Overview

As part of our brand refresh for this household name and British cinema legend, we created a new tone of voice with clear, user-friendly principles. I've used it to write everything from the pre-show film to marketing materials, signage and magazine cover wraps.

But my favourite brief was to rename the cinema chain's iSense offering.

The brief

iSense is ODEON’s all-round superior cinema offering – bigger screen, better sound and bigger seats. With an ultra high-definition curved screen and truly immersive Dolby Atmos sound, it’s a significant step up from the standard cinema experience and the next best thing to IMAX. But customers find the name confusing. 

Current name

Many think iSense is a 3D or interactive cinema experience. This issue is compounded by the ‘i’-prefix, which suggests physical/digital interactions. iSense also fails to reference the three key USPs: bigger screen, better sound, bigger seats. 

Key considerations

1 Simplicity

The name should be short, succinct and give an immediate idea of what we are offering (a bigger, better experience).

2 Brand equity

The name should resonate emotionally and align with our brand experience principles and ODEON tone of voice.

3 Ownability

The name shouldn’t sound like anyone else’s offering.

Suggested new names

Ultra ODEON / ODEON Ultra

Defined by dictionary.com as ‘Going beyond what is usual or ordinary… extreme’

The name sounds current and modern and is widely understood, as in its use by Adidas for their high-performance running shoe ‘Adidas Ultra Boost’.

ODEON 3 / ODEON³

The number represents the three key USPs (bigger screen, better sound, bigger seats) – but also suggests something new and improved or, in cinema-speak, the latest instalment. Using superscript could be a memorable visual shorthand – ODEON cubed, or to the power of three.

Compare mobile phone brand ‘3’ and the TV channel ‘5’ (formerly Channel 5).

ODEON MAX

A simple, clear option – and one that works well alongside IMAX. But if anything, it's possibly too similar, so might cause confusion.

It's current, universal and unlikely to date (Pepsi Max, Nike Air Max etc.)

ODEON MAXOUT / MAX OUT

Adding ‘out’ brings energy and distinctiveness to this option – and helps to avoid confusion with IMAX. ‘Maxing out’ is defined as ‘doing or having as much as possible of something’. Also the idea of ‘Maxing out for £2 extra’ could be highly compelling for customers.

ODEON MAXIMUS

Using this Latin word adds gravitas and an epic feel. 

‘Oculus rift’ (virtual reality system) shows how Latin marries well with technology to give a feeling of emotive power and scale.

ODEON GRANDE

Another way to say ‘plus’ or ‘bigger’ with more style and gravitas. Also suggests luxury, which relates nicely to the bigger seats.

This is already widely understood in categories from cars to coffee.

ODEON X

Doesn’t necessarily suggest scale – but does say ‘extra’

Older generations might think of ‘X’-rated but this is not our target audience.

For most of us, X now means extra, enhanced or distinctive – think Uber X, Radio X (the new name for XFM) and even the Halifax. 

ODEON 2.0

Borrowing computer language, 2.0 says ‘This is a step change, the latest version, ODEON plus.’

SCREEN O

Note it’s ‘O’ the letter, not the number, pronounced ‘Oh’. This idea harnesses the iconic ‘O’ we have used extensively in our indents and visual identity as a unique property.

Screen O becomes the best of ODEON – ownable and distinctive. Screens in these cinemas could even be renumbered (instead of ‘1,2,3’ use ‘1,2 and O’).

Outcome

ODEON decided to continue to use the iSense name in the UK as it was already being used in other European markets.

I've co-created and delivered training sessions all over the world on tone of voice, effective writing and online content creation for major brands including Humana, Dow Chemical, Lloyds Bank, Fidelity, Stagecoach and British Gas.

Drawing on my experience as a trainer and presenter, I make them as fun and memorable as possible, using a variety of interactive group exercises tailored to the needs of each specific client.

Ask me how I'd go about creating a training session for you.

The brief

Leading integrated agency Haygarth had already tried to encourage more creativity and daring with an initiative called ‘Bold Thinking.’ This had not been a success.

Insight

Staff are understandably cynical about initiatives dressed in marketing jargon that seem to be asking more of them. We needed to create something that felt genuinely inspiring and rewarding.

