Mandarin Oriental is a luxury hotel group with a distinguished clientele.

The problem.

Mandarin Oriental was a small, Asia-based hotel group with ambitions to grow.

All hotel advertising was the same. It differentiated through the detail - the rooms, the lobby, the concierge service…

If you're staying in a luxury hotel it should go without saying these will be top notch.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The outcome.

Group has expanded by 500%, since campaign launch.

Highest ever ad recall recorded by Synovate.

No7 is a beauty brand owned by Alliance Boots. It is a prize asset which is currently sold almost exclusively in the UK. New private equity owners KKR want to exploit their asset worldwide.

The problem.

No7 Protect and Perfect Intense Beauty Serum had been a huge sales success in the UK for two particular reasons: first, it had been shown to work better than any other anti-wrinkle cream in independent tests done by the University of Manchester for the BBC Horizon programme. Second, it was distributed through Boots' 2500 UK stores.

We were asked to create and roll out a global campaign, starting with a test market in Finland.

There is no anti-aging market in Finland. Finnish women are not interested in what British women think or use. There are no Boots stores in Finland.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The execution.

We used online and press to recruit 1000 women to test the product (achieved on first day).

Fox International is an international broadcaster.

The problem.

Launch the new TV series The Walking Dead to a worldwide audience.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The execution.

Ran in 120 markets and in 33 languages, making it the most global campaign for a TV series launch ever.

Most watched US cable TV show on launch day.

W&O Travel is a luxury holiday company.

The problem.

All holiday advertising looks the same, making it almost impossible to remember any holiday company brands.

This problem was exacerbated for W&O as it had grown significantly by acquiring a number of different and diverse brands. This meant branding economies of scale did not work for them.

W&O needed not only an idea that would allow them to 'own' ubiquitous destinations, but also an idea that could bring all their disparate brands together under one umbrella.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The execution.

W&Onderful was applied across all brochures, online and off-line marketing.

Wedgwood is a manufacturer of fine English china with a history stretching back to 1759. It has been purchased and used by the aristocracy since then.

The problem.

Wedgwood had gone into liquidation and then been acquired by a U.S. private equity company.

Their products had become commoditised and were being sold without any brand premium.

Our job was to relaunch the brand globally and re-establish that premium.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The outcome.

Global launch October, 2011.

Circle Health is a healthcare company that builds and manages hospitals.

The problem.

Circle Bath is a new hospital designed by Lord Foster. In spite of wonderful facilities and some of Britain's finest clinicians, take-up had been slow.

We formulated a two-pronged approach:

1. Trumpet the quality of the hospital using critics' quotes.

2. Create demand for the hospital's specialisms by using medical facts.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The outcome.

43% increase in patients.

Ketel One is a premium, Dutch vodka.

The problem.

Attract new drinkers without alienating the existing customers who had 'discovered' the brand and given it cult status.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The outcome.

Brand awareness up 50%.

Sales growth outperformed category by 150%.

In 2008 Diageo bought 50% of the sales and distribution rights of the brand for $900m.

Glo is a Nigeria-based telecommunications company.

The problem.

It was in its infancy. It was called Globacom. It didn't have a positioning. It was a late entrant into the market.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The outcome.

84% brand awareness within first month of launch.

First mobile network to generate 1 million subscribers within 9 months.

America is a popular holiday destination.

The problem.

Visitor numbers were dramatically down in the wake of 9/11.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The execution.

$80 increased visitor spending for every $1 of ad spend.
Source: Independent US Government Research

Swisscom is the national telecommunications company of Switzerland.

The problem.

Swisscom was seen as efficient, but cold and dull.
The task was to make it appear more human and interesting.

The Straight-Line Thinking.

The execution.

In Phase 1 we asked everyone in Switzerland: "If you had a minute to speak to the Nation, what would you say?" People had to submit their message in 20 words or less.

From thousands of entries, 50 were filmed by renowned Swiss film-maker, Paul Rinniker. Each person was given 60 seconds in front of a locked-off camera to say whatever they wanted.

In Phase 2, 14 films were selected and aired on consecutive nights in the mid-break of the main evening news on all channels.

The outcome.

Campaign was a national talking point.