand Devolution’; an approach to connect more deeply with consumers at a regional level that managed to bag him a WPP Atticus Award.

:: In 2006 he made his way over to AMV BBDO where he worked on Guinness’s three most successful campaigns to date, created a new pet food category and got Snickers to bring back Mr T. When those weren’t keeping him busy, Alex played an integral role in the ‘Running Club’; an AMV unit dedicated to stretching big ideas into new spaces and channels. He has also worked on a number of new business pitches.



:: Click here to see the work »

-

more
HOME - :: Alex helps a number of smaller brands with their branding and communications. And when he needs to bring in outside expertise, he knows just the right photographer, printer or web-developer to help out. He may well run the biggest advertising agency in all of Morzine. :: He has both retained clients and works on a project-by-project basis. He’s helped Alpine Property become the biggest estate agent in the Alps, selling another property every week. :: He’s created Slow Chalets as the antithesis of the big ski chalet operator. :: He’s helped Endless Ride become the place for mountain biking, and Endless Trails become the place for snow shoeing. :: And he’s created identities, websites and advertising for plenty of other brands in the region. :: Click here to see the work » -

HOME

-

:: Alex helps a number of smaller brands with their branding and communications. And when he needs to bring in outside expertise, he knows just the right photographer, printer or web-developer to help out. He may well run the biggest advertising agency in all of Morzine.

:: He has both retained clients and works on a project-by-project basis. He’s helped Alpine Property become the biggest estate agent in the Alps, selling another property every week.

:: He’s created Slow Chalets as the antithesis of the big ski chalet operator.

:: He’s helped Endless Ride become the place for mountain biking, and Endless Trails become the place for snow shoeing.

:: And he’s created identities, websites and advertising for plenty of other brands in the region.

:: Click here to see the work »

-

more
HOME - :: Alex was the brand planner on Guinness during the busiest time in the brand’s history. In his first campaign ‘Hands’ he led Guinness into the digital world for the first time, with a unique microsite where users could create their own version of the film. Engagement with the brand on the site averaged 7.5 minutes and it picked up the FWA’s site of the week.:: He then led the thinking on Guinness’s Rugby Strategy, culminating in the ‘Rugby Squared’ campaign that gave the brand the highest spontaneous awareness around the 2007 Rugby World Cup despite not being an official sponsor. The TV execution received the brand’s best ever Millward Brown tracking scores for branded memorability and brand appeal. Together with the tactical press ads around the tournament, it took Guinness’s association with rugby to an all time high.:: At the same time, he worked on the launch of the Guinness Red variant, leading the strategic thinking on only the second NPD launch from the brand in the UK.:: And for the ‘Tipping Point’ campaign, the brand once again embraced the power of the digital environment by allowing one lucky consumer to launch the biggest TV ad in the brand’s history. An elaborate treasure hunt was played by over 80,000 fans resulting in millions of minutes interaction with the brand well beyond the film itself. It was Guinness’s most successful campaign yet in terms of deepening loyalty and cementing the bond with fans of the brand. And it was voted the world’s third best campaign of 2008 in the Big Won survey.:: Alex also helped the brand tackle the summer sales dip with the ‘taste’ campaign, and reassured on product quality through the ‘Brewed in Dublin’ outdoor campaign.:: Sales increased 3% in a market otherwise declining by 5% and the Diageo European President went on record to praise the impact of the brand’s communications. :: Click here to see the work » -

HOME

-

:: Alex was the brand planner on Guinness during the busiest time in the brand’s history. In his first campaign ‘Hands’ he led Guinness into the digital world for the first time, with a unique microsite where users could create their own version of the film. Engagement with the brand on the site averaged 7.5 minutes and it picked up the FWA’s site of the week.

:: He then led the thinking on Guinness’s Rugby Strategy, culminating in the ‘Rugby Squared’ campaign that gave the brand the highest spontaneous awareness around the 2007 Rugby World Cup despite not being an official sponsor. The TV execution received the brand’s best ever Millward Brown tracking scores for branded memorability and brand appeal. Together with the tactical press ads around the tournament, it took Guinness’s association with rugby to an all time high.

:: At the same time, he worked on the launch of the Guinness Red variant, leading the strategic thinking on only the second NPD launch from the brand in the UK.

:: And for the ‘Tipping Point’ campaign, the brand once again embraced the power of the digital environment by allowing one lucky consumer to launch the biggest TV ad in the brand’s history. An elaborate treasure hunt was played by over 80,000 fans resulting in millions of minutes interaction with the brand well beyond the film itself. It was Guinness’s most successful campaign yet in terms of deepening loyalty and cementing the bond with fans of the brand. And it was voted the world’s third best campaign of 2008 in the Big Won survey.