Idea

A senior team including me was put together to devise an ongoing programme of creative inspiration, rewards and incentives. We created:

Adventures in Wonderland

Creativity is a journey where detours and wrong turns often lead to better places and embracing the new and unknown pays dividends. So why not leap down the rabbit hole and see what happens?

Of our three preferred ideas, 'Wonderland' resonated most, both visually and verbally. Dovetailing perfectly with our new visual identity and the agency’s distinctive semi-rural location, its playful, uplifting feel was the most natural fit. The word also functions as a prefix for the key campaign elements we devised:

Wonderlust – a book of practical techniques, quotations and useful ideas to help inspire creativity. I co-wrote this book with the Design Director, drawing on a range of sources including my training in NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming). The images on the right are extracts from this book.

Wondergong – a series of awards for clever creative thinking

Wonderfund – £100 creative bursary for each member of staff to spend as they choose

Cutting-room floor: the ideas that didn't quite make it

Idea#1: Unsafety at work

Creativity is all about taking risks. ‘Unsafety at work’ was inspired by this. Playing on the illustrative, diagrammatic style of ‘safety at work’ material, we would playfully encourage ‘risky’ practices in the name of creativity.

Idea#2: Wired for ideas

Great ideas look easy because you don’t see the plumbing. Or, in the words of Steve Jobs, “Creativity is all about connections.” Our programme of creative inspiration will plug you in to the best around. Get ready to get wired.

Results

Every staff member has received a copy of 'Wonderlust.' I've even been told that parent company RAPP's CEO has one taking pride of place on his desk!  The initiative has been shortlisted this year for an MAA Best award. Watch this space. 

The brief

Garnier’s ECRM programme was suffering from poor open and click-through rates. We needed to revamp it to improve both.

The insight

Women are constantly bombarded with sales messages for products like ours so are naturally sceptical.

The strategy

We established credibility for the products via a compelling combination of celebrity and peer-to-peer endorsement. 

The idea

We created ‘Beautiful Days’ – an online programme offering “tips, treats and tons more” fronted by Davina, face of the Ultralift TV campaign.  

Content

The structure and content of our emails was crucial, so we developed a precise formula. An opening consumer insight led smoothly into a need, perfectly resolved by a Garnier product.

Positioning

I created a unique positioning for Garnier: ‘We’re democratising beauty, not trying to deconstruct it’ (a reference to Dove’s ‘real beauty’ campaign). This dovetailed perfectly with Garnier’s ATL unabashed celebration of beauty and glamour.

Tone of voice

We needed to be engaging and friendly but empathetic and informative; the perfect salesperson in other words. The chatty style channelled Davina and was so successful, the client asked me to be their dedicated copywriter.  

Sample copy

“So you love knowing about all the latest beauty stuff, and you love getting free treats, tips and surprises. Sign up here for your regular little emailed package of joy with all our best bits. Isn’t it lovely having things to look forward to?”

“Say hello to Garnier Beautiful Days, your regular ray of e-sunshine.”

Results

As the campaign progressed we saw substantial increases in email open and click-though rates to well above average. Garnier loved the copy style so much they asked me to be their dedicated writer and used my brand guidelines internally. Here they are, in full:

Garnier is…

Generous, down-to-earth, conversational, positive, thoughtful, uplifting, spontaneous, playful, curious, fun, young at heart, aspirational AND accessible. Imagine friends sitting side by side on the sofa, enthusing about their latest beauty discoveries. It’s all about helping women look good on the outside and feel beautiful on the inside.

Garnier isn’t…

Edgy, shallow, clinical, luxury, elitist, niche, basic, throwaway, corporate, full of itself! We’re not Dove, either – rather than deconstructing beauty, we want to democratise it, so every woman can join in and enjoy it!   

Garnier likes…

Real needs and insights that resonate with real women. Products that really work, so you can see and feel the difference. That’s why we always want to know what our customers think – for us, that’s what really matters. We think beauty is all about being the best version of yourself so you can make the most of whatever the day brings.  

Garnier would never…

Patronise or hard-sell with cold scientific waffle.  Neither do we generalise or make assumptions about our customers, who may be in their 20s or 50s, may have families or be single and may overlap with other L’Oreal brands in different categories.    

Some keywords and phrases:

Come on, see and feel the difference for yourself!

