The build-up has begun, the advertising is prominent, retailers are stocking up on it and the media is full of it, but what is IT I hear you ask…..why all things British of course!

Great Britain is set for a big year in 2012 with both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the long awaited Olympic Games due to kick off on the 27th of July. The anticipation is building with the iconic Union Jack brand being splashed everywhere from cakes to branded apparel and it seems every retailer is keen to promote their British associated products.

Advertisers are exploiting this British surge as evident with Marks and Spencer’s latest “A Summer to Remember” campaign showing Gary Barlow and friends enjoying a party complete with, yes you guessed it, a beautifully British Union Jack cake and bunting.

As we blogged in 2009 the British brand has long had complex connotations ranging from far-right associations to 80’s football hooliganism however this time round it feels that bit different. Britishness is hot property right now with brands including Heinz, Cadbury’s, Waitrose and Marmite (or Ma’amite) producing special edition Diamond Jubilee packaging for some of their most iconic products and Starburst and Mr Kipling announcing campaigns based on both the Jubilee and the Olympic Games. Here at Engine Creative we have been working on designs for the forthcoming University of Northampton Graduate Fashion Show based on this year’s appropriately titled theme “Making Britain Great.” 

Some argue that the market is becoming saturated with UJA (Union Jack Abuse) and that all things British are being used too heavily in a ploy to exploit the events, however here at Engine Creative we share the view that this British surge is generating optimism and increasing advertising spend which can only signal positive growth within the creative industry. If we can’t do it in 2012 then when can we?

So here’s to the summer (when it finally arrives) and embracing all things British!

For those not in the loop the IDM Show provides final year Interactive Digital Media Students at The University of Northampton with the opportunity to showcase their work to a private audience of around 100 guests. The event was held at Northampton’s Picturedrome on Thursday 3rd May from midday until 10pm the same evening.

The event gave students the chance to present their work portfolios on iMacs, with a variety of methods being showcased on the night including animation, motion graphics, live video, 3D product build and architecture. We were particularly impressed with the professionalism and passion for their work displayed by the students, and wish them all the best of luck for their future careers in the design industry!

The NAB show in recent years has become a worldwide mecca for film, video production and broadcast professionals alike looking to test out the latest cameras, displays, accessories and software that the industry has to offer.

With a captive audience of 90,000+ industry professionals 1,300 members of the press from across the world – the big names are increasingly using NAB as a platform to announce the big projects they’ve been keeping under wraps.  Here are just a few of the releases we’re excited about at Engine Creative HQ:

The Blackmagic Digital Cinema Camera

Not content with shaking up the world of Post Production alone, Blackmagic Design surprised everyone by throwing their hat into the camera manufacturer ring. And some hat it is too! While the other manufacturers were focusing on 4k resolutions and the £10,000+ price point, Blackmagic quietly unveiled their tiny £2,300 camera aimed squarely at the Digital SLR shooters feeling left behind by the big manufacturers. 

There are many things to love about what Blackmagic have done; 2.5k raw output, 13 stops of latitude, options for ProRes and DNxHD at 1080p, swappable (non-proprietary) SSD storage, thunderbolt for data transfer and on-board balanced audio inputs. 

As with any release though, there are some sticking points. A sensor size similar to AF-101 is a little smaller than those used to APS-C or full-frame would have hoped and an internal battery essentially requires a third party battery solution. With a maximum ISO of only 1600, the low light performance is no-where near as versatile as it’s DSLR counterparts. 

But there is a little something special to mitigate the bad… With every camera you get a free copy of UltraScope and DaVinci Resolve! That’s a complete monitoring system accessible via Thunderbolt capable laptops AND £700 worth of colour grading software for absolutely nothing.

The camera looks like a great addition for DSLR enthusiasts and production companies looking for an in-house camera for jobs when rentals aren’t an option. As with any release, time will tell. I for one can’t wait to see some more footage!

Adobe Production Premium CS6

On the software front, Adobe were out in force promoting the upcoming CS6. A major update on the Production Premium side of things with Adobe clearly making a decisive move in the void left by Apple after their controversial Final Cut X release. 

The release is a lot like what the next Final Cut Studio should have been – we’ve got an updated Premiere interface, new software for ingest and meta-logging, a global performance cache to speed up rendering across all applications and even a colour grading suite! 

After Effects has seen some serious love, with 3D extrusion of objects and a ray traced renderer sitting along side a new 3D tracker and a host of other features.

I think we may as well just call this Adobe Final Cut Studio 8. 

Autodesk Smoke 2013

Smoke is a high-end fully integrated application for finishing video, film and broadcast projects with a completely integrated toolset: colour grading, tracking, stabilisation, keying and 3D compositing all without round-tripping between six different pieces of software. It reportedly takes 35% less time to finish a project in Smoke compared to multi-application methods.

For a long time, working on Smoke has been a dark art known to a comparative few. A complex interface and a £10,000 price tag kept this professional finishing software out of the reach of many. At NAB this year, all that has changed.

