We are really excited to announce that The Minimart has won the prestigious Gold accreditation for Continuous Professional Development from the IPA. This is a benchmark for best practice across the advertising, media and marketing communications professions, supporting growth within each agency and the industry as a whole.

Inspired by our creative department, we made the decision in January to create a facebook page devoted entirely to the training we do here at The Minimart. Every person in the agency is featured throughout the year’s timeline and all give voice to their objectives both personally and as a team. So the main support for our ‘Pursuit of Gold’ is in keeping with our own objectives as an agency, a nod to the world we occupy and in line with our own environmental policy.

This is how we feel we gave substance to the work we have done throughout the year. The page is rich in video and content generally. It details our successful weekly ‘Binge Thinking Sessions’, our Agency weekend Challenge in Montreux plus a ‘smorgasbord’ of internal and external training events which have helped us to improve the quality of our service. Caring about how we train our team is also an important factor in why good people want to join us.

The IPA reported, “The Minimart have prepared a superb submission. Brilliantly presented and delivered in an innovative way, but it certainly is not style over substance. The culture of CPD and the focus on people as the key driver for growth was seamlessly integrated into the plan for the year. A really innovative and powerful build on standard appraisals. A truly great submission demonstrating the power of embracing CPD into the heart of the agency. “

Says Pete Markey, Chief Marketing Officer, RSA Group and 2012 Chairman of Judges: “It’s been a huge privilege for me to be this year’s IPA Gold Chairman of Judges. I have been massively impressed by the sheer passion, energy and drive among IPA member agencies to really invest in and develop their teams. What is clear is how IPA member agencies are seeing the direct and powerful link between investing in their people and business performance – for agencies at the very top of the game, these two elements are very evidently entwined. As a client, it gives me an even greater confidence in how our excellent IPA member agencies are helping to drive real competitive advantage and results for a business like my own, by recognising and valuing the importance of their people. Exciting times.”

If you’d like to find out more and take a peek at our timeline contact Jo Smith.

Jessica is our newest account director. She developed her career in the world of BTL marketing at a fully integrated marketing agency for over 5 and a half years. Working cross-discipline, Jessica looked after the “yellow fats” account for Anchor Butter, along with everyone’s favourite Squirty Cream, where she created and managed consumer engaging on pack promotions and consumer loyalty clubs.

Away from the dairy aisle, over the years, Jessica also headed up the marketing team for The Times newspaper, ran the successful TalkTalk X Factor ticket promotion and helped to create brand partnerships for LOVEFiLM.
Jessica was thrown into presentation training at The Minimart in her first week;
‘Wow, what a week. As I prepped myself at the weekend, I really didn’t expect my first week to include performing a Margaret Thatcher speech on stage at The Soho Theatre… thankfully with no audience.
It already seems as though The Minimart is as much about training and development as it is about office jollys, which makes for a fantastic agency to be newly part of. Introductions to our client businesses, masses of office banter, the pressure of “choosing the music” and a ridiculous amount of December invites, it’s been a fun 5 days. Bring on week 2!’

Movember's Latest Recruit - Baz

Movember is here! Yes that special time of the year when it’s ok for a guy to wear some facial foliage upon his top lip and no one not even his other half can tell him to shave it off.

This year the whole of The Minimart has got behind this great cause. So through out the month of November we will all be struggling (well some of us) to grow a respectable moustache. Our aim is to raise awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer and raise a sizable chunk of change for charity.

We would really love it if you could help support our effort by visiting our team page and making a donation to this worth cause. Lots more photos of the team and their efforts to come.

The whole team from The Minimart  joined a host of luminaries at a private viewing of the ‘Horrorgami’ exhibition at Gallery One and a Half. The artist (or ‘paper engineer’ as he is referred to) is our very own former designer at The Minimart, Marc Hagan-Guirey (aka Pixel Dandy, aka Paper Dandy). This was his first solo show and the series is the culmination of a lifelong fascination with the macabre.

The exhibition consisted of 13 original kirigami works, each one cut from a single sheet of paper. Each construction represents an iconic location taken from a cult horror movie – The Overlook Hotel from The Shining, 112 Ocean Avenue from The Amityville Horror, The Fire Station from Ghostbusters and the Dakota Building as seen in Rosemary’s Baby.

Presented within light boxes, by night the silhouetted paper sculptures appear as spectral and ethereal as the buildings on screen. By day, the works exist in their pure white and tangible form – displaying an innocent and simple beauty and showing their physical construction.

