Über Agency

19/07/2023

Sports psychologist Isobelle specialises in empowering athletes, coaches, and referees to unlock their full potential. From amateurs to elite sports stars, she offers a unique psychology program that brings lasting results. Positivity is at the very heart of Isobelle's approach, and this in turn creates a positive pathway to success for her clients.

To resonate with her target audience and amplify her message among athletes and sporty types, we crafted a powerful identity that packs a visual punch. 💪

Our approach involved a simple yet thought-provoking typographic ex*****on, highlighting the letters 'IS' within Isobelle's name. These letters became the focal point of motivational chants and mantra-style statements, capturing the essence of Isobelle's positive sports psychology.

For the visual treatment, we added serifs and a small angular cut to the 'I' symbol, representing movement, agility, and strength. The wide 'S' symbol maintains a relaxed and focused appearance, reaffirming the overall positive mindset. The combined 'IS' was then also set within an additional roundel version of the brand identity, acting as a visual seal of approval.

The entire brand ensemble, from imagery to graphics and colours, was painstakingly handpicked and tweaked to convey a contemporary, eye-catching, and bold feel👍

The typographic treatment aims to reinforce the positive approach and motivational mantras. Meanwhile, the uplifting and vibrant colour palette, mood gradients, and colour-washed imagery further solidifies the affirming and forward-looking message. 🎨✨

12/07/2023

Being long-term collaborators with the team here at Uber, it is probably unsurprising that the founders of the production company Rae & Eve 🎬 came to us when looking for a standout brand for their new venture.

Their creative brief was clear: create a contemporary brand that encompasses all treatments, project budgets, and creative approaches. A seemingly simple task but one that required innovation and vision.

To fulfil their need for a comprehensive visual communication solution, we devised the creative idea of positioning the names Rae and Eve as two sides of the same coin 🌓. We juxtaposed dark with light, calm with energetic, Dr Jekyll with Mr Hyde, and more.

The result? A malleable branding tool that effortlessly adapts and transforms to meet the unique requirements of any client, project, or budget allocation. The new branding effortlessly allows Rae & Eve to utilise their long history of exalted TV commercial production, whilst projecting something truly new within the sector.

It's a true visual identity chameleon, able to morph to any current or future need.

Explore our innovative branding tool at https://raeandeve.com/ to witness how Rae & Eve leverages their extensive history in esteemed TV commercial production while blazing a trail in the industry. 🎥💥

07/07/2023

Über Agency

07/07/2023

Find us on Threads https://www.threads.net/

07/07/2023

What does Threads launch mean for brands?

Some may wonder if Threads will follow the fate of failed platforms like Google+, and therefore is it worth investing time before the platform is proven? However, considering the broad demographics covered by its likenesses, Twitter and Instagram, and the low added man-hours impact, it would be wise for most brands to establish a Threads presence and begin engaging as a precautionary measure.

One aspect to note is that Threads will not feature paid advertising for at least the first year. Although this closes one door, it could enhance user experience by delivering content more aligned with their preferences, making Threads an ideal space for brands with entertaining and informative content that resonates with the audience.

Currently, Threads lacks a broad "trending" feed, although this would only affect brands seeking ultra-high content popularity. Additionally, there is no "draft" facility for posts, requiring brands to handle refinement processes externally.

Twitter has struggled with its ironically named "For You" feed, which often delivers undesired content to users. It will be interesting to see how Threads’ algorithm performs against the might of TikTok when it comes to pushing captivating content.

Another significant aspect is decentralisation; the concept of content from one platform being visible across multiple others has gained momentum, with Mastodon emerging as a previous forerunner. Threads aims to pursue this model and is looking to compatibility with W3C's ActivityPub Protocol. Although experience changes may take a few years for most users, this could have a transformative impact on social media usage in the future.

In conclusion, while limitations exist and popularity or longevity are uncertain, establishing a Threads presence is a prudent move. Most importantly, brands currently have a unique opportunity to turn an ad-free environment to their advantage through the production of engaging content.

07/07/2023

Twitter has had a rough 18 months, and now Meta has turned the thumbscrews with the launch of Threads, aiming to expand their market share. But what sets Threads apart, and will its launch harm Twitter?

Threads closely resembles Twitter in function but offers users nearly double the characters per "thread" (500 vs 280) as well as more media, with twice the video length and 10 images per post, compared to Twitter’s 4. There are also controls for automatically removing offensive words and phrases in any replies, as well as your own custom off-limits set.