Smoke now integrates a full-featured and familiar looking non-linear editor in addition to the many other tools in its already overflowing shed. The complete interface overhaul is only one way that Autodesk has managed to make Smoke more accessible – they’ve also dropped the price to around £2,000.

The jump to Smoke has never been easier. It’s a game-changer.

You can join the mailing list for the free trial starting in June.

Down but definitely not out

To put the UK retail industry into perspective, UK retail sales in 2009 were £285 billion pounds. This industry has long been a staple of British society with brands including Marks and Spencer’s, John Lewis and BHS holding a special place in UK consumer’s hearts. But times are changing within the retail arena, and they are changing at an alarming pace. The economic recession has without doubt affected the high street in a big way with high profile brands including Zavvi, Woolworths and Peacocks falling victim to decreases in consumer disposable incomes. Such is the current economic climate some have even predicted the death of the high street with an average of 14.6% of retail premises now remaining unoccupied across the country.

So what can retailers do to revive their flagging industry? As a creative agency, we have always looked to integrate new technologies and create innovative advertising campaigns that actively engage with the ever more sophisticated UK consumer.

Consumer power

Retailers have determined that consumers no longer respond to one dimensional print advertisements as they have done in the past and are instead looking to become more actively involved in the brand, whether it be through social media streaming or via campaigns that they are able to respond to.

The future of retail will involve increased consumer input with consumers eventually being able to give retailers their ideas on new designs, and even gaining control over new collections and campaigns. Elements of this has begun to take place across the various social media platforms being used increasingly by retail organisations. Through the use of social media sites retailers have ensured that the relationship between the two parties is stronger than ever before, thus increasing consumer brand loyalty that is so crucial during the economic downturn.

Time to get mobile

E-commerce has also affected the retail industry in a big way, allowing consumers to source a wider range of products at a more competitive price than ever before. The online retail industry has evolved further in large part due to the increase in popularity of smartphones, with mobile sales accounting for 5.3% of e-commerce sales in the quarter to January 2012. It is clear that the implementation of a clear mobile strategy is required for all retailers if they are to maximise the opportunities that this rapidly growing platform offers.

The high street is dead, long live the new high street!

Although many have predicted the death of the high street and indeed the retail industry itself, the industry will not die out but instead continue to evolve and continue to engage with the consumer in even more collaborative ways. What an amazing time to be working in the creative industry!

I’ve taken the latest release under my wing and have been using it constantly and I’ve found it to be an encouraging step forward in the way Adobe view and build their products.

I’m loving:

• the slick dark canvas and tools 
• the 3D integration
• the ability to search layers by layer-type
• the ‘oh-so-needed’ and previously missed outline styles
• the behind the scenes saving
• the fact that the FX blending options have been beneficially rearranged

I think Adobe should fix:

• the speed my computer is handling simple requests
• the uncertainty of when my trial will actually run out
• the fact I can’t have the full version now

I suggest and advise anyone interested in Photoshop CS6 to get hold of the latest release, plug in and play and let me know what you think.

Engine Creative has been nominated in two categories in the RAR Awards 2012 for the second year running. Following on from success in the TV and Video Production category last year, RAR (Recommended Agency Register) has shortlisted Engine Creative for best in Design and best in TV and Video Production.

We’re particularly proud of our nominations as the RAR Awards are based on client feedback and assessment rather than a judging panel. The winners will be announced at the awards dinner on the 4th of April.

So it was 10 years ago that the design geniuses here at Engine HQ decided to create a logo full of dots and stick a silhouette of a dancer on the cover.  Since then we’ve created everything from lollypops to condoms, camper vans to t-shirts and, of course, all of the albums!

We were also the originators of the incredibility successful Clubland Babe competition, which was a first for the industry.  Long before the days of ‘LIKES’ and ‘TWEETS’, we decided to come up with a unique idea of having someone from the general public on the front of not only a dance album, but the most successful dance album around!  These were all incredibly successful with web traffic going crazy during its running time.  The voting on the Clubland site was so popular that Universal had to move the site to a new server as it crashed all of their other sites.  Why?  Over 15 million hits in a month, that’s why!

Talking about web traffic, that reminds me of the interactive game we created to prompt the release of the Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 2 album.  The Clubland XXX game was a phenomenal success, with people playing from all over the world.  I guess today this would have been something that would be #trending.

Clubland now infiltrates all of your regular social networks including Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Soundcloud and their Website and continues to grow year on year.  With album sales alone of over 8 million, we look forward to the next 10 years of Clubland.

I’ve put together a little scrapbook of a few Clubland images from over the years; album artwork, stickers, tv adverts, digital booklets, websites, icons, t-shirts, photography shoots – it’s all here.  Oh, and a little unseen treat of a cover that never happened (I’m good to you guys).

Pick up a copy of Ultimate Clubland at Play or iTunes now.

And that’s not all!