This series encourages us to consider the artifice of fear, and its psychological construct.

The exhibition is on until the 14^th November. Go see it. It’s simply stunning.

www.one-and-a-half.com or check it out on Twitter #horrorgami

Our New MD

Congratulations to Dan Whitney who was promoted to Managing Director of The Minimart. It’s hard to imagine that only 14 years ago he was in artist management for the likes of Iron Maiden and Gun’s N Roses. Moving on to Sony Music Entertainment in 2001 he was responsible for managing release schedules and media campaigns for album launches within the Commercial Division. He received a nomination at the highly prestigious Music Week Awards in 2006 for the ‘Best Marketing & Communication Campaign of the Year’. Dan went from client to agency side in 2008 joining The Minimart and embarked on this new adventure. He also married a teacher, so that put an end to his rock and roll lifestyle!! So he claims!

New Minimarters

Chris Sherwood – Account Director

We also welcome Chris, ex AMV, to The Minimart. After graduating in 2006 from Oxford University with a degree in Human Sciences, Chris turned his interests in human behaviour to the world of advertising after securing a place on the graduate scheme at Grey London. Chris gained a great breadth of experience working across some of their flagship accounts, ranging from P&G brands such as Lenor, through the Dairy Crest brands of Country Life Butter, Cathedral City Cheese and FRijj Milkshakes, to Macleans toothpaste and Poligrip denture fixatives for GSK. At the same time he also worked with the British Heart Foundation on an IPA Award winning campaign aimed at tackling childhood obesity. After 4 years at Grey, Chris moved to AMV BBDO to take the reins for two years on the Starbucks and Maltesers accounts. Chris is thrilled to have joined the team at The Minimart for the next phase of his career.

Nikki Chapman – Executive TV Producer

Nikki’s brings a very heavy ‘Little Black Book’ to The Minimart and her production experience stretches across both agency and production companies. Her passion for commercials began agency side at Saatchi & Saatchi. From there she moved into Post Production. Nikki’s worked in some of London’s busiest production companies, Bikini films, Great Guns and then finally to Park Village. She has developed & signed new talent along with Exec. Producing over 30 commercials in the last 4 years. Joining The Minimart has enabled her to pursue the ambition of working directly with clients and combines both her agency & production company producer skills. At the heart of her experience is her continued passion for creativity and she strives to achieve the best production values on all films. Plus she juggles all this with 3 children… aka The Smalls.

Theodore O’Mahony - Community Manager & New Business Co-ordinator

Theodore graduated in 2008 with a degree in Marketing & Management from Gloucestershire University. Even before he had started university he had gained valuable international experience working in Tokyo for Hilton Hotels in their New Business department. Since graduating Theodore has further built upon his international experience, he has worked in Bangkok for one of the country’s leading design agencies “Farm Group” working with international clients such as Bacardi and W Hotels. He maintains a wide-ranging set of marketing skills from New Business to Social Media. Interestingly he has also been a double in Snow White and the Huntsman.

Pippa Kennard – Director of Fun

Pippa was born and raised in California. She graduated from Bristol this year and with impressive work experience from both sides of the Atlantic. She was lucky and persistent enough to secure work experience as a Showcasing Host at London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics with iLUKA Limited. Her feisty, energetic personality made her a perfect fit for our new Director Of Fun opening.

Home grown talent

That’s how we like to do it here.

Congratulations to Isobel who was promoted from Director of Fun  to Account Executive (her success in organising The Minimart Weekend in Montreux paid off) and to Daisy Carpenter who’s hard work has paid off and is now Account Manager on a number of our accounts.

P.S.  Do check out Daisy’s advice on getting into advertising! Special mention to Marc Shelkin, Director of Twist or Stick for a great interviewing technique.

Life as an agency account handler at The Minimart

The Minimart  weekend in Montreux was voted the best ever. The entire team were treated to the best Switzerland could offer. A Grand Hotel beside the beautiful Lake Geneva overlooked by magnificent mountains and a seminar in a castle. In a Dragon’s Den scenario 3 crack teams presented their ideas for the best new product/business idea that the agency will get behind and launch in 2013. A fabulous sum of money was awarded to the winners, Nikki, Natasha, Sampo and Daz. Honourable mention goes to the team who took being based in Soho to heart and treated us to a presentation dressed in towels. Nice try guys but we saw through you. Quite literally.