:: Alex also helped the brand tackle the summer sales dip with the ‘taste’ campaign, and reassured on product quality through the ‘Brewed in Dublin’ outdoor campaign.

:: Sales increased 3% in a market otherwise declining by 5% and the Diageo European President went on record to praise the impact of the brand’s communications.

:: Click here to see the work »

-

more
HOME - :: Back in 2006 Alex began as the brand planner on Snickers, a once great brand that needed to reaffirm its role as a staple ingredient in young bloke’s lives. By creating a cult phenomenon rather than an advertising campaign, he helped them achieve just that. :: Snickers was repositioned with a manly, uncompromising attitude and Mr T was brought onboard as the brand spokesman to deliver it. He delivered the brand’s new ‘Get Some Nuts’ mantra through-the-line, making full use of the online playground where Snicker’s target spend so much of their time and the point-of-sale environment which is so important in converting FMCG sales. :: Following launch, the campaign generated something of a cult following. Millions watched it on Youtube, with many even uploading their own version. Thousands joined the Facebook user groups that were set-up in appreciation of it. And (best of all) Liverpool fans started directing a Get Some Nuts chant toward Didier Drogba. :: The follow-up wave of the campaign was another roaring success, whether on TV, online or in the pages of lads’ mags everywhere. 9000 fans on Bebo, 25000 on Facebook and another few million views on Youtube followed. :: Since it launched, Get Some Nuts has helped grow the size of Snickers in the UK by about 10%. Not bad in a declining category. :: What’s more, it’s been exported across countless international markets, helping lodge the brand in youth culture and driving significant sales everywhere it’s run. :: Click here to see the work » -

HOME

-

:: Back in 2006 Alex began as the brand planner on Snickers, a once great brand that needed to reaffirm its role as a staple ingredient in young bloke’s lives. By creating a cult phenomenon rather than an advertising campaign, he helped them achieve just that.

:: Snickers was repositioned with a manly, uncompromising attitude and Mr T was brought onboard as the brand spokesman to deliver it. He delivered the brand’s new ‘Get Some Nuts’ mantra through-the-line, making full use of the online playground where Snicker’s target spend so much of their time and the point-of-sale environment which is so important in converting FMCG sales.

:: Following launch, the campaign generated something of a cult following. Millions watched it on Youtube, with many even uploading their own version. Thousands joined the Facebook user groups that were set-up in appreciation of it. And (best of all) Liverpool fans started directing a Get Some Nuts chant toward Didier Drogba.

:: The follow-up wave of the campaign was another roaring success, whether on TV, online or in the pages of lads’ mags everywhere. 9000 fans on Bebo, 25000 on Facebook and another few million views on Youtube followed.

:: Since it launched, Get Some Nuts has helped grow the size of Snickers in the UK by about 10%. Not bad in a declining category.

:: What’s more, it’s been exported across countless international markets, helping lodge the brand in youth culture and driving significant sales everywhere it’s run.

:: Click here to see the work »

-

more
HOME - :: One of Alex’s first clients was Yorkshire Water. This experience helped shape the way he thinks about both branding and the role brands should play in peoples’ lives. :: Yorkshire Water is one of the biggest companies in the region. But back in 2000, a wave of bad press, hosepipe bans and price rises meant that it wasn’t particularly well regarded by the people of Yorkshire. :: The answer lay in re-framing the company; from a utilities provider to a consumer product. And a great tasting, healthy one at that. But we knew that we wouldn’t be able to do this with another advertising campaign. Just like any other consumer good, we needed to brand the product itself. But how on earth do you brand the water that comes out of the tap? :: Cool Schools was the first campaign that brought this strategy to life. At a time when new research was showing the damaging effects of dehydration on children’s performance in schools, another study showed that 42% of children in Leeds didn’t have access to drinking water. And most of those that did had to get it from the toilet area. :: The Cool Schools scheme didn’t just put safe drinking water into these schools; it made it fun for children to drink the stuff. Funky bottles were designed to be used with the flash new water coolers, and 82% of children subsequently said they enjoyed drinking water from them. The initiative reached 250,000 children and the following year it was named in the Government’s Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools. :: All the while these activities were communicated to parents and Yorkshire Water consumers. Suddenly, they went from being the guys who cause traffic jams with their holes in the road, to the guys who improve the health of their children with their thoughtful approach. And just as importantly, it showed how Yorkshire Water’s main product tasted great and was blindingly good for you. :: This formative experience has inspired Alex’s work on brands ever since. Firstly, by instilling a rigorous desire to get to the bottom of the business problem. Because only then can you understand what the best way might be to tackle it; perhaps advertising, perhaps an event or perhaps even a water cooler. :: But just as importantly it showed that communications objectives can be met as a corollary of social, community or environmental objectives. A belief he continues to be a strong proponent of through his work on brands today. -

HOME

-

:: One of Alex’s first clients was Yorkshire Water. This experience helped shape the way he thinks about both branding and the role brands should play in peoples’ lives.

