Nairn’s #NaturallyEnergising event at Ice Tank, Soho
What:
An exclusive Nairn’s press event at the Ice Tank, Soho, celebrating the #NaturallyEnergising and versatile qualities of Nairn’s oatcakes. Kicking off with a delicious start to the day, attendees enjoyed a truly yummy and oatcake- inspired breakfast, with a talk from nutritionist and Nairn’s ambassador Amanda Hamilton; a health and fitness talk by Fitness On Toast blogger Faya Nilsson, followed later on by a cookery demonstration with Lavender and Loveage blogger Karen Burns-Booth. Attendees were put through their paces with a SurfSet fitness class; while the evening session focused on Pilates with Lynne Robinson of Body Control Pilates, followed by drinks and more delicious, oaty nibbles.
The Objective:
To showcase exciting new additions to the Nairn’s range, as well as the many ways in which Nairn’s Oatcakes can be enjoyed. Chief among our objectives however, was to convey the Nairn’s 5 pillars of healthy eating:
- Balance
- Everything in Moderation
- High Fibre
- Slow release energy
- Simple
The Result:
Using memorable and engaging ways to showcase what Nairn’s is all about, as well as key health ambassadors to convey the brand’s key messages, our event helped to drive change in media perceptions of the brand, presenting Nairn’s oatcakes in a brand new light: as the delicious, versatile, staple ingredient which can be both indulgent and healthy. Attendees left feeling educated on all the new product additions to the Nairn’s range, resulting in increased awareness of the brand and in turn, a high volume of coverage, and a highly positive perception of the brand on the whole.
Launch SwimSeal protective ear drops to UK consumer and trade press.
Our aims
Raise awareness of water related ear infections, whist establishing SwimSeal as a swim kit essential for pro swimmers, infants, children and adult swim fans alike..
Our approach
Successfully launching a niche swimming-related product to consumer press, without the luxury of a press event or the promise of a larger product line in the pipeline was a challenging undertaking. Challenge accepted, we got our thinking (or swimming) caps on and set about creating our hit list of top magazine and newspaper titles. We felt it was important to capitalise on the diverse range of swimming and water-sports titles out there, sending out the product to try, as well as information on the perils of water-related ear infections. We started to get some fantastic feedback from journalists who had tried SwimSeal on holiday or training.
We took over the SwimSeal Facebook and Twitter pages with full editorial control. Instead of focusing on the product, we broadened our reach with content that would appeal to all swimming fans. We populated the pages with swimming tips, ways to get children into the sport, swimming infographics, weird swim related facts, UK swimming events, trending swimwear and motivational quotes for the avid swimmer and lots and lots of amazing swimming pools from around the world. We targeted Olympian and TV personality Rebecca Adlington, interacting with her on Twitter and sending her the product to try. This resulted in Rebecca recommending SwimSeal to her friend via a tweet – this interaction reached a combined total of 1,043 followers.
Our Results
In the first three months of launching SwimSeal, we generated the following coverage:
- 4 national newspaper articles
- 6 consumer magazine features
- 3 online pieces
Coverage highlights:
- The Sun Newspaper
- The Daily Mail
- The Telegraph
- MailOnline
- Diver magazine
- Vegetarian Living
- Love It!
- Hybrid Wake magazine
- TalkHealth.com
Nairn’s – An Evening with Mark Greenaway
Our aims
Launch Nairn's new partnership with celebrity chef, Mark Greenaway, to press and bloggers to celebrate the brand's Scottish heritage.
Our approach
Nairn's wanted to celebrate its heritage and give the Scottish media a night to remember. We hired a beautiful venue in the centre of Edinburgh, Restaurant Mark Greenaway, and invited Scottish press to join Nairn's for an evening of champagne, whiskey and of course, Nairn's oatcakes with toppings designed by Mark himself.
From haggis, neeps and tatties to peanut and caramel cheesecake, the guests’ tastebuds were wowed by the amazing oatcake toppings and had the chance to talk to our team as well as the lovely people from Nairn's. Mark Greenaway was a superb spokesperson for the brand, talking about the importance of regional ingredients as well as why he wanted to work with Nairn's and the inspiration for his recipes.
To bring the oatcake topping recipes to life we also arranged for a mobile cooking unit to be installed in the venue, which allowed Mark to recreate the Waldorf salad in front of the guests, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed.
Guests left with a goody bag full of Nairn's oatcakes, a belly full of beautiful food and plenty of ideas for upcoming features on oatcakes. Cheese and chutney is so last year!
Our Results
Total number of attendees: 31. Highlights from our attendee list included:
- The Scotsman