This was also the first year that we introduced the Creative Star Awards. These were handed out to the ‘Best of’-Best Creative Concept to Daz and Baz for Maximilk, Best TV Campaign to Baz and Daz for Rubicon 2012, Best Design Awards to Alex for Maxifuel, Best Digital Creation to Sampo for his amazing work for Investec, Creative Energy Award went to Natasha, The Rising Star Award to Daisy, and special congratulations to her as she is now moved up to Account Manager.  Outstanding Contribution To Creativity to Duncan and last but by no means least, the best Social Content Award went to Ed for his Rubicon 50p Challenge Video.

It was also a time to celebrate with our very own Dan who is now confirmed as Managing Director. Once he was looking after Iron Maiden and now he’s to looking after us; no difference there then.

Like last year it was a baptism of fire for our newbies and this year it was no different as we welcomed Theo our new Communities Manager, Nikki C our fabulous new Executive Producer and Chris our new Account Director; it isn’t always like this but we do try to have fun doing what we do. Big thanks to our Director of Fun, Isobel for arranging it and giving us a great time. The biggest question is how are we going to beat it next year? Watch this space…

The Minimart movie night at The Soho Screening Rooms was a brilliant way to spend a Thursday evening with friends from the AAR, creativebrief, journalists and a few of our business partners. Fuelled by Rubicon inspired cocktails (conjured up by a fantastic mixologist) and lovely girls serving us nibbles, we settled down to watch The Descendants (DVD release 21st of May 2012) kindly provided to us by lovely people at Premier PR. It also gave us the opportunity for us to give everyone a sneaky peek at some of our new TV work and behind the scenes footage of our recent shoot in Cuba for Rubicon. From the great response we are even more excited to see what the wider reaction is when it goes on air on the 14th of May 2012.

See full photo album here

We have had a rush of new talent this past month. Our Head of Planning,  Paul Kenny,  joins us with an armload of experience with over 20 years integrated experience in B2C and B2B; planning across everything from brand strategy,  channel planning, market research, digital & social media,   to strategic and communication planning… not to mention a few years as Strategic Data Planning Director earlier in his career.  He’s worked across financial services,  charities,  consumer electronics,  retail,  leisure and FMCG,  for brands such as… Sony,  Samsung,  Philips,  First Direct, American Express,  Shell, Disney,  Emirates,  adidas… to name just a few.  When he’s not trying to unwrap what matters most he follows his other passions of football and Liverpool FC,  as well as part time zoo keeper to 3 ponies,  2 dogs,  a stray cat and a warren of rabbits that have made their home in the back garden.

Our lovely Director of Fun, Gabbi, has been promoted to help out in Sales and Marketing and Production.  After a long, rigorous and gruelling series of interviews and tasks we have at last found her replacement.  Isobel Nelson is a recent graduate from Birmingham University.  She spent four months in Tanzania based at a primary school near Mount Kilimanjaro building a toilet block and a kitchen.  She combined this with teaching English to a large class of 5-6 year olds.  This was followed by extensive travel through Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. As President of the Geography Society at Uni and in charge of over 300 students,  she organised socials,  academic debates,  a trip abroad to Paris and the annual geography ball as well as supervising three sports teams.  She’s already arranged The Minimart Darts competition (more about that later).

A huge Minimart welcome to all of them.

Maxitone, aiming to attract new customers into the health and fitness nutrition category, has just launched its new campaign targeting the benefits of protein and the desire for body confidence triggered by special occasions. We showed aspirational women taking this literally; using calorie burning exercises and Maxitone’s protein bars and shakes to get rid of those tempting treats.

Maxifuel is the fuel of athletes, both amateur and elite. From GB hockey to GB triathlon, marathon runners to sprinters; our brand ambition is to ‘Fuel British Sport’. The role of the advertising is twofold; to demonstrate in a dynamic and energised way, the effect Maxifuel has on athletes and to inspire both elite and amateurs alike to aim higher- especially in this Olympic year. The campaign shows Maxifuel as a powerful energy source driving the UK Youth Cycling Team to the finish line, pushing Ultra Runner Brian Cole to new distances and flowing through the GB Tri Team as they stand proudly as if on the podium (where we expect to see them in July). Our headlines are intentionally rousing; designed to drive elite athletes to the brand whilst also inspiring the millions of weekend runners, cyclists and tri-athletes to use Maxifuel to push their own personal best.

Read more…