Try, test, tell…

Tried it? Loved it? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so tell us what you think.

What is Beautiful Days?

Imagine having all the inspiration you need to transform your daily beauty routine into a source of pleasure, so you can feel refreshed and at one with yourself every single day. Beautiful Days is your daily dose of tips, treats and beauty inspiration, with little surprises and delights thrown in. There’s always something new to discover, so come and join us!

If Garnier were a person:

Your friend sitting side by side on the sofa with you, sharing all her latest hints to feeling beautiful. She’s down-to-earth, warm and makes you feel good about yourself. She looks great too – in an attainable way.

Davina McCall is the spokeswoman for UltraLift. Beautiful Days sponsors Lorraine on Daybreak.

In a similar league to Garnier

Boots No 7, Designers at Debenhams, Toni & Guy. It’s affordable yet aspirational, down to earth but stylish, fun and full of everyday inspiration.

Garnier talks to:

Women from across a broad age range. For them, looking good isn’t the be-all and end-all – they have plenty of other things going on in their life! But they do want to look good and feel great so they can get the most out of life. Unlike Maybelline girls (for whom the beauty world is like a huge dressing-up box, or a candy store) Garnier women use our products to be the best version of themselves.

Sample copy:

So you love knowing about all the latest beauty stuff, and you love getting free treats, tips and surprises. Sign up here for your regular little emailed package of joy with all our best bits. Isn’t it lovely having things to look forward to?

Say hello to Garnier Beautiful Days, your regular ray of e-sunshine.

As a member, you’ll receive the latest news, exclusive offers, expert tips and exciting treats. This month, we’re giving you the chance to try a breakthrough product the entire beauty world’s been buzzing about – our Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. cream. Claim your free sample pack now.

To bare or not to bare that is the question... like many of us, you may want to give your tan a sneaky head start this bank holiday weekend by faking it. However, the thought of things going wrong is enough to turn anyone pale.

And for comparison

I also wrote these guidelines for Garnier's sister brand Maybelline New York. The two make an interesting comparison.

Maybelline is…

Youthful, active, fun, sexy, spontaneous, daring, edgy and playful. It’s also simple, pragmatic, smart, sassy, straightforward and empowering.

It’s straight from the streets of New York, where people go to be whoever they want to be. Creativity, individuality and attitude are what we’re all about.

Maybelline isn’t…

A wallflower, passive, understated, exclusive, housewife or Little Miss Perfect.

We’re not just about high fashion either. We’re where the catwalk meets the sidewalk, so we’re inspired by both.  

We don’t own it. You do.

Maybelline loves…

Being in the know with all the latest innovations and trends.

Novelty, experimentation and the power of transformation.  

Your own interpretation, so take it and run with it.

No need to be perfect. Tear up the rules. Make a statement. Make it up!

Maybelline would never…

Beat about the bush. Use 50 words where you could use five.

Be ‘safe’, conservative, or blend into the background.

Where’s the fun in that?

Some key words and phrases:

Make it up with Maybelline

From catwalk to sidewalk

Own it. Love it. Run with it.

If Maybelline was a person:

She’d have the style and daring of the latest edgy pop star or model who does it her way – not the way she’s supposed to.

Maybelline talks to:

Think psychographics, not demographics. Maybelline is a New York state of mind.

So if you love what we love – creativity, individuality and attitude – we’re for you.

Sample messaging:

Maybelline New York – official beauty sponsor of London Fashion Weekend

Work it! Show us your hottest outfit online or get spotted by Mollie King at London Fashion Weekend

Own it! Our top make-up artist will create a full, one-off look for you, inspired by your look

Run with it! Walk our amazing virtual catwalk like a supermodel and appear LIVE on our big screen. 

#Makeitup #runwaytime #workingit #wedareyou  #walklikeChristy  

Social media guidelines:

We’re like the cool best friend or favourite blogger who’s engaging, in the know and always on trend. We talk like her, not like a big brand.

·         Be short and sweet. Get straight to the point – but you can also be playful and unexpected where appropriate.

·         Be conversational, using the latest buzz words, trend names and expressions fashion/beauty bloggers and journalists would use – e.g. ‘Elegant punk’ ‘Selfie alert’, ‘Love. These. Colours’, ‘You saw it here first’, ‘#catwalk crush’ ‘#Killer walk’ etc. 