- i-on Edinburgh
- The Scots Magazine
- The Herald
- My Weekly
- Daily Record
- Scotland on Sunday
- Edinburgh Life Magazine
Amy’s Kitchen – San Francisco Press Trip
Our aims
Take a group of selected UK journalists on a press trip to the home of Amy's Kitchen in San Francisco to show the 'farm to fork' story behind the brand.
Our approach
We worked with the Amy's Kitchen team in the US to create a spectacular press trip which allowed journalists to get under the skin of the brand and develop a deeper understand of the 'farm to fork' story.
We worked to secure five top food journalists from national, consumer lifestyle and food publications and flew with them to San Francisco to accompany them on the trip. The journalists had the opportunity to dine at some of the top vegan restaurants in the city, visit a local organic supplier to learn about where the food comes from and how it's produced, visit the factory to see how and where the meals are made and finally, meet the famous family who founded the brand 26 years ago.
Our Results
The trip was immensely successful as each element and activity showed the quality of ingredients used in all of Amy's products, the ethos of a revolutionary idea and the homemade side to the brand, which is often difficult to demonstrate, particular for frozen ready meals. All journalists left having experienced the trip of a lifetime and a bank of feature ideas to pitch to their editors back in the UK.
Journalists from following publications attended:
- The Guardian
- Vegetarian Living
- Good Housekeeping
- Healthy Food Guide
- Health and Fitness
Bright Start Event
Our aims
Launch Quest Vitamin’s brand new children’s health supplement BrightStart, to consumer and trade press, as well as key mummy bloggers.
Our approach
The role of DHA on infant brain function and immunity was something that was of great importance to convey effectively to both press and consumer. We felt a presentation and open discussion format was therefore, the best way in which to explore this topic further and showcase BrightStart in relation to this.
We hired a beautiful room at Chandos House, owned by the Royal Society of Medicine and invited Professor Michael Crawford an independent expert in Reproductive Physiology to give a presentation on the importance of DHA for brain development.
Professor Crawford made an excellent spokesperson for the brand owing to his expertise in DHA and extensive knowledge into the drawbacks of some recent health ‘super fads’. The charismatic Professor Crawford even found the time to captivate his audience with tales of nutrition in 18th Century London!
Our Results
We secured features and product mentions in a variety of titles including Candis, Your Healthy Living and Mummy Matters to name but a few. We created a buzz around the event and recorded positive sentiment on all online interactions using the relevant hashtags. We have since secured extended features off the back of this initial event.
Our aims
Create a buzz surrounding the new Renunail colour nail polishes throughout all beauty and lifestyle press including traditional and digital media as well as key beauty bloggers.
Our approach
We decided a press event was crucial for such an exciting launch. We drew on our previous experiences about what makes journalists leave their desks to come to such a beauty launch. With the theme of Colour vs. Strength, we decided on a circus event to make the launch as fun as possible. The format was a drop-in between midday and 7pm to encourage maximum attendance levels with the opportunity to have a manicure with the new never-before-seen products. We sourced a great venue in the heart of Soho, Cirque Le Soir, which was exactly what we wanted – complete with contortionists, a strongman, circus games and more! The invite was designed as a circus ticket and sent to key press with branded candyfloss. We had boards designed to place around the venue with the event hashtag to maximise social media buzz.
Our Results
Over 30 press attendees plus key buyers and make-up artists for Dr. LeWinn’s came to the event. Key target titles for the brand included The Daily Mail, Woman’s Own, You magazine, Best, Emerald Street and MSN. All the feedback was positive, thoroughly enjoying the activities and entertainment we had on offer, and most importantly really excited by the new nail polishes from the cult brand, Renunail. Social media tweets and Instagram pictures led to further enquiries from press and bloggers. Most importantly, our client was happy and the event was deemed a success.
Our aims
Launch the new VeryWise range of Omega-3 oils to a wide range of consumer press including women’s consumer magazines, national newspapers, online media and bloggers. Launch and grow VeryWise’s social media channels.
Our approach
We decided to draw on the bespoke health benefits of the VeryWise range, whilst establishing VeryWise as an on trend lifestyle choice for in-the-know consumers.