To celebrate the fact that it’s Clublands’ 10th Anniversary we’re giving away an extra special prize; this incredibly rare Clubland X-Treme Hardcore 3 (A1 Size) canvas.  There were only 2 of these ever produced, one went to the guys at AATW, the other one has been hanging up here at Engine Towers.  That’s it, there are NO MORE, and we’re giving it away to a new home.

All you have to do is TWEET THIS!:

RT to WIN: An ultra rare #Clubland Hardcore promo canvas created by @enginecreative #win http://www.enginecreative.co.uk/blog/clubland-10-years-top

Tweet

We’ll pull a lucky winner from the virtual hat on the 3rd of April.

Good luck!

The award winning creative appeared in Top Gear’s December 2011 augmented reality issue which is the first fully augmented magazine in the world.  Readers can download a free app from Aurasma to bring the magazine to life by accessing exclusive video content through their smartphone or tablet device.

Top Gear’s publisher Simon Carrington comments:  ”Augmented reality has allowed us to add value to our readers’ experience by giving them the opportunity to watch and listen to some of the world’s most amazing cars in action on the track.  And judging by the tens of thousands of views to date, they are enjoying watching.”

Engine Creative’s award winning work with Top Gear reinforces their position as the leading creative agency in the field of augmented reality. They having also recently worked with Sony Music and leading augmented reality platform Aurasma to bring to life the cover of The Ting Tings latest album, a first for a British band.

Matt Key, Managing Director of Engine Creative, has ambitious plans to help brands unlock the potential of augmented reality:  ”By working closely with our technical partners at Aurasma we believe that brands of all shapes and sizes will soon realise the benefits of AR (Augmented Reality) as part of their integrated communications.

We have compelling research which highlights the increased engagement and value perception of brands that have successfully implemented AR into their marketing strategy and are continuing to work closely with Aurasma to ensure we are able to offer the most comprehensive and innovative AR solutions to our clients.”

Watch the Top gear magazine come to life here:

http://vimeo.com/34652380

The award winning augmented reality campaign received 75,000 views, a 27% engagement rate and a CTR as high as 25% and has been featured on BBC Click, cnet.com, New Media Age and Media Week.

For further information on how your brand can unlock the potential of augmented reality, download our free insight report or contact us for a face to face meeting.

Fans of The Ting Tings who purchase their new album, Sounds From Nowheresville (out on February 27^th), will witness the fully augmented album cover rip apart to reveal the ‘Hang It Up’ video when they download the Aurasma app from the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace and point the camera on their device at the album artwork.

The explosive design was created by leading integrated agency Engine Creative using Aurasma technology. Check out the album cover burst into life.

In addition to viewing the music video, users will also be able to click to download the album in digital format from iTunes, or connect with the band on Facebook and Twitter via the overlaid menu.

The Ting Tings are the first British band to create a fully augmented reality album cover.

KELLY BUSH, Senior Marketing Manager Sony Music UK, said: 

“Bringing the artwork to life on the CD cover for The Ting Tings is hugely exciting. Aurasma’s augmented reality opens the door to a more interactive relationship with the consumer via otherwise two dimensional means.”

MARTINA KING, Managing Director of Aurasma, said: 

“We are delighted to be helping with this campaign. The magic of Aurasma can bring a whole new dimension to the world of music – it changes the way we look at an album cover. In the past, fans of bands like The Ting Tings have only been able to enjoy artwork on album covers. Now, thanks to Aurasma, they can watch the album come to life and listen to the content inside.”

MATTHEW KEY, Managing Director of Engine Creative, said: 

“We worked closely with Aurasma when we helped launch the world’s first augmented magazine for Top Gear, so creating an augmented album cover for The Ting Tings seems like a natural progression and a great opportunity to push the technology.

“Not only does the technology allow us to seamlessly blend the real world with the virtual using video overlays but we can also overlay menus and buttons that can drive online activity and ultimately give the fans a closer connection to the band.

“By involving the Ting Tings so closely in the evolution of the campaign, we are also positioning them as technology innovators.”

The Ting Tings launched themselves into the world with their DIY hardcore-pop in 2008 to massive acclaim and success, with their number 1 singles ‘That’s Not My Name’ and ‘Shut Up And Let Me Go’ along with ‘Great DJ’ selling over four million copies worldwide.

Engine Creative is an award winning integrated creative agency and world leading Augmented Reality campaign provider. They are an official Aurasma partner and have also created the world’s first fully Augmented Magazine for Top Gear (View case study here).

For more information on Augmented Reality campaigns please call Matt Key on 0845 454 1000 or fill out this contact us postcard.

Almost a blink and you’ll miss it event taking place in Northamptonshire as Boughton House plays host to a laser installation by artist Jo Fairfax on the evenings of the 25 – 26th Feb and 3 – 4th of March between 6.30 – 8.30pm.

Titled HERO, it will use four lasers aligned along the canals at Boughton House to create an eerie display on the 300 year old waterscape.

HERO is part of FLOW, a Northamptonshire project that delivers an exciting series of site specific artworks that explore the journey of water through the Northamptonshire county as part of the Igniting Ambition Festival.