As things stand Threads is free for all – no paid-for accounts. Despite the relatively low cost of $8pcm, many in the Blue Tick community have vocalised discontent over the principle of charging. This could serve to win over some past Blue Tick account holders and bring them to Threads and/or cause current Blue Tick accounts to jump ship.

One clever move from Meta is enabling new profiles to link their Instagram accounts. By doing so, they can swiftly embed themselves within the network as their followed accounts are carried over, resulting in higher follower numbers from the off with little work. This could enable Threads to amass a big user base at an unprecedented speed, overcoming the critical mass challenge where many previous platforms failed.

When combined with the pre-launch prep of ensuring key brands and celebrities had a presence on the platform, this has seemingly led to the remarkable achievement of acquiring over 20 million users in just the first 12 hours after launch. This figure equates to around 5% of Twitter's overall active monthly users - a colossal accomplishment.

With more characters, enhanced media capabilities, anti-abuse measures, and the potential to attract influencers from its direct competitor, Threads could pose a considerable challenge to Twitter's survival. But, as Rupert Murdoch (one-time purchaser of MySpace) will tell you when it comes to social media tech, never-say-never.

05/07/2023

Wavin, a global manufacturer of plumbing products, understood the importance of staying fully connected with existing customers, as well as attracting new ones, but had struggled for many years to build a robust and sustainable customer database.

To answer this need we produced a bespoke, mobile-first loyalty program designed exclusively around the needs and desires of Wavin as well as the trade professionals they serve.

Our innovative app rewards customers with valuable points for every purchase of a Wavin product. It's as simple as scanning the purchase receipt or invoice, and voila! The app extracts and tallies any and all Wavin products, converting line items, purchased quantities and total spends into redeemable points that can be exchanged for cash, gift cards, and experiences. 🎁💰

The app also helps customers locate nearby Wavin stockists using geofencing, dive into a treasure trove of 'how to' videos, browse price lists, and engage in lively community forums for invaluable trade knowledge sharing.

With complete data opt-in and true customer activity as the app foundation, Wavin is provided with real-time market and behavioural insights. Regular reports offer an unparalleled understanding of their customer base, from company size to preferred competitor products. Armed with this knowledge, Wavin are able to respond and personalise customer communications for each individual, as well as gain invaluable knowledge with which to strengthen Wavin’s own NPD strategies and promotional decision-making. 🎯

With our innovative platform, Wavin has become more customer-centric, gaining an increased ability to forge lasting, rewarding, and deeply personalised relationships with their customers AND bring a new level of invaluable BI to inform future business direction. 📊✨

18/05/2023

Navigating Changes in Video Consumption (2/2)

When it comes to wide vs tall videos, take a look around you and notice how many people now hold their phones upright when taking and viewing photos or videos. It's a reflection of our natural inclination to hold our mobile devices vertically, even though we are used to watching TV and film content in a landscape format.

If you're hoping your video content will continue to be consumed beyond this year, it's essential to consider the growing trend towards portrait viewing.

Even if a high percentage of your current audience views content in landscape, more and more will shift to portrait, tipping the scales this way in the very near future. Therefore, prioritising portrait viewers and then adapting for landscape is currently the best approach (as opposed to cropping down landscape content to a subpar portrait offering).

It's also worth considering the increasing number of foldable devices entering the market or rumoured to be coming soon. Whilst it is too early to say with any confidence whether this will change the field of play again or be no more than a passing phase, it would certainly be worth taking time to consider whether longer shelf-life content needs to take squarer 6:5 or 5:4 formats into account.

In short, as always, technology and media has to keep up with consumer behaviour. It's crucial to think creatively about both orientation and length when creating relevant video content that will get seen.

18/05/2023

Navigating Changes in Video Consumption (1/2)

Video consumption is moving faster than an Aldi checkouteer. For smartphone audiences (who are increasing audience share daily), short-form and tall videos are starting to take over as the dominant format.

Don't get us wrong, longer videos still have their place, but if we ignore this market trend, it could be the real-world equivalent of wearing socks with sandals - not a good look 😉

One of the main drivers behind this revolution is TikTok, with Vine and Snapchat playing supporting roles in its development. And with the more recent addition of YouTube Shorts, it’s safe to say we’re not just witnessing a 'fad'.

