The media landscape bore witness to a new dawn yesterday, with the launch of the first ever Sunday edition of News International’s stalwart newspaper The Sun. Arriving almost seven months after the closure of the Fleet Street icon The News of the World, and 43 years after the first daily edition of The Sun, yesterday was a hugely significant moment for the industry.

In the event, it turned out to be a somewhat understated one. Ostensibly, this was a regular daily edition of The Sun, retaining much of the same layout and content of the traditional paper, including favourites such as Bizarre, TV Biz, Goals and Deidre’s Casebook. This was to be expected, given the relatively quick turnaround of the first edition, and the fact that the paper is largely leaning on the existing resources of the current editorial staff.

The first ever front page splash was given up to a celebrity exclusive, with Amanda Holden giving a five page feature interview talking about the recent birth of her daughter Hollie. In the scramble to be amongst the first brands to secure PR coverage, Marks and Spencer were amongst the big successes. In an exclusive from Business Editor Steve Hawkes, it was revealed that Gary Barlow is to cover George Harrison’s hit Here Comes The Sun in an upcoming ad campaign. There was also strong presence for England football kit makers Umbro, with a picture exclusive of the line up for the brand’s strip launch.

A new round of headline columnists were revealed, with Katie Price, Nancy Dell’Olio and Heston Blumenthal all joining the stable of regular features.

Whilst The Sun is not the first newspaper to share editorial staff across both weekday and Sunday editions, for now, at least, it appears the first to have a truly seven-day feel. It will be fascinating to see how the paper evolves over the coming weeks, and whether it adapts more of a traditional Sunday style and tone of voice. After rumoured three million sales on debut yesterday, no doubt the red top rivals Sunday Mirror and Daily Star Sunday will be keenly following developments too.

By Donald Parish on February 27th, 2012

Tags: Default, Media

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Following a miserable year for English rugby in 2011, Tim Crow tells the Financial Times that there are reasons for optimism within the game, but that the RFU must reconnect with rugby’s grassroots.

Click here to view the video interview.

By Synergy on February 24th, 2012

Tags: Press Clipping

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Jam CEO Alex Miller reports from the Socialympics for Campaign.

Click here to read the article.

By Synergy on February 24th, 2012

Tags: Press Clipping

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“With the major social networks now at critical global mass, London 2012 will be the first truly social Olympic Games – the first Socialympics.”

That’s how I introduced our Socialympics event last week, and what an occasion it was.

Five distinguished panellists, 90 minutes of entertaining and often hard-hitting debate, 150 specially-invited guests and thousands of #socialympics tweets were our way of kicking off this year’s Social Media Week in London, as together with our Engine colleagues Jam we analysed the implications of what will be the first truly social Olympic Games – a historic and challenging moment for the Olympic Movement, for sport and for marketing.

The moment got the debate it deserved, as our panel ranged deep and wide into an array of fascinating discussions, including:

- The unprecedented scale of the global buzz that the world’s two billion social media users will create around London 2012 (when the last summer Olympics took place, in Beijing in 2008, there were only 100 million)

- Social media’s potential to connect the Olympic Movement with a new generation

- Two inevitable collisions: one between the IOC’s social media guidelines and athletes intent on self-expression; the other between fan-generated mobile video content and the IOC’s need to protect its exclusive broadcast rights

- Twitter’s ascendancy to become the de facto source of breaking sports news

- The impact of social media on Olympic sponsorship activation

- Nike’s domination of the current social buzz around London 2012

Here’s a short film – the first time we’ve released footage of the debate – capturing some of the key moments.

Watch this space for more exclusive footage over the coming months.

In the meantime a big thank you to our superb panellists: double Olympian GB long jumper Chris Tomlinson; British Olympic Association chief commercial officer Hugh Chambers;  Daily Telegraph chief sports reporter Paul Kelso; Lloyds TSB head of London 2012 sponsorship Gordon Lott; and my colleague and buddy, Jam’s chief executive Alex Miller.

Finally, as Socialympics 1 left everyone wanting more, Socialympics 2 will be coming later this year.

By Tim Crow on February 24th, 2012

Tags: Beijing 2008, BOA, Default, Digital marketing, Facebook, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Mobile, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic Torch Relay, Olympics, Sochi 2014, Socialympics, Synergy, Synopsis, Team GB, Twitter, Vancouver 2010

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What happened

London’s luxury men’s brand Alfred Dunhill has re-launched ‘Voice’ – a film series advertising the Spring/Summer 2012 catalogue connected with the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The 15 films, shot in classic black and white, feature British Olympian Sir Matthew Pinsent, double Olympic gold medal sailing champion Iain Percy and artistic gymnast Louis Smith, the Voice campaign looks to recognize real men who have overcome obstacles and achieved success in a variety of different fields.