We did this by teaming up with fashionable juicing brand Blend & Press who created individual smoothies with each of the six VeryWise oils. We also enlisted expert nutritionists from Frame Gym Group and the NutriCentre to offer journalists nutritional one-to-one’s in order to identify which of the range would suit their personal health needs. Sampling of the VeryWise range was also available.
We launched a Twitter and Facebook account to create a digital presence for the brand pre-event to help build interest and grow followers.
Our Results
We secured features in a range of titles ahead of VeryWise’s general release in January 2014. We received a range of positive product reviews, alongside online interaction with key health and lifestyle journalists on the day, including The Sun, Shortlist and Hip&Healthy magazine. Further organic growth on VeryWise’s social media channels has resulted in interaction with international sportswomen and sports magazines.
Our aims
Celebrate Clearspring’s 20th birthday and launch the new Matcha tea and Miso on the Go ranges. Showcase the rest of the Clearspring range and introduce mainstream media to the brand.
Our approach
We held a Clearspring ‘experiential’ showcase event at a central London venue – dressed to reflect the Clearspring brand and ethos. Cooking demonstrations, tea ceremonies and Kimono experiences were offered throughout the day for guests with bespoke canapés and cocktails showcasing the versatility of the products.
Our Results
Total number of attendees: 75, highlights from our attendee list included:
- Shortlist
- The Financial Times; How To Spend It
- Woman &Home
- Waitrose Kitchen
- Food & Travel Magazine
- Eat In
- Yahoo!
- The Sun
- Healthy Food Guide
Our aims
Soft launch new ranges for SS13 to a wide range of consumer press including women's consumer magazines, national newspapers, online outlets and blogs. Achieve regular coverage across a wide range of press for the existing shades in the China Glaze range.
Our approach
Hardworking press office with emphasis on one-to-one meetings with a wide range of press and bloggers.
Our Results
- AVE: £56,006
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 46 - including Grazia, Fabulous magazine, Look, The Sun and many more
- Length of campaign: 6 months to date
Our aims
Secure celebrity-orientated coverage for the ARTDECO cosmetics brand and Dita Von Teese collection.
Our approach
Pitched selected products to key beauty and features press across national newspapers, weekly consumer titles and high profile e-zines - capitalising on ARTDECO's already established celebrity fan base. In addition, we met with celebrities and arranged both face to face, telephone and email interviews to generate positive beauty editorial for the cast of the nation's favourite soap-operas.
Our Results
- AVE: £129,139
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 21
- Total circulation: 31,917,020
- Length of campaign: 3 months
- Titles include: Key onlines - Cosmopolitan, Grazia, Reveal, Handbag.com, and national titles - Daily Mail, New, OK Extra, Star, OK, The Sun and Star
Our aims
Launch Pukka Ayurveda Organic Skincare to the UK market to drive awareness.
Our approach
Launched to press via an informal event at Kettner's with Master Herbalist and Co-Founder Sebastian Pole, proactive media relations, one-to-one press appointments and targeted media mailers to educate press and encourage trial and editorial.
Our Results
- AVE: £54,259
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 86
- Total circulation: 93,636
- Titles include: Top Santé, Natural Health, Spirit & Destiny, Essentials, Cosmopolitan, Daily Mail, The Sun: Fabulous, Mirror, Sunday Express: S Magazine, Metro, Look, Stylist, OK, Bella
Our aims
Launch a brand new podiatry-designed foot product, to manage foot pain, using a two-pronged approach - targeting national tabloid media and fitness press.
Our approach
First approach – held an afternoon tea launch event at The Ritz for 12 national journalists and five key buyers. They had the opportunity to meet Carnation Footcare's panel of experts and sample the new PediRoller in the exclusive surroundings.
Second approach – Organised a series of functional foot health clinics at a key London location. Journalists also met with a top podiatrist and took products away for home use.
Our Results
- AVE: £41,000
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 29
- Total circulation: 14,843,188
- Length of campaign: 3 months
Client comment"The launch of Carnation PediRoller was a major event for our brand, bringing together health journalists, retail representatives and professional podiatry specialists. CCD PR understood the challenge and our brief immediately. We wanted an initial launch to match the calibre of the product but needed to deliver this on a reasonable budget. The result was impressive - afternoon tea at The Ritz with all key invited contacts in attendance. The input, organisation and enthusiasm from the team was perfection. The launch gave the product the healthy start it needed and deserved and has helped to establish it firmly on pharmacy shelves, such as Boots, countrywide."Dave Wain, Managing Director of Carnation Footcare