:: Yorkshire Water is one of the biggest companies in the region. But back in 2000, a wave of bad press, hosepipe bans and price rises meant that it wasn’t particularly well regarded by the people of Yorkshire.

:: The answer lay in re-framing the company; from a utilities provider to a consumer product. And a great tasting, healthy one at that. But we knew that we wouldn’t be able to do this with another advertising campaign. Just like any other consumer good, we needed to brand the product itself. But how on earth do you brand the water that comes out of the tap?

:: Cool Schools was the first campaign that brought this strategy to life. At a time when new research was showing the damaging effects of dehydration on children’s performance in schools, another study showed that 42% of children in Leeds didn’t have access to drinking water. And most of those that did had to get it from the toilet area.

:: The Cool Schools scheme didn’t just put safe drinking water into these schools; it made it fun for children to drink the stuff. Funky bottles were designed to be used with the flash new water coolers, and 82% of children subsequently said they enjoyed drinking water from them. The initiative reached 250,000 children and the following year it was named in the Government’s Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools.

:: All the while these activities were communicated to parents and Yorkshire Water consumers. Suddenly, they went from being the guys who cause traffic jams with their holes in the road, to the guys who improve the health of their children with their thoughtful approach. And just as importantly, it showed how Yorkshire Water’s main product tasted great and was blindingly good for you.

:: This formative experience has inspired Alex’s work on brands ever since. Firstly, by instilling a rigorous desire to get to the bottom of the business problem. Because only then can you understand what the best way might be to tackle it; perhaps advertising, perhaps an event or perhaps even a water cooler.

:: But just as importantly it showed that communications objectives can be met as a corollary of social, community or environmental objectives. A belief he continues to be a strong proponent of through his work on brands today.

-

more
HOME - :: Slow Chalets provide holidays that are steeped in the Slow travel philosophy; they help holiday makers truly experience the mountains around them. ArtificialSerendipity was on hand from the beginning, creating an identity, website and marketing materials that reflected this. :: For the logo, we wanted something that represented the Slow way of thinking, but at the same time was also flexible enough to be deployed in all the different places where it had to live. Combining the simple cross of the local Haute-Savoie coat of arms with equally clear type did the trick. And also meant that there wasn’t a mountain image in sight. :: The distinctiveness of its look gives the logo a real flexibility. Subtle changes can be used to highlight other Slow properties; the ‘Slow Blog’, ‘Slow bathing’, ‘Slow apartments and so on. :: With their environmental credentials top of mind, Slow Chalets were also keen to avoid unnecessary waste in their marketing materials. ArtificialSerendipity’s answer was to develop ‘print your own stationery’; a traditional rubber stamp was used to take the identity onto letterheads, welcome packs and even the egg-boxes guests receive on their first morning. :: ArtificialSerendipity designed a website that made full use of the stunning photography of the chalets and the region. And a distinct tone of voice was carried through from the site to the blog and even onto their business cards. :: Click here to see the work » -

HOME

-

:: Slow Chalets provide holidays that are steeped in the Slow travel philosophy; they help holiday makers truly experience the mountains around them. ArtificialSerendipity was on hand from the beginning, creating an identity, website and marketing materials that reflected this.

:: For the logo, we wanted something that represented the Slow way of thinking, but at the same time was also flexible enough to be deployed in all the different places where it had to live. Combining the simple cross of the local Haute-Savoie coat of arms with equally clear type did the trick. And also meant that there wasn’t a mountain image in sight.

:: The distinctiveness of its look gives the logo a real flexibility. Subtle changes can be used to highlight other Slow properties; the ‘Slow Blog’, ‘Slow bathing’, ‘Slow apartments and so on.

:: With their environmental credentials top of mind, Slow Chalets were also keen to avoid unnecessary waste in their marketing materials. ArtificialSerendipity’s answer was to develop ‘print your own stationery’; a traditional rubber stamp was used to take the identity onto letterheads, welcome packs and even the egg-boxes guests receive on their first morning.

:: ArtificialSerendipity designed a website that made full use of the stunning photography of the chalets and the region. And a distinct tone of voice was carried through from the site to the blog and even onto their business cards.