Why we love it

Unsurprisingly, the London Olympics is already beginning to make an appearance in the fashion space, acting as both a source of inspiration and an opportunity to drive content.

The aim of the Dunhill Voice campaign is to focus not on the celebrity status of these ambassadors, but to rather see these men as men of distinction. Men who have achieved great things in their chosen fields and continue to excel with humility and grace. Men who embody timeless values that are worth aspiring to – qualities like compassion, dedication and conviction. Brilliant, inspiring, driven, engaging men with opinions, flaws and stories to tell.

They resonate strongly with the core values of the Alfred Dunhill brand, making this association more authentic. This, combined with the fact that the footage has been shot in a clean and sophisticated style, emphasises Alfred Dunhill’s premium offering for the individual man.

By Samantha Pillage on February 24th, 2012

Tags: Celebrity, Default, Fashion, Sponsorship, Synergy Loves

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What happened

Recent web buzz research commissioned by our social media partners at Jam has shown that Nike is far out-performing its rival and Olympic sponsor Adidas as the brand most associated with the London 2012 Olympic Games. Nike is dominating the social media conversation, with a staggering 7.7% of Olympic mentions being linked to Nike compared to only 0.49% for Adidas.  This contrast is particularly stark when one considers that Adidas committed a reported £100m to buy exclusive category rights to London 2012.

So what’s been resonating with consumers and causing this buzz…? In last month’s edition of Synopsis, Lisa Parfitt highlighted Nike’s #makeitcount campaign as a brilliant example of an integrated campaign which connects above the line, digital, social and experiential.  The campaign features a number of the UK’s top athletes, Perri Shakes-Drayton, Mark Cavendish and Mo Farah, showing them at their most intense moments during training and making personal pledges for 2012.

Nike has now seeded a series of online films which feature various sports stars including Mo Farah and Rio Ferdinand to build on the theme.

But the campaign really comes to life in the way that it connects the public to the core insight that “If you have a body, you are an athlete”.  This quote by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman was the tweet to launch the campaign and provide the call to action for everyone to get involved.  The in-store element at both the Oxford Circus and Westfield Nike outlets allows you to be professionally photographed alongside your own handwritten pledges: the images and pledges are displayed around the stores and of course shared via social media.

Later this year we will see the launch of the Nike product this campaign is paving the way for, FuelBand. Already launched in the US, FuelBand tracks your physical activity through a sport-tested accelerometer, which then translates your activity into ‘NikeFuel’. So whether you are walking, running, dancing, playing football, tennis or golf, Nike allows you to collect, analyse and (most importantly) share your performance.  The idea is that you set a goal for every day, then go out and beat it.  It’s the gamefication of fitness. Life is a sport. Make it count.

The Nike marketing machine has been in overdrive.  Both pre-sale windows sold out in less than three minutes in the States and you can expect the same in the UK before it goes on sale on May 1st. Look out for Nike’s standard combination of iconic sports stars, great on-line video content and tightly integrated social media activity.

Why we love it

This of course isn’t the first time we’ve seen Nike launch into either a fully-integrated campaign or demonstrate effective ambush marketing during an Olympic year.

But the most amazing thing is how Nike continue to set the marketing pace. As Nike’s marketing spend approaches $2.4bn, less than 15% of that is now spent on traditional media (there has been a 40% decline in spend on TV, Outdoor, Radio and Print over the past 3 years).  As the biggest sports brand in the world, they shouldn’t be good at this – younger, edgier, more nimble competitors should be the subject of blogs like this.

And it is working.  Thanks to this digital focus, if it wanted to, Nike could reach 200 million people every day via its various social network platforms.  #makeitcount indeed.

[Note: some stats and insight for this article came from this great piece in Fortune Magazine.]

By Olivia on February 24th, 2012

Tags: Ambush campaign, Athletics, Default, London 2012, Naming Rights, Olympics, Synergy Loves

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What happened

Cadbury is well known for its fun and games when it comes to creative advertising, and haven’t disappointed with the new campaign to promote the new Dairy Milk Bubbly. Welcome to ‘Joyville’ – an imaginary magical land where chocolate is made.

