Our notebook

07 July 2010

A SilverDoor opening

As part of SilverDoor's ongoing celebrations in its tenth year of business, it launched a new website recently. Executing a long list of site improvements, we designed and developed the site over several months, keeping an eye on usability, SEO, content layout and brand values. We also re-designed the content management system for the website – to keep it simple and intuitive for staff who have to use it on a daily basis.

The website has become integral to the way that SilverDoor does business and offers clients the opportunity to search over 40,000 apartments in 200 worldwide locations, build shortlists and make reservation enquiries.

21 May 2010

Brighter than the average lawyer

Most law firms are a bit stuffy, they insist that being serious means you have to be dull, too. Kent-based Vertex Law refuse to uphold the tradition because they don't operate like a regular law firm. They're unconventionally structured, quick on their feet and commercially aware – fast becoming one of the south-east's leading practices for business law.

Vertex have asked Gibson to create brighter and bolder marcomms for them, to include a new website (launching July 2010), press advertising and direct marketing. Working to a modest budget, with very carefully selected photo library imagery, we're demonstrating that it doesn't have to be stiff smiles, corporate handshakes and dark grey suits. The ad below is taken from the new Finance & Funding Directory 2010.

30 April 2010

James and the giant spider

Another SilverDoor staff member surrendered their dignity this week when they appeared as part of the tenth birthday advertising campaign that Gibson has created for them. Please welcome little James Hood, the most mischievous ten-year-old in the SilverDoor office.

02 April 2010

Hello. Can I have half an hour?

Earlier this week we were with a client that's asked us to take on all of their printed marketing – to go with the new website that we're about to launch for them. 

This particular client is in legal services. They'd just had a piece of direct marketing designed to be left with prospects. Trouble was, it made this client very anxious. Rather than leaving the reader wanting to know more, it weighed in with several thousand characters of technical gumf that would only speed its journey to the bin.

"Put all that technical stuff on your website", we suggested. "People can read it there if they really need to." And that's what we're going to do. Why overwhelm a prospect with absolutely everything you know, when you can interest them with some well-chosen highlights of your expertise?

Less is more, as we keep saying.

02 March 2010

Working with ten-year-olds

Our client SilverDoor is ten this year and as part of the celebrations we're working with them on what's been dubbed the 'We are 10' campaign. It will consist of advertising, direct marketing and a brand new website.

Here's the second ad that's just been released, featuring Jean from Accounts. Each ad takes a tongue-in-cheek look at a SilverDoor employee as they might have been when they were ten. Rumours of staff leaving to pursue careers in modelling are entirely founded.

17 February 2010

A sparky idea

Alan Turner is a qualified London electrician and a friend of the business. He went self-employed last week – with a set of new business cards designed by Gibson.