:: Click here to see the work »

-

more
HOME - :: Alpine-Property faced something of a challenge when they set up as one of the first international estate agents in the Alps. Not only had the established French agencies been operating in the region for many years, but they also had the advantage of offices in every major Alpine town – a luxury that as a web-based company Alpine-Property simple didn’t enjoy. :: ArtificialSerendipity came on board early in the brand’s life, helping it overcome these barriers to quickly become one of the largest estate agents in the Alps. :: Our first task was to create a clear and compelling brand identity. We created a modern interpretation of the classic Alpine chalet shape and adopted a vivid magenta colour scheme to quickly set the brand apart against their more traditional rivals. Particularly on the striking ‘for sale’ signs that we also provided. :: However, with only an online shop window, our most important role was creating a truly modern web experience. From buying guides to cost calculators to 360 degree virtual tours of each property, Alpine-Property.com redefined what to expect from an online estate agent. :: But an estate agency is only as good as the properties it has on its books. With this in mind, we created a small book that was used to map out ‘the Alpine Property difference’ to prospects. :: We also provide ongoing marketing support, covering everything from their press advertising to exhibition spaces to :: ArtificialSerendipty continues to work with Alpine Property. And Alpine Property continues to set the standard that other estates agents have to follow. :: Click here to see the work » -

HOME

-

:: Alpine-Property faced something of a challenge when they set up as one of the first international estate agents in the Alps. Not only had the established French agencies been operating in the region for many years, but they also had the advantage of offices in every major Alpine town – a luxury that as a web-based company Alpine-Property simple didn’t enjoy.

:: ArtificialSerendipity came on board early in the brand’s life, helping it overcome these barriers to quickly become one of the largest estate agents in the Alps.

:: Our first task was to create a clear and compelling brand identity. We created a modern interpretation of the classic Alpine chalet shape and adopted a vivid magenta colour scheme to quickly set the brand apart against their more traditional rivals. Particularly on the striking ‘for sale’ signs that we also provided.

:: However, with only an online shop window, our most important role was creating a truly modern web experience. From buying guides to cost calculators to 360 degree virtual tours of each property, Alpine-Property.com redefined what to expect from an online estate agent.

:: But an estate agency is only as good as the properties it has on its books. With this in mind, we created a small book that was used to map out ‘the Alpine Property difference’ to prospects.

:: We also provide ongoing marketing support, covering everything from their press advertising to exhibition spaces to

:: ArtificialSerendipty continues to work with Alpine Property. And Alpine Property continues to set the standard that other estates agents have to follow.

:: Click here to see the work »

-

more
HOME - :: ArtificialSerendipity was set up by Alex Lewis. It’s possibly the biggest communications agency in all of Morzine.:: Alex grew up in the Yorkshire village of Holmfirth, where he was lucky enough to rub shoulders with the Last of the Summer Wine cast on an almost daily basis. He read geography at Durham University, managing to bag a First Class honours degree, the Royal Geographic Society Award for a dissertation and his future wife in the process.

:: He’s worked with brands ever since. As a brand planner, he’s been lucky enough to work at some good agencies and advise some big brands on their communications strategy. Clients such as Guinness, GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, the WWF, the Co-operative Bank, Yorkshire Water, BP and all manner of Mars brands. There’s some of that sort of stuff here.:: As a one-man band, he’s created identities and branding for a heap of smaller brands, most noticeably in his adopted home of the French Alps. There’s some of that sort of stuff here.:: Alex now spends most of his time in the mountains with his wife, young son and two bald cats. But he’s never more than a plane journey from London, where he continues to provide freelance brand planning to all and sundry. -

HOME

-

:: ArtificialSerendipity was set up by Alex Lewis. It’s possibly the biggest communications agency in all of Morzine.

:: Alex grew up in the Yorkshire village of Holmfirth, where he was lucky enough to rub shoulders with the Last of the Summer Wine cast on an almost daily basis. He read geography at Durham University, managing to bag a First Class honours degree, the Royal Geographic Society Award for a dissertation and his future wife in the process.



:: He’s worked with brands ever since. As a brand planner, he’s been lucky enough to work at some good agencies and advise some big brands on their communications strategy. Clients such as Guinness, GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, the WWF, the Co-operative Bank, Yorkshire Water, BP and all manner of Mars brands. There’s some of that sort of stuff here.

:: As a one-man band, he’s created identities and branding for a heap of smaller brands, most noticeably in his adopted home of the French Alps. There’s some of that sort of stuff here.

:: Alex now spends most of his time in the mountains with his wife, young son and two bald cats. But he’s never more than a plane journey from London, where he continues to provide freelance brand planning to all and sundry.

-

more