The ad includes chocolate helpers appearing from hidden places in a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired setting of bubbly, melting chocolate. Launched on Google +, the campaign also came with a real-world component, a musical chocolate fountain in London’s Westfield Shopping Centre in White City.

This year the Cadbury brand has also presented us with the Blippar-powered augmented reality digital game ‘Quaksmack’ for smartphones. Chocoholics can point their smart phone at a packet of Cadbury goodies to start playing, while of course being exposed to multiple brand messages. The game forms part of Cadbury’s Spots v. Stripes London 2012 campaign.

Why we love it

Cadbury Dairy Milk has been championed as the nation’s favourite chocolate since its launch back in 1905. Their association with the expression of Joy, introduced in their late ’70s advertising and reinvigorated in 2007 by the infamous Cadbury Gorilla ad, has created a sense of magic around the brand, with the latest campaign creating a space that captures the imagination and curiosity whilst tapping into youth, fun, happiness and enjoyment.

We love the approach, the unique positioning for an Olympic sponsor, and that they chose to transform a physical space into a chocolate-flavoured factory full of life. Alongside the tangible live element to the Joyville campaign, the use of innovative digital technology within the ‘Stars and Stripes campaign’ shows an appreciation that immersive brand experiences can be as much virtual as real-life. The association of fun and games with a serious competition such as the Olympics is an interesting angle which ties in perfectly to Cadbury’s principles and brand messaging. After all, games are great – they get people playing, they bring people together and sometimes they even reveal an undiscovered talent.

With brands like Cadbury embracing such a creative approach, it is not hard to imagine a world of the future, full of fun and games, where your experience begins the moment you step outside your front door; where your smartphone becomes a vessel of endless possibilities, a seamless integration of digital and live, creating vastly enriching experiences. Imagine trying on that suit or dress you have just spotted in the latest film at the cinema in a matter of minutes, or downloading a recipe for your favourite dish whilst watching someone cook it in front of your eyes.

By James W on February 24th, 2012

Tags: Advertising, Default, Synergy Loves, Television

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A key ingredient of great sponsorship is finding a natural role for your brand to play which enhances the audience’s experience of the event. With the RBS 6 Nations established as a huge appointment to view (averaging 4.7 million viewers per match and over 30m people watching some of the 2011 Championship), we spotted a ground-breaking opportunity for RBS to bring the ‘second screen’ to rugby for the first time ever.

The second screen phenomenon is one of the most exciting media trends: connected consumers are increasingly using a second device – an internet-enabled phone, laptop or tablet – while they watch TV. We have only just scratched the surface of the possibilities this opens up for brands. The internet hasn’t (at least so far!) marked the death of TV in the way that many predicted – instead, savvy companies are both exploiting its potential to enhance the TV viewing experience and capitalising on observed consumer behaviour. The upshot is the recent growth of companion apps – games and forums that encourage viewers to interact with the content that they are watching.

The numbers are compelling: 74% of consumers with broadband connections say they surf the internet at the same time as watching TV, 51% say they use the internet to get more news or information about the specific programme they’re watching, while 38% discuss shows on social networking services like Facebook, according to 2011 research from Ovum. Meanwhile, 2011 OfCom data shows that 81% of Brits have their phone with them while watching TV.

The combination of this strong and growing phenomenon alongside RBS’ desire to enhance the fans’ experience of the RBS 6 Nations Championship led to our creation of the RBS 6 Nations Live Challenge companion app. Throughout the match, the app challenges fans to predict the result of penalties, conversions, five metre scrums and line outs, take part in opinion polls, and answer RBS 6 Nations rugby quiz questions. The app breaks new ground for rugby fans, using dual screen interaction to revolutionise and enhance the live match experience for viewers watching at home, and is available on iPhone, iPad, Android and Facebook, ensuring the broadest possible user base. Conceived by Synergy and delivered by Jam – Engine’s social media and mobile agency – the RBS 6 Nations Live Challenge is an example of Engine integration at its very best.

The RBS 6 Nations Live Challenge launched on 3^rd February, ahead of the first weekend of fixtures. The launch of the app has been supported by a hard-hitting PR campaign across consumer, rugby and tech titles, leading to coverage in publications including The Sun, The Sunday Times, Sport magazine, Shortlist magazine, The Guardian Technology Blog, T3, Slashgear and several rugby blogs. Reception has been extremely positive and our PR push has also generated masses of organic buzz, as more and more people download and play the Live Challenge. At the time of writing, after 5 of the 15 matches, the app has reached 75,000 downloads. The app will be available for every match for the rest of the Championship – go to www.rbs6nationslivechallenge.com to try it today.