Even if you're not a frequent user of these particular apps, their influence has seeped through to other platforms (Instagram, Facebook etc), affecting how we all consume video content on a daily basis.

Research by Vidyard revealed that almost 50% of the audience is lost halfway through a 5-minute video, and two-thirds never make it to the end. That's a staggering amount of drop-off.

Even for shorter videos up to 60 seconds, around a quarter of the audience is lost halfway through, rising to around a third by the end. These numbers are only set to increase, so it's essential to be mindful of how you're presenting your content.

What does this mean for content creation?

We need to make magic happen but in a shorter time frame.

Short-form videos may present a few challenges, but they're more digestible and engaging, making it easier to keep viewers hooked for a higher percentage of the content playtime. That means more reactions, comments, and shares - the social media trifecta! So, let's put our thinking caps on and create compelling content that meets all our previous video aims.

Continued in Part 2

10/05/2023

At the beginning of the pandemic lockdown, gyms up and down the country faced some sizable pandemic business challenges. Alongside all leisure facilities, PureGym had to close down, meaning gym-goers had no access to their regular workouts.

Very quickly, PureGym adapted to the situation, creating a PureGym Together, allowing members to get their exercise fix by gaining access to live online classes with their network of personal trainers.

To help, we designed and created a sub-brand concept which would sympathetically work in unison with the PureGym core brand. The focus of this sub-brand concept was to build a strong theme of connectedness and being part of something bigger, positive and energised

Alongside the sub-brand, we also created a suite of supporting material from outdoor posters to EDM’s, merchandise, video content and online video pre-roll.

25/04/2023

Campaign Magazine's "School Report 2023" (by Neilsen Ad Intel) is out, and we're very pleased to announce that Über Agency has ranked in the Top 100 UK Creative Agencies and even more pleased to report that we've also been ranked in the Top 10 Regional Agencies

19/04/2023

We were tasked with branding a global maritime powerhouse. A digitally transformative group with multiple member companies covering all aspects of digital naval technology.

The resulting brand needed to unify the many partners, empowering each through belonging to something of size and stature. Due to the group’s global reach, transcending international language barriers was paramount.

Our process in creating a name for the new umbrella group was based on the concept of a “sum of the parts” company structure.

PAN: Involving all global members of the group.

NAUTIC: Nautical.

The Panautic brand name exudes authority, portraying a firmly established industry body of notable significance, magnitude and reach.

In matching a visual conversation to such a sentiment and unifying maritime symbolism with a digital language, we created a brand identity that pulled in maritime symbols through interpretations of the nautical flag alphabet. The full brand identity then spells out ‘Panautic’ in a language not restricted by spoken word.

The brand is to be rolled out to a number of deliverables from full website, digital and social integration and marketing comms.

12/04/2023

Notice Talent is a one-stop-shop for urban talent hire, providing brands with many of the UK’s preeminent underground artists and talent, from skateboarders, BMXers, free-runners, and graffiti artists, to extreme sports photographers and filmmakers.

Our challenge was to get the Notice Talent brand... noticed.

Furthermore, it was imperative that the new identity represented the creativity, uniqueness and individuality of an untapped pool of highly talented underground urban artists.

Approaching the new visual brand from scratch, we developed a simple and iconic brand and identity that lives up to its name. One that the artists represented would be proud to be a part of and could easily live as a piece of street art in its own right.

Using Notice Talent as our core proposition, we wanted people to be rewarded when they ‘notice’ its hidden depths.

Using negative space, we subtly wove the “N” and “T” letters together to create the bold logo mark, re-enforcing the message and drawing in attention.

It was crucial that we capture a genuine youth culture vibe without trying too hard to be ‘cool’ or clichéd. Simultaneously, the brand needed to balance out the need to communicate on a professional level to creative, film/media and casting agencies wanting to hire urban talent.

The final visual brand ensemble is hugely versatile and youthful, with a modern and urban brand language that uses the N/T symbol as a core holding device for artists’ dynamic content.

24/03/2023

In the below, we look at rule changes and guidance for any brands making “green” claims. We spoke in brief about the push towards accountable social responsibility within our Trends 2023 thought pieces. However, we have already seen considerable governance progress both here and abroad in an attempt to reduce the amount of industry greenwashing.

