‘Where great minds meet, greater friends bond and health and safety is brazenly disregarded.’
Last week in the glorious, hazy sunshine of mid July team PG met upon a hillside to let battle commence. The (to be) historic clash of PG Spots v. PG Stripes formed the first part of the PrettyGreen summer conference. Putting to test the athletic talents of what turned out to be two highly competitive groups, Stripes trounced the Spots 184 to 89, thanks in part to Laura’s talents on a space hopper and Mandy’s irrational fear of flying foam balls.
As a team always striving to expand upon existing ideas, PG created an all-new game for the Spots v. Stripes itinerary, involving running at 6’5’’ Nick with a space hopper. Quickly developed, tested and then rapidly banned ‘Blind Space Hopper Dodgems’ short rise and fall can be explained by the series of pictures below.
Next on the agenda was a quick stop at Camden Lock and then a boat trip to Little Venice. Greeted by an overfriendly tour guide who tried in vein to educate team PG on the history of the waterways- champagne, passers by, wildlife, and, well, anything else was of more interest.
Back on dry land safely (there were a few dodgy moments) a lovely meal with speeches aplenty awaited us. Among the announcements was the sad news that Claire is shortly to be leaving us to go travelling with Hamish, congratulations were due to Ravi who was getting married at the weekend and perhaps most importantly new AM Alex had eaten too much Feta and was going through what she termed the ‘Fetapause’.
Ending in a pub booth that was comically undersized we sprawled on to the street for a night of questionable drinking games. Fun was had by all, role on the Christmas conference.
Note: Particular kudos goes to Raymund for his inventive impressions throughout the night, intern Alex’s talent for asking questions and lastly to Strings for downing close to a pint of wine in a drinking game that no one else seemed to be playing.
The recent case of fugitive gunman Raul Moat, has raised important questions about the role of intense, media coverage.
Raul Moat’s brother claims that Moat had access to the rolling coverage. Angus Moat claims that after seeing tabloid headlines proclaiming that even his own mother thought he was ‘Better Off Dead’ Raul believed he had no other option than to take his own life.
In the time after his death, the media’s intense reporting appears to be making an anti hero out of Moat. Quotes from Moat have highlighted his police persecution complex and have struck a chord with some people. This coverage has culminated in ITN’s publication of social services interviews with Moat from August 2009, highlighting the scrutiny he felt he was under from police and his requests for help.
Coverage like this seems to be increasing sympathy for Moat, a R.I.P Raul Moat group on Facebook has attracted over 25,000 members. The media in such unique and dangerous situations obviously has a crucial role to play in providing the public with information. It was essential for example, for the people of Rothbury to get up constant updates from police for their own safety. We live in a world of rolling 24 hour news that squeezes every bit of information and headline out of a story. When however media coverage is sited as an explicit factor contributing to a man taking his own life and creating an anti hero out of a cold, blooded murderer, we question is a moral line is being crossed?
As it was our birthday, we had a think about what we did last year:-
- Kept all our old Clients and got some more All About Food, Maynards, Easter Trails, Creme Egg, Flake, Nibbles.
- After nearly two years of planning we started playing SpotsVStripes for Cadburys
- Went to a country house with Rob Da Bank and George Lamb and discovered a swingers den
- Found and sent a Globe Trotting Guide off to festivals around the world for Trident (hello Katie)
- Ate lots of chicken and hung out with celebrities for Nando’s
- Took 2k children skateboarding
- Helped the Easter Bunny on Easter Trails around National Trust
- Opened up a pop-up Caramel Nibbles Boutique
- Made Rachel Steven’s a Flake Girl and kissed a million lips
- Launched a new stunning Flake Ad
- Unwrapped Beyone at O2
- Helped Robbie backflip Tower bridge
- Electrified Battersea Power Station at Red Bull X Fighters
- Spent January and February with Red Bull Music Academy
- Have spent over a year trying to float a man to the edge of space
- Grew by 400%
- Celebrated Lucy getting engaged
- Bought a big new telly for the World Cup
- Strings became a PRCA Council Member, was nominated for the Hospital 100 Club & turned FORTY!
- PR Week Ones to Watch
- PR Week Best Places to Work
- Best Newcomer Finalist MCCA
- New Agency of the Year Finalist PR Week
- Small Consultancy of the Year Finalist PRCA
- Emma got married
- Had our 1st office romance
- Lost the best placement student ever, but gained Alex
- Set-up PrettyGreen Training Academy with Laura
- Moved office
- Had three important new starters; Table Tennis table, Punch Bag and Drum Kit. Important tools of the trade
- Eventually had a kitchen built
- Bottled our 1st production run of La Maison Fontaine Absinthe
- Got responsibly drunk on it (Nick climbing a bronze horse maybe wasn’t too responsible)
- Broke a world record for the longest Christmas party
- Burnt down London letting of Lanterns
There are also a few Things we’re going to try and do in the next year
- Have as much fun as we had last year
- Do some more charity work
- Hold a sports day
- Find a bigger office
- Find a local pub we all hang out in after work
- Have a real office pet (there’s a rumour we’re getting a cat and dying it blue)
- Create a clothing line to annoy Liam
- Keep all our Clients, but find a few more
- Keep all our staff and find some more friends
A lovely poem from Coco, who goes back to College, she’s been an amazing find, and someone who will be really missed. She’s held us all together and we can’t wait for her to rejoin us. Thank you for putting up with us all.