By Jessica Enoch on February 24th, 2012

Tags: Default, Digital marketing, RBS 6 Nations, Rugby

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February saw us launch a major new campaign for BMW as part of our integrated work with the EngineDare team: an incredible series of short documentaries that celebrate BMW’s partnership with London 2012.

Synergy has been integral to the project since its inception, leading athlete and rights management and playing a central role in marketing integration; Engine’s creative experts WCRS created the films in partnership with leading British documentary directors and four of Great Britain’s finest athletes; and our friends at Dare built a YouTube channel to house the content.

On this project we have had the good fortune to work with exciting UK directorial talent, including BAFTA award-winning Asif Kapadia of ‘Senna’ fame,  Richard D’Argues – creator of TT3D ‘Closer to the Edge’ – and ‘Fire in Babylon’ director Stevan Riley, to explore what it takes to takes to deliver ‘The Ultimate Performance’ on the world stage.

Each of the four films focuses on an athlete from the BMW London 2012 Performance Team, and is a unique insight into the parallels between BMW’s design, engineering and product expertise and the dedication of a world-class athlete.  The films will be seeded over a four-week period on YouTube.

The first film to launch, ‘Man and Machine’, is a documentary by Yannakis Jones on the Paralympian David Weir and his relationship with his wheelchair. It explores how David needs to connect seamlessly with his chair to deliver his ultimate performance. At the same time it shows how the connection between the driver and the car is also central to BMW in delivering the ultimate driving experience.

The second video to be released features Olympic gymnast Louis Smith and the design team for the new BMW i8. This documentary is entitled ‘Form and Function’ and explores the similarities that exist between an elite athlete and a BMW designer who are both in search of perfection. The video offers an insight into how world-class performance in any discipline is driven by dedication and passion.

By Ben Wilkinson on February 24th, 2012

Tags: BMW, BOA, Branded content, Consultancy, Content, Digital marketing, Event management consultants, Event management service, Experiential marketing, Film, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympics, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy, Synopsis, Team GB, YouTube

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Last year we introduced you to a new rugby partnership for energy brand SSE, who began a three year deal as the National Community Partner of the RFU.

SSE is committed to supporting rugby clubs who are the foundation of the game and sit at the heart of their communities.  The first step was to really understand what clubs need, which is why we conducted a wide ranging survey of rugby clubs around the country.

As a result,  we are excited to announce the launch of the SSE Rugby website, a brand new website offering a season-long programme of rewards, resources, and opportunities designed specifically to help meet the needs of local rugby clubs across the country.

As well as offering unique insight and content into the rugby world from ambassadors such as Tom Croft and Danny Grewcock, SSE Rugby offers players, fans and coaches a range of exclusive benefits:

1. Annual Energy Reward – the opportunity for a local rugby club to win £10,000 worth of SSE energy credits or an energy makeover worth up to £8,000
2. Monthly Club Rewards – exciting rewards and prizes to be won every month, from training sessions with ambassadors to essential kit and training equipment
3. Ambassadors – Tom Croft, Danny Grewcock and John Bentley will be sharing regular blogs and videos around their thoughts on community rugby, as well as offering coaching tips and running training sessions at amateur clubs
4. Community News – exclusive news stories from the heart of the grassroots game, and regular video blogs and coaching tips from featured Community Rugby Coaches(CRCs) across England

Not only is there a huge amount of content for rugby enthusiasts, but there are also opportunities for them to win brilliant rewards for their club. The rewards range from joining Danny Grewcock to watch the England team train before the Barbarians match at Twickenham, to having legendary former British & Irish Lion John Bentley come to their rugby club to give an inspirational team talk they’ll never forget. Take a look at the video below to get a taste!

To coincide with the launch of the website and the upcoming England vs Wales RBS 6 Nations match, Synergy created three films to emphasise the healthy competition between the fans and the teams. SSE ambassador Tom Croft challenges SWALEC (sister brand to SSE) ambassador Ryan Jones head to head in 3 critical challenges set in community rugby clubs. Have a look here to find out who came out on top…

By Sarah Waterhouse on February 24th, 2012

Tags: community, Default, RBS 6 Nations, Rugby, Viral Marketing

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