In February, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), in conjunction with The UK Code of Broadcasting Practice (BCAP), published updates to their guidance on “The Environment: Misleading Claims and Social Responsibility in Advertising”, based on research carried out by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Within their research, the ASA concluded that “carbon neutral” and “net zero” were commonly encountered claims, but there was little understanding or consensus on what the terms meant. Furthermore, not only were consumers notably influenced by such claims, but their understanding of them was they described a literal reduction to zero carbon emissions, whereas, in reality, other factors (such as offsetting) were often an incumbent part of the calculation.

The updated guidance requires advertisers to ensure claims are qualified with accurate information outlining any offsetting (etc), and that such information complies with standards for evidence set out within the guidance. Where the claim is based on future goals, then this should be backed up by a verifiable delivery strategy.

In addition, any such corresponding information/evidence is required to be sufficiently close to the advertised claim so that consumers can easily take in the supporting info prior to any decision-making. The ASA also stated that unqualified claims would likely be in breach of existing rules, and they would now be taking action against such claims.

Full ASA guidance: http://ow.ly/S6nI50NrbEI

16/03/2023

In creating a launch campaign for Harrison Spinks' revolutionary, foam-free patented New Dawn mattress, we were tasked with communicating the improved sleep benefits alongside lower environmental impact and sustainability credentials. Our creative approach brought two shoot locations together to form a single heavenly depiction of dreamland romanticism, with coordinated angles, tones, haze and shadow depth helping to bring the two worlds into one. The final piece was rolled out across digital and traditional marketing channels, including social media, in-store graphics and press advertising, where two-page spreads utilised the split image to full effect.

14/03/2023

Today we can proudly announce that Über Agency has been ranked as one of the top 50 integrated agencies by Prolific North - the benchmark for the North's top-performing agencies.

09/03/2023

"So we have (mostly) moved into our new home at Tileyard North, and it's starting to feel like home. But it's been a journey of discovery to get here. I remember standing in the boardroom of our previous base in Kelham Island Sheffield in March 2020, telling the staff that we would all have to work from home for the next 2 weeks “or so” and wondering how we could possibly survive as a creative business not being in the same space as each other for 2 whole weeks! Ha.

Fast forward to 2022, on a cold Tuesday back in the office, where both the lift and heating were broken. And as I looked across the thousands of square feet of office space to the 3 people in, I realised the format was forever truly broken. So we took the easy decision to go fully remote. Meeting sporadically at work “hubs” for what was mostly a catch-up. And do you know what, it worked.

We worked officeless for almost a year. Clients happy, staff happy, Chief Finance Officer VERY happy. But... there was something missing. That X factor that brings the energy and enthusiasm of being part of something. A focus of joint purpose. And it's not something you can write in a column against office expenses.

It's just better to be back together.
Obviously not every day. My god can you imagine?!"

Greg Clark
Co-founder Über Agency

08/03/2023

www.


https://nowebwithoutwomen.com/

An educational website featuring a collection of innovations by women in the fields of computer science and technology.

02/03/2023

🐭💤

22/02/2023

Is it just us or was web design of the past much braver, more interesting, and well, fun? It seems like functionality and ‘familiarity’ has today surpassed innovation and freshness. An appetite to proudly stand out, weave enticing user experiences, and genuinely push out brands in all their glory, feels lacking with many sites of today.

This is not to say that notable vital aspects of site design and function aren’t now far improved, and we’re in no way suggesting there should be endless yearning for the past, warts and all, but we seem to have lost a lot of the true artistry of website design somewhere along the way.

Today, website after website feels like a cold, boxed-off, pragmatic, operational interface. 'Design to prototype to build' process speed is winning hands down in a vast template-esq battle-scarred utilitarian landscape.

Calls to dial up experience and the wider brand seemingly get shouted down by committees using thinly disguised arguments of accessibility and alike. Considerations of such things as accessibility are of course rightly important, but that shouldn’t mean we have to dull down other ambitions.

Even more “exciting” websites often have a distinct deja vu feel, with layout, animation, and interaction uses/styles seeming remarkably homogeneous.

Must we settle for a world where the application of brand appears to rarely stretch beyond the use of a set font (or two), a selected colour palette, a sway in photographic subject matter and composition, and possibly the odd unique icon (if you’re lucky)? Can a website not express true brand feel and experience, or even, dare we say it, assist in elevating the brand to a higher plane?

