As we celebrate 15 years in business we’ve been looking back at where the last 15 years have taken us. Here are our top 15 highlights from the last 15 years:
1. Launching Wyndcliffe Court Sculpture Gardens
It has to be first. One of those stand out career moments. We opened the doors in 2013 and couldn’t have anticipated how popular it was going to be. It brings back so many wonderful memories – the house and gardens, the launches, the beautiful sculptures, the people, the connections, the cake! One of the many highlights of the first year was being in The Telegraph’s ‘Top Ten Sculpture Gardens in the UK’ with a photo taken by me.
2. ‘My Forest of Dean’ campaign for Visit Dean Wye
My first major campaign for my local Destination Management Organisation in 2018, the aim was to increase knowledge of the destination to those in the Bristol area following the removal of the Severn Bridge tolls. We worked with a dynamic team of content creators and the results were so different to anything that had been done before, with photos and films that brought the destination to life and captured the adventure, fun, freedom and variety of the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley.
3. ‘A Sense of Place’ for The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
I still find this campaign moving 10 years later. In 2015, after 29 years as the first sculpture on The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail, the Forestry Commission decided the much-loved sculpture Place needed to be decommissioned. I worked on the communications campaign, capturing memories and photos, helping put together a short film, its repurposing as charcoal and the launches of new pieces. The campaign touchingly celebrated its legacy through storytelling, art and renewal and I loved being involved.
4. Puzzlewood’s ‘The Quest for the Throne’
I loved working for Puzzlewood for so many reasons: being able to wander to my heart’s content, capturing photos and videos for social media, and just the joy and wonder and magic of it all. During my time with them, so many TV and film productions took place but the most epic event was ‘The Quest for the Throne’ in 2019. Puzzlewood was one of the six global locations used by HBO and Sky Atlantic in a global treasure hunt to promote the release of the highly-anticipated eighth and final season of Game of Thrones. It was a frenzied but hugely exciting time. The 2020 Easter bunny trail which we ran virtually due to the Covid lockdown comes a close second!
5. Down to Earth Stroud community interest company
I started working with Down to Earth Stroud in 2015 and still do. A genuine, humble, generous, passionate not-for-profit, they are all about promoting homegrown food. I’ve so many memories: awards ceremonies, launching gardening on prescription, the community seed bank, potato day, the fruit exchange, organising my first wassail, the market gardens, hilarious media interviews and meetings held in some of the many independent cafes in Stroud. I’m lucky to say the owner Amanda is now a good friend too so it’s been a rewarding client in more ways than one.
6. Launching stand-up paddleboarding experiences for Inspire2Adventure
When work is fun you know you’ve done ok. Promoting the first Wye Valley SUP experiences for Liz and Paul of Inspire2Adventure I organised an influencer experience, ran a PR campaign resulting in some lovely coverage, wrote blog posts, took photos and managed email marketing. The influencer experience is very memorable because it went so well, but also because I served them tea and cake in delicate China teacups and plates while they were still on their boards because it was National Afternoon Tea Day! I’ve worked with so many lovely influencers over the years, many of which I’ve now worked with multiple times and I love seeing the content they produce.
7. Rebranding Edale House B&B
New owners Peter and Jane took over Edale House in 2017 and came to us looking for safe hands to manage their marketing. We developed a new brand identity for them and built them a new website. I wrote optimised copy including guides to the area, things to see and do, walks and places to eat and drink and we were their go-to marketing support for everything from business cards to emails. A charming Georgian bed and breakfast it was a lovely feeling seeing their beautiful signage out front which we designed for them.
8. ‘Leaf Peeping’ campaign for Visit Dean Wye
In 2019 we helped develop and launch the UK’s first guide to ‘leaf peeping’. A joyous campaign, we created a driving route with top ten ‘leaf peeping’ locations and a guide to seeing the autumn colours across the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. There were so many beautiful images and so much press coverage. It really raised the profile of the area in the national press. Our social media campaign was nominated for a TravMedia Award too. An epic campaign which has stood the test of time.
9. Rainbow Forest and the 30th anniversary of The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
I loved all of the work I did for the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail. In 2016 it celebrated its 30th anniversary and we supported with various events. From spending two days in the Forest painting branches with eco-friendly paint and buying ice-creams for volunteers, to collecting beer from Hillside Brewery for the 30th anniversary event held on the trail itself. One random memory which just came back to me was standing in the middle of the Forest with an iPad asking visitors their thoughts on the trail as it reached 30 years. A young boy climbed up on ‘Coal Measure Giants’ which had just been installed, I asked him how old he thought the rock he was climbing was, he answered that he didn’t know. I said ‘300 million years’. I’ll ever forget the look of confusion on his face!
10. Working with my partner, Ross
I’ve been freelance for 15 years and working with my partner, Ross, for about 12 now. We work together every day and it’s made a huge difference to my freelance experience. I love being able to discuss projects, bounce ideas around, get perspective, support and listen to each other. When you’re working on your own every day it can be isolating. We each have different skills so it’s the perfect balance and our clients get a really comprehensive service.
11. £4.5m garden waste subscription communications campaign
A campaign I’ve just completed for three local councils. I designed the licences and letters, created social media posts and other content and over five months sent 132,000 emails. It was a complex project, with lots of moving parts and a very short delivery window but it all went very smoothly and reached its targets. It’s been a milestone for me and has been very rewarding seeing it come to completion.
12. Hidden Valley Yurts and Lake House
This gorgeous Welsh glamping site was bought by new owners in 2015 who hired us to look after their marketing. We built them a new website, managed their social media, copywriting, PR and influencer campaigns. We ran an influencer weekend for them in 2018 which went really well despite heavy rain and helped launch their new luxury self-catering accommodation. I loved getting over there to take photos and videos, walking along the stream, the Highland cows, their bouncy Springer Spaniel Tilly and seeing the glowing reviews from guests.
13. Let’s Talk Well mental health charity rebrand
A Gloucestershire charity which supports young people aged 9-25 the rebrand wasn’t just about a new logo or colours, it was about creating a digital presence which was welcoming and inclusive. It was really rewarding seeing how well it was received. From Points West to branded cakes, learning Webflow to the launch day, it was a whirlwind. Working with a lovely team who really cared about what they did made all the difference and the results speak for themselves.
14. Rebranding our local Destination Management Organisation
When I was invited to pitch for the DMO’s marketing in 2018, I created a strategy called ‘Passion, Personality, Purpose, People’. At its core was defining the destination’s USPs and messaging. Implementing this meant it finally had a strong, cohesive, recognisable brand. Within 12 months I more than doubled their social media following working one day a week. It was a hugely rewarding role and one I was very passionate about.
15. So many lovely clients
Looking back over 15 years, so many lovely clients pop into the memory. There are many who don’t get much of a mention because we’ve only worked on small projects for them but they stand out for all sorts of reasons: meetings over tea and cake, building relationships that have turned into friendships, being able to be totally honest, being appreciated, celebrating milestones with them. It’s a lovely feeling being a part of their journey and seeing their businesses flourish.
After 15 years, there is so much to celebrate, with hundreds of clients, projects, campaigns, launches and events to remember and so many stand out moments and successes. It’s been emotional and rewarding to look back. We’ve been lucky to work with so many brilliant clients and we’re incredibly grateful to them all for being part of our story. We can’t believe how fast the time has flown. Here’s to another 15 years!
Written by Alex. Read more about our work and what we’ve done over the last 15 years in our case studies.