The 1million lips party eating flakes
Strings kicking balls and tweet updates
Even buying 100 lemons and limes
Hoping buskers have learnt their lines
Laughing at Mandy’s aquarium news quotes
Macmillan coffee mornings racing boats
Gasping at Maddison’s tower bridge flips
Monday morning absinth sips
Nicks bright red glowing embarrassed face
Watching our sky lanterns race
The many fab brainstorms from bob to flake
Getting my own birthday cake
Monday office meeting banter
Even my half dead orchid planter
Moving office from Tottenham Court Road
100 Single ladies dancing, ‘whoa oh oh’
Making up jolly Easter egg hampers
On everyone’s Birthday’s drinking champers
Pistol Pete dressed as Barci
Award evenings feeling classy
Giant musical chairs are unforgettable
Rapping to 21 seconds- that’s regrettable
Guys, I have had such a fantastic year
I will be back before you know do not fear
I have to thank every one of you
For being so amazing at what you do
I’ve loved every second, its been so cool
I have learnt so very much from you all
Last week team PrettyGreen spent the day with upcoming electro-pop chart topper (and Nandos obsessive) EXAMPLE going to four of our favourite Peri-Peri chicken restaurants in London for special acoustic renditions of tracks off his new album ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ – The Peri Go Round.
Each of the stops were packed to the rafters with queues out the door and fans chanting along to tunes while helping themselves to the free food on offer. As the most easily bribed member of team PrettyGreen, Pistol Pete played the important role of Nando’s cheery chicken mascot ‘Barcy’. Climbing into the 7 foot, well-insulated furry costumes in the heigh of the British summer heat, he set off into the hoards of partying fans. Returning three hours later a lot warmer but none the less cheerful, he ranked the new mascot training regime of “killer moves dressed as poultry” the best and most entertaining since Mr Motivator donned his lycra all-in-one and had us all dancing around our living rooms on Saturday mornings.. Oh, just us then?
Good work Pete, all done in the line of duty, he’s now earned the right to pass the suit on for the continued game of Peri Go Round.
Following hot on the heels of the curse of Gillete, comes the curse of the Nike hype after its Alejandro Inarritu directed World Cup ad ‘Write the Future’.
Despite us believing that the epic commercial to be one of the best sporting adverts of all time, we can’t help notice just how dire the World Cup campaigns of Nike’s chosen brand ambassadors have been.
Didier Drogba (out in group phase), Fabio Cannavaro (out in group phase), Franck Ribery (sex scandal and then out group phase), Ronaldinho (not even picked), Ronaldo (out) and our own hero, who was supposed to have been knighted and us all naming our baby boys after him, Wayne Rooney (didn’t even show up and out).
Considering the fact that the advert was viewed in 32 counties, gained 9.2m hits in its first 10 days and would have cost millions of pounds to make, Nike probably now wishes they actually had the ability to ‘Write the Future’ of the star players it employed. Maybe the advert itself was to blame. It promises appearances in The Simpsons, 100 foot statues and Hollywood film biographies if the players succeed or spending the rest of their days living in a caravan if they were to fail. Maybe the pressure and hype just all became too much for the pampered players. Better book that caravan in Skegness for a few weeks Wayne. Or maybe he’ll be on the media junket with Terry to promote his new film
Not since, Tommy K or Daddy (on Chips) has a question caused such a divide, especially among the women in the office. Should we grimace in front of the telly for another 90 minutes amid a sea of beery men or don a cunning disguise and slip out to the shops.
The reason? We’re re-opening the ‘Nibbles Boutique’ today with Fashion Targets Breast Cancer; a fabulous dress shop with Cadbury Caramel Nibbles – giving away made-to-measure dresses every day for 5-days, not a lion or red and white shirt in sight.
200 made-to-measure dresses across 5-days but you need to be at St Christophers Place at 3pm or 12pm every other day to be in with a chance of bagging an appointment. And if you don’t bag an appointment. Worry not, we’ve coffee and Nibbles on hand, and you can also take away a fabulous hand made corsage, simply by making a donation to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.
Unlike an England goal, this isn’t too good to be true, so if you’re around Bond St pop in, we’d love to see you.
Not since, Tommy K or Daddy (on Chips) has a question caused such a divide, especially among the women in the office. Should we grimace in front of the telly for another 90 minutes amid a sea of beery men or don a cunning disguise and slip out to the shops.