Media mix: Havas; Influential; 422 Shoots & more

HAVAS Media UK is expaning its offering across creativity, media, PR, data and technology with the launch of Havas Village Manchester.

The Village on Pricess Street in Manchester has been developed to meet the evolving needs of clients seeking “simplicity, integration and innovation”.

It unites all the Group’s offerings under one roof, including its global Havas PR and social media consultancy; Havas Lynx, global healthcare communications; Havas people, employer branding and recruitment marketing; Havas Media, strategic media and marketing services and DBi, a digital analytics agency.

To mark the launch, Havas Village Manchester will be calling upon Manchester’s marketing and technology start-ups to apply for a position in the Group’s collaborative research facility 18 Hubs, which has labs in LA, Seoul and Tel Aviv identifying opportunities for the advertising landscape in media, technology and data science.

The Manchester lab is set to launch in January 2016.

Paul Frampton, chief executive of Havas Media UK and managing director of Havas Media Group, said: “The launch of Havas Village Manchester is a seminal moment for our Group, our clients and indeed the industry. 

“Manchester is thriving off the success of its £1bn investment into Media City but it goes deeper than this; there’s an infectious energy, entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude that sets it apart. These are just some of the reasons Havas selected to be the first media agency to open in Manchester for over a decade.”

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PR and communications agency Influential is strengthening its Manchester presence after winning two new clients in the city.

The Liverpool-headquartered agency has won the contract to deliver PR support to fast-growing specialist construction recruitment firm Ionic Recruitment.

It has also been appointed to launch award-winning restaurant Lunya’s new Manchester venture with a proactive PR campaign and will be providing ongoing PR support to the venue.

Influential managing director Sara Wilde-McKeown said: “We’re very pleased to have been appointed to support these fast-growing ambitious businesses.

“They each represent a sector in which our agency has real depth of expertise and we’re delighted to be able to draw on that knowledge and understanding to assist them in achieving their aspirations for success.

“We currently have a strong client base in Manchester – particularly in the professional services sector – and we’re delighted to be expanding and developing that base and utilising our understanding of the Manchester market to develop our presence in the city.”

The wins follow a renewed focus by the agency to grow its presence in the Manchester market.

Influential currently delivers the national PR for UK property developer Downing, UK construction firm Morgan Sindall and UK private wealth management group Quilter Cheviot, which have offices in Manchester. The firm also supports the Grant Thornton’s North West business, which is headquartered in Manchester.

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MANCHESTER-based production services agency 422 Shoots has collaborated with Oscar winning director Gus Van Sant and his production company Iconoclast (London & LA) to facilitate two UK television commercials for Facebook.

The adverts showcase how Facebook can unite friends through various sporting and adventurous activities.

Working with teams on location in Manchester, Liverpool and London, 422 Shoots helped with the north-of-England portion of filming, lighting, location scouting and on-set technical support, ensuring everything ran on time and on budget.

Van Sant, director of critically acclaimed films Good Will Hunting and Milk, directed the commercials through production house Iconoclast.

Featuring water balloons, snakes, horse riding on the beach and starring Dame Kelly Holmes, the commercials were launched on Facebook and featured on national television.

Eileen Gartside, North Service Producer for 422 Shoots, said: “It was an honour to work with such a celebrated director like Gus Van Sant for such as well known brand like Facebook. The brief was incredibly ambitious with a breadth of creative and dramatic projects included.”

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LIVERPOOL agency Boxed Off Communications has been appointed to handle PR for global toy company Mattel’s first branded attraction of its kind in Europe.

The £1.5m family entertainment centre will feature Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam.

The Grand Hall at Liverpool’s Albert Dock is the venue for the new interactive 13,000sq ft facility which will be operated by Boxed Off client Heritage Great Britain plc, the group behind iconic tourist attractions and destinations including Land’s End and Snowdon Mountain Railway.

Boxed Off’s founding director Richard Clein said:“There has already been more than five thousand shares on social media with the story trending on Facebook and even being covered in China.

“Media interest has been phenomenal and we’re looking forward to keeping it in the headlines until the opening next Spring and beyond.”

Earlier this year, Boxed Off launched Gung-Ho!, a  brand behind a 5k run featuring Europe’s largest inflatable slide with thousands of people taking part in three events in Liverpool, Newcastle and Windsor.

Boxed Off can also count global logistics company Suttons, independent financial adviser Acumen Financial Partnership and charity Liverpool Lighthouse amongst its clients.

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PR Agency One, an integrated consumer and B2B PR consultancy based in Manchester, has been appointed by Central YMCA to help reposition the charity, increase awareness of its different business divisions, and improve its overall online visibility.

Founded in 1844, Central YMCA focuses on improving and changing the lives of thousands of young people every year, through health and wellbeing services, training and development programmes, and accreditation schemes.

Through its four divisions – YMCA Awards, YMCA Fit, YMCA Training, and YMCA Club – the charity tackles some of the nation’s most crucial issues, including youth unemployment, health, physical activity, and social issues.

The organisation has appointed PR Agency One to help to reposition the brand by moving away from historical connotations of the YMCA, to being synonymous with professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness. The agency will also help to raise awareness of Central YMCA’s separate business divisions, by helping to increase the awareness and uptake of the services they provide.

James Crawford, managing director at PR Agency One, said: “Central YMCA is a well-known and recognised charity that is committed to transforming the lives of young people – and we are very proud to be working with them. Following six months of undertaking project-based work for them, we’re delighted to have become their retained PR agency.”

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QUATRO has been appointed the official communications partner for the UK Northern Powerhouse Conference & Exhibition which takes place place in Manchester Central on February 25 and 26 2016.

Quatro is a specialist communications agency providing public relations and political communications for the planning, property and infrastructure sectors.

Supported by the Chief Executives of all the major cities of the North of England, as well as CEO’s of major national businesses and international trade delegations, the UK Northern Powerhouse & Exhibition will bring together senior leaders from a variety of organisations across the north and provide a unique opportunity to showcase the commercial potential of the North of England in the global market.

The two-day conference will feature a host of speakers including Lord Prescott, Ed Cox, director of IPPR North, Nicola Walker, business environment director of CBI, and Piers Linney from Dragon’s Den and Co-CEO of Outsourcery.

They will be joined by a panel of leading industry experts including Chief Executives from UKTI, ASDA, HS2 and Lambert Smith Hampton, to provide discussions on key areas relating to the Northern Powerhouse from devolution to transport and infrastructure.