A Different Way of Life

Future Transport Systems

North East England is famous for its energy & low carbon technology industry and is a major player in the drive towards a low carbon economy.

Playing a hugely important role in that industry is Future Transport Systems - a unique organisation providing specialist consultancy to help deliver projects that integrate low carbon vehicles with infrastructure technologies, systems and stakeholder groups.

Different Digital have been working with FTS over the past few weeks to design and develop their new website which was published using Different Digital's own Content Management System, Meerkat.

Shot at from both sides - Prefab 77

Local art collective Prefab 77 are spreading there wings and taking their awesome brand of work to The US of A with the guys over at The BLDG, Kentucky.. Their latest show “Shot at from both sides” is Prefab's first solo show outside the UK. The work draws inspiration from both sides of the Atlantic, the ‘special relationship’ and true to the prefab ethos offers a reflection of all our popped aspirations as well as poking fun at them!

The prints will go on sale at 11am EST on November 13th. You can pick up both prints at www.BLDGrefuge.com.

Enjoy!

Kev

Academics Call On ASA To Mark Airbrushed Ads

Academics are to lobby the Advertising Standards Authority to introduce notices on ads that feature airbrushed models, backing a call recently made by the Liberal Democrats, according to Brand Republic

Brand Republic

A letter from academics Dr Helga Dittmar of the University of Sussex and Dr Emma Halliwell of the University of the West of England is being sent to the Advertising Standards Authority. It warns of the negative impact that airbrushed images can have on the self-esteem of young people, especially when it makes models look super-thin.

It will call for the restriction of airbrushing and ask for ads showing altered images to carry a notice.

The call is being backed by another 42 experts, who agree the images "that depict ultra-thin, digitally altered women models are linked to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating in girls and women".

It follows a campaign launched in September by the Liberal Democrats, who are encouraging the public to contact the ASA when they see ads which they believe have been heavily airbrushed by filling in an online form.

The campaign cites one ad for Rimmel in particular featuring the model Lily Cole.

The Lib Dems want a ban on ads that feature digital retouching and are aimed at under-16s.

The ASA has previously said that it does not support calls for a ban because it does not reflect public opinion and that it receives very few complaints about airbrushing.

In the past the ASA has deemed that ads using very thin women can fall in to the "offensive" category. One of the most notable was for a 1998 Accurist watch ad that showed an extremely skinny upper arm with the strapline "put some weight on".

When the ASA issued its judgement ruling that the ad was irresponsible and offensive, it urged other advertisers to be sensitive to the broader messages they are sending outwhen they use social issues to sell. It stopped short, however, of issuing a ban on thin models.

The issue of airbrushing can be a minefield for advertisers. Unilever brand Dove had made a big deal of promoting it as a brand for "real women", using models of varying shapes, sizes and ages in its ads and even running a viral spot called 'Evolution', showing the extent to which a model is made up and Photoshopped before the image is deemed perfect.

Controversy hit the brand in 2008 when a designer revealed he had been hired toairbrush the women in one of the ads for Dove.

Hot Property

Different Digital have just launched a front-end refresh of the Roseworth Property Management website bringing it nicely up to date with new google mapping features, a streamlined searching process and a stylish new look.

Roseworth are one of Newcastle's biggest property letting agents, providing their services to Students and Professionals looking for property in and around Newcastle.

Sign of the week # 1.

Berghaus Autumn/Winter Campaign

To support the launch of the ‘Mountain’ product range for Autumn/Winter 09, we were asked by Berghaus to create a range of marketing tools that could be used across participating EMEA markets as part of a fully integrated marketing campaign, with the overall objective to help drive brand and range awareness and to support sell through of the products at retail level.

The campaign consists of both online and offline advertising, brochures, staff training aids, point of sale and is supported by PR.

 

Here's a snapshot of some of the work we've produced:

 

Claire Stephenson

 

 

 

 

St David's goes live!

The day has finally arrived, St Davids - Cardiff's new fashion destination opens its doors to the public.  And wow do those campaign images come to life in the retail environment.  Don’t know who that bloke is though!!   

Is this the world's biggest restroom key fob?

Me with very large restroom key fob. The Guinness Book of Records should be told.

Our cousins on the other side of the pond do not go to the toilet or "bog," as we say here in Geordie-land, they go to the "restrooms." On a recent trip to the good old "US of A" I fell victim to an urgent call of nature somewhere between Calistoga and Mendocino in the wilds of Northern California. Stopping at a very small Deli in the middle of nowhere I was faced with a welcoming sign on the door which read "RESTROOMS FOR CUSTOMERS ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS." After first purchasing  a Snickers bar and a packet of Pringles to earn my rest-room corn, so to speak, I was then presented with a very small key and the wooden fob monstrosity in the picture by an unsmiling store-man.

As to the state of the restrooms themselves I will only say that there is a scene in Apocalypse Now where Martin Sheen finally tracks down Marlon Brando's Colonel Kurtz in a cave in the middle of the Vietnamese jungle and Brando utters the immortal line "Oh, the horror."  I now realise that Marlon had quite obviously visited the very same facilities. 

"One of the best uses of twitter by a destination."

The Twitchhiker Challenge was a unique campaign Different Digital developed recently in conjunction with the One North East Tourism Team, Press Ahead and Paul Smith (The Twitchhiker) to promote the Adventure Generator feature of the visitnortheastengland.com website. Read more about this campaign here.

The results of how effective this campaign has been have now been compiled and they're well worth shouting about! You can view a full presentation of them here, but here are some headlines:

• The Twitchiker Twitter feed had 12,000 direct followers from across the globe resulting in an estimated 22,000 users of twitter reached.
• The cost per twitter user reached comes to a very cost effective 0.04p
• The creative idea generated lots of user engagement with comments from around the globe and lots of participation in the twitpolling.
• Day 1 – walk to Roseberry Topping – images posted on Twitpics and Flickr received more than 1,000 views.
• The idea also received lots of positive coverage in the local press through the work of our press team and anecdotally the Guardian mentioned that it was one of the best uses of twitter they had seen by a destination.
• The Adventure Generator has now recorded more than 10,000 generations with Walk on Water, Beamish Wild and High Force at the top of the list.

Stu Marlow
Different Digital

Different goes pink!

 
 
In aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer Awareness month Different held its very own pink day to raise awareness and money for a very worthy cause.

Kevin loved putting his best pink dress on, whilst Richard, Amanda and Vicky show off their favourite pink couture!

Lots of money was raised, thank you to everyone for your efforts

Amanda :0)