·         Questions are good e.g. ‘So who’s loving xxxx?’ ‘What do you think of xxxx?’ Be as personal, timely, specific and relevant as you can.

·         Before you post an update, write a header or a subject line, ask yourself these questions:

Why is this relevant right now?

What is/are the product(s)?

What’s the trend?

What’s in it for your audience?

The brief

Fight For Sight was a charity with a great name and a big problem. With increasing numbers of charities bombarding us with heart-wrenching appeals, how could they stand out? Moreover, unlike most of the biggest names, Fight For Sight doesn't save lives. Just a key enabler for good quality of life - eyesight.

The insight

Inspiration came from reading about some of the incredible research projects the charity has funded – like the remarkable app people in poor countries can use to help diagnose serious eye problems. We eschewed the ubiquitous sob stories, focusing on these instead.

The idea

Working closely with a senior designer, we created a standout graphic identity and full guidelines. Our tone-of-voice principles – brave, pithy, people-focused and inspirational – reflected our positive, pull-no-punches approach. We also devised a suite of powerful campaign executions.

The brief

Ultra Doux shampoo (meaning ‘Ultra Soft’) was to be launched in the UK. Garnier wanted to rename it for the UK market, keeping the ‘Ultra’ part so the pack design could stay consistent. We needed to avoid the following connotations:

a)   Tampons, fabric conditioners etc.

b)   Blandness/lack of emotional connection (e.g. Ultra Care, Ultra Naturals)

c)    Lack of performance/efficacy (e.g. Ultra Mild, Ultra Kind, Ultra Gentle)

In a nutshell: a word for gentle nature-based caring goodness to complement the performance and efficacy of ‘Ultra’

Key product attributes

Broad range of 18 rich natural ‘flavours’ (including fruits, nuts and exotic oils) for every hair type & need – plus masks, dry shampoos, detanglers and eco-friendly refills

No nasties & paraben free, with natural extracts. Hypoallergenic & tested under paediatric control

Names that have been tested (but not necessarily met with resonance)

Ultra Naturals – ok but uninspiring/functional?

Ultra Soft – compromises efficacy, seems diluted

Ultra Gentle – as above

Ultra Care – as above

Ultra Mild – as above

Ultra Kind – as above

Ultra Green – Sounds too strongly like environmental product

Ultra Adore – no natural credentials & sounds like fabric/baby product

Ultra Nourish (not yet tested) – good territory but a bit too functional?

Current Garnier naming strategies

1 Functional benefit/USP

e.g. Ambre Solaire No Streaks Bronzer, Garnier Intensive 7 Days, B.B. Cream

2 Emotional benefit (N.B. more suited to individual products rather than range; see below)

Youthful Radiance, Vital Restore, Clean Sensation

3 Abstract suggestion of functional + emotional

Fructis (fruit ingredient + freshness)

Nutrisse (nourishment + shine)

Conclusion: seems as if 1 and 3 are richer territories for this product range, given that there are a number of skus with different benefits (2). Key USP across the range is natural/caring ingredients – so like (1) but with a more emotive feel.  

Garnier has a strategy for abstract names that signify functional + emotional benefits (3), especially in haircare.

Competitor examples

Tresemme Naturals, Body Shop Rainforest, Boots Botanics

Aveda Shampure & Pureformance

Pantene Aqua Light

Original Source

Herbal Essences Dazzling Shine, Hello Hydration (n.b. these are individual sku names)

L’Oreal Elvive Nutri-gloss

VO5 Nourish Me Truly

Simple Gentle Care

Dove Nourishing Oil Shampoo

Conclusion: We are in Nourish/Naturals/Nutri territory.

