Our current design work for our website, brochure, stationery, etc was entrusted to a local design and marketing agency called Side-A. The boss is a chap called Simon Ashley and their offices are in the village of Long Crendon on the Bucks/Oxon border.
I became aware of Side-A as a result of receiving a copy of their “newsletter”. Not very innovative or exciting you may say! Bear with me.
I had a meeting in London first thing and had elected to take the 7.30am commuter train on the Chiltern Line from Haddenham and Thame Parkway to Marylebone. It was actually a nice bright morning as I stood on the platform waiting with all of the other bleary-eyed “suits” setting off for their day in town.
On the north bound platform opposite, on a bench, reading the morning paper, sat someone in a gorilla suit, with a pink tutu, reading the morning newspaper, apparently waiting for a northbound train.
Even the conservative, non-speaking commuters were stirred from their routines to wonder, and even talk to other passengers about the “vision” opposite. I then became aware of someone moving down my platform handing out a newsletter entitled “Go Gorilla!”
Once we were on the train, I noted the amount of people reading the newsletter – some people even smiling.
The newsletter was unusual, quirky, written in a very overt and friendly style with case studies, testimonials, marketing news, etc. The newsletter showed examples of quirky marketing campaigns – but also some more high-brow design work with gravitas and quality. One of its main messages was that you don’t have to pay top London Agency rates to get top quality creativity and design.
To cut a long story short, I called Simon Ashley, had a meeting with him and gave them De Leon’s design and creative work for our rebranding. This blog, and this site, is their work and, I hope, you agree that they know what they are doing!
QED – Gorilla Marketing works!
Philip Westerman, De Leon Ltd, Personal Reputation Management