Our aims
Launch the worlds first 100% natural and organic energy drink to the media.
Our approach
Organised launch event at the paramount bar for national press on a tight budget, arranged sampling at london fashion week and at the model sanctuary.
Our Results
- No of national articles secured to date: 50
- 3 month launch campaign

Our aims
Source professional model images for display purposes at trade shows and on the transactional website. In addition, increase editorial exposure by providing journalists with images that would accompany expert hair colouring quotes, tips and product shots.
Our approach
Hired three professional models with different coloured hair to showcase the rich range of shades available. We enlisted the help of celebrity stylist Marc Ramos to style the models' hair and renowned make-up artist Rachel Wood to provide a premium-looking finish.
Our Results
- AVE: £35,000
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 26 including a five-page exclusive in Hair magazine
- Length of campaign: 24 months

Our aims
Educate consumers regarding the importance of chemically-lighter hair dye alternatives and establish Naturtint, both online and in print, as a fashionable colourant that responsibly cares.
Our approach
Developed and profiled the Naturtint Colour Consultant for third-party endorsement, held an event, gifted to selected beauty press and entered relevant trade and consumer awards.
Our results
- AVE: £114,277
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No. of articles: 137
- Length of campaign: 2009 (12 months)

Our aims
Drive home the message that Zotrim enables users to diet without the hunger.
Our approach
Distribute research findings in print and online, source case studies, giveaways and reader discounts and profile relevant experts.
Our results
- AVE: £80,990
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No. of articles: 57
- Length of campaign: 2009
- Agency has been included on a DEFRA taskforce as a result of this campaign

Our aims
Increase brand awareness amongst all mainstream consumer, online and specialist health food trade publications. Launch new additions to their current range of teas - Morning Time, Three Fennel and Three Tulsi.
Our approach
Showcased the new teas and the full Pukka Herbs range in the Crimson Room at the Soho Hotel to which over 40 consumer and trade journalists attended and a number of influential bloggers. They also met Sebastian Pole and Tim Westwell, co-founders of Pukka Herbs, who provided in-depth knowledge about the products and the product category.
Our Results
- AVE: £37,565
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 102
- Length of campaign: 5 months

Our aims
Increase celebrity and expert endorsement to drive sales and improve consumer understanding of the product range.
Our approach
Events, journalist makeovers, developed celebrity relationships, make-up trials and national, regional and online media relations.
Our results
- AVE: £81,137
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 132
- Length of campaign: 8 months
Read the coverage...

Our aims
Raise awareness of the STAT and also launch a new piece of research.
Our approach
Use online and print media to raise awareness and launch the science around STAT.
Our results
- AVE: £685,000
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 218
- Length of campaign: 12 months

Our aims
Support the launch of Sirco into Sainsbury's stores nationwide with a short-lead, high-profile media campaign.
Our approach
Due to the client's tight timeline and the importance of coverage appearing during the initial sales period, when product hit Sainsbury's shelves, very short-lead media (radio, national newspapers, regional newspapers and online media) were targeted to maximise exposure with immediate effect.
Our Results
- No of articles: 27
- Total circulation: 42.8 million
- Length of campaign: 6 weeks

Our aims
Launch the reformulated and repackaged botanical skincare range to press to support the brand's availability in selected Holland and Barrett stores nationwide.
Our approach
Took a two-pronged approach to increase awareness at both a national and regional level. We increased national coverage through educating journalists on the range via one-to-one desk visits at key publishing houses, leaving them with relevant samples, press releases and new photography. Locally we arranged in-store Yin Yang Skincare Consultations throughout the UK. These were pitched to press as both a journalist and consumer event with a skincare expert available to advise on skin complaints and the importance of natural ingredients. The expert also provided ongoing quotes for media use to help generate seasonal news hooks, more column inches and increased online support.
Our Results
- AVE: £45,858
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 105 including Daily Mail, Prima, Essentials, Woman's Own and Bella
- Length of campaign: 6 months

Our aims
Showcase the brand to UK consumer media, focusing on the new range of health, fitness & wellbeing supplements.
Our approach
Introduced the range to national consumer press through a series of one-to-one meetings using highly specific media materials & targeted product sampling.
Our Results
- AVE: £102,000
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- Number of national articles: 102
- Length of campaign: 9 months

Our aims
Encourage more consumers to eat seasonal fruit and veg.
Our approach
Created a multi faceted campaign using media relations, website, research and internal communications to drive key messages. The anchor of the campaign was the "I'm in season" website, which was used in all aspects of the campaign.
Our results
- AVE: £1.110 million
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 406
- Length of campaign: 3 years

Our aims
Launch a new range of comprehensive beauty supplements.
Our approach
Position as a unique way to approach your daily beauty regime via press trips to Champneys Health Resort in Tring and highly targeted media relations activities.
Our Results
- AVE: £305,256
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 53
- Total circulation: 8,705,256
- Length of campaign: 12 months

Our aims
Launch Oralift by educating consumers in order to drive sales
Our approach
Launched via journalist and celebrity trials
Our results
- AVE £90,781
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No. of articles: 12
- Length of campaign: 3 months

Our aims
Launch a supplement for hair, skin, nails and body
Our approach
Use a media launch to provide journalists with the research, case studies and expert for this new product.
Our results
- AVE: £210,00
(AVE is Advertising Value Equivalent; what it would cost to buy the editorial space for advertising)
- No of articles: 28
- Length of campaign: 6 months