‘Rainforest’ is an interesting exception – use of a place to create an ownable ‘world’

SUGGESTIONS

Italic=rejected

1. Functional/USP

Ultra Nature (more emotive than ‘natural’)

Ultra Essence (pure nature-derived active ingredients)

Ultra Extracts (as above)

Ultra Dew (freshness + nature + delicate, more appealing than ‘doux’ in English)

Ultra Jus (pronounced the French way; a natural, concentrated essence)

Ultra Balm (suggests conditioner only)

Ultra Fruits (not all skus are fruit-based)

2. Abstract/emotional

Ultra Purisse (purity of ingredients + shine, gloss)

Ultra Senses (stimulating and gentle scents)

Ultra Nutri (nourish/nutrients)

Ultra Nutré (nourish/nutrients)

Ultra Nutrix (nourish + luxury/whole range of natural ingredients/complexes, like “organics”)

Ultra Nuriche (nourish + richness; a ‘Garnier’ way to say ‘nourish’)

Ultra Délisse (delicate + delicious flavours + glossy finish – sounds like French ‘delice’=delight, delicacy)

Ultra Nutri-plenish (too long/complex)

Ultra Nature-Luxe (as above)

Ultra Nutri-Luxe (as above)

3. Create a place/world

Ultra Source

Ultra Forest

Ultra Origine

Ultra Forêt

4. Misc

Nature Luxe

RECOMMENDATION

Our shortlist for testing would be:

Ultra Nutri/Nutré

Ultra Purisse

Ultra Nature

Ultra Nura

Ultra Nuri

Ultra Extracts

Ultra Essence

Ultra Forest/Forêt

Ultra Dew

Nature Luxe

Results

Ultra Nutri, Nura and Nuri were the client’s favourites. However just prior to testing the product was completely reformulated with ‘blends’ of ingredients and so it became ‘Ultimate Blends’ in the UK.

The brief

The AVIVA identity was beginning to look tired. Keeping familiar elements like their signature yellow, we needed to refresh it – as well as creating a complete set of brand guidelines. A key element was the need to incorporate the brand’s new corporate philosophy of ‘Good thinking’.

The insight

Understanding ‘Good thinking’ – which Aviva had created with another agency – was key, as well as a thorough and comprehensive overview of their business and strategy.

The idea

We carefully chose brand experience principles to perfectly encapsulate the creative thinking, positive energy and beautiful simplicity at the heart of ‘Good thinking’: inventive, intuitive and uplifting. The new identity and guidelines are fresh, modern and ‘digital first’, dovetailing perfectly with Aviva’s ambitions.

Brand book

Aviva were so happy with the way we captured the essence of their new brand that I was asked to write their ‘brand book’ – a key touchstone of ‘Good thinking’ to be given to senior employees internationally. The book weaves multiple complex initiatives into a single coherent and focused narrative.

The brief

The Organic Trade Board – made up of dozens of organic food producers – needed to stem the decline in organic food consumption.

The insight

Too many people saw organic as an expensive, niche product for food snobs. And what did ‘organic’ actually mean anyway? You can’t see or taste the difference.

The strategy

We needed to do two things: reposition organic as a brand and show people what the benefits of organic are.

Brand repositioning

Previous campaigns were earnest, preachy and bland. We wanted to be funny, appealing and thought-provoking. Reflecting the ‘less-is-more’ ethos of organic in a fresh new way, we aimed to be single-minded, fun and even raise a smile.

The idea

We chose a faux-naive look and feel with vibrant colours. Each execution depicted a snippet of over-the-fence chitchat between an organic and non-organic animal or foodstuff, illustrating one key difference in a playful, knowing way.

Tone of voice

Aiming for a 20/30-something, educated urban audience with a slight female skew, the tone of voice was light, camp and breezy with a hint of Heat Magazine. Each ad was underpinned with a compelling and unmistakeable point of difference.

Endline: Naturally different

Research showed us that ‘Because it’s more natural’ was the key motivation for our target audience to choose organic. This led us to ‘Naturally different’ with its useful double meaning – ‘clearly’ or ‘intrinsically different’ with the implication that it’s also ‘more natural.’ This was flexible enough to underpin a whole range of differences from animal welfare to pesticide content.

Cutting-room floor: the endline that didn't run

Our other endline option was 'It's more down to earth.' We loved the double meaning: a play on the straight-talking honesty of organic combined with the hint that the process owes more to nature too. But this second meaning was just too subtle. In its simplicity, ‘Naturally different’ was more resolute and compelling.

Results

The campaign was phenomenally successful. Multiple new executions have been created for a variety of foods as diverse as meat, bread and chocolate. It won an MAA Best Award for ‘Best Advertising Campaign’ and most importantly, substantially increased both sales and awareness.