There is, of course, good out there, and even great, but it feels very much like a handful of tiny diamond-encrusted needles in a boundless field of rough-looking haystacks. And I fear the needles are getting fewer and the haystacks much larger.

16/02/2023

US entertainment news channel LIT needed an extensive kit of parts and fitting brand language that lived up to their ultra colourful personality. Our design and motion graphics work incorporated bold, fast and energetic animated emojis, screen wipes, name straps, bugs, flashes, stings, and loops, as well as bouncy headlines and typography. The entire body of work came packed with bucketloads of character and attitude, culminating in making LIT a real feast for the eyes.

14/02/2023

What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than having our first client meeting in the new space 😍 Big love to all of our Über clients.

08/02/2023

Eagle Loft offers creative professionals a flexible, low-fee working environment. The name 'Eagle Loft’ comes from the original building, Eagle Works, built in 1835, which housed a steel refinery. In creating the new on-trend identity, we were sure not to forget the building's industrial past whilst also dialling up current design styles that would appeal to a creative professional crowd.

06/02/2023

Trends 2023 Round-Up

Part 1 - More Tall Shorts
The rise of short-form video content and how consideration needs to be given to how it is consumed.
https://www.facebook.com/UberThinking/photos/a.155675100099/10160051193275100/

Part 2 - True Social Responsibility
Social responsibility’s importance has risen year after year, but the days of easily fobbing off consumers with weak or disingenuous claims are at an end.
https://www.facebook.com/UberThinking/photos/a.155675100099/10160052845270100/

Part 3 - Linear Transitioning to Connected
Our TV viewing habits are changing, but with this change comes new and exciting possibilities for advertisers.
https://www.facebook.com/UberThinking/photos/a.155675100099/10160054843740100/

Part 4 - Upward Projection of Programmatic
Programmatic advertising is opening up new opportunities in both new and old advertising arenas.
https://www.facebook.com/UberThinking/photos/a.155675100099/10160056932885100/

Part 5 - AI is Up and Out There
2022 saw some giant steps forward with generative AI, as well as other AI tools. 2023 is likely to see yet further advancements and usage.
https://www.facebook.com/UberThinking/photos/a.155675100099/10160059516930100/

03/02/2023

Trends 2023 - Part 5
AI is Up and Out There

2022 saw a huge acceleration in the use of AI by the marketing industry. From design work that rested on AI-produced building blocks or content improvement tools that helped lessen technical headaches, to “creative” script and article writing, as well as making an impact in SEO. Wherever we turn, AI presents itself as having a role to play.

There is undoubtedly still a loooong way to go. Us mere mortals are not for the scrap heap yet and most likely never will be, but AI will increasingly become a tool used in output improvement, rather than a C-3PO replacement for the creative team.

Creative results being produced by generative AI are undoubtedly impressive, but the most remarkable factor (from a pure end-result perspective, compared to a human) is the sheer speed of output rather than the output itself. For example, focusing our attention on the visual side of AI generation alone, if brand X wished to pack out a gallery with countless pieces of artwork that revolved around a “theme”, then AI is a great solution.

However, as things currently stand, AI cannot have a deeper understanding of your brand or audience. Therefore, even with expert handling and many iterations, it’s unlikely AI will be able to produce a piece of artwork that can by itself work as a fully-fledged print ad without notable additional human creative input.

There is also much in the wider sphere still to be played out, not least legal challenges around the copyright of materials used by AI developers to get the intelligence snowball rolling and the copyright of the materials being fed back out again. But with all that said, it is almost undeniable that AI will show itself as a useful add-on that, in one way or another, no matter how small, will make some level of impact in a project you’re involved with this year (if it hasn’t already).

02/02/2023

Trends 2023 - Part 4
Upward Projection of Programmatic

Consumption of podcasts, audiobooks, digital radio and streamed audio content is at a point where you would be hard pushed to find a member of the public of any age that has not yet plugged into the online audio world in some manner over the last week or two. Rapid growth in the sector has naturally led to the rise of advertising opportunities, with programmatic audio advertising enabling brands targeting efficiencies more reminiscent of paid search advertising.

The digital vehicle on which this lies has led to the emergence of an ability to not only place ads alongside a broad category of content served up (as is the case with traditional radio advertising), but a multitude of other new parameters that can be tweaked to precisely target an audience, and return them with an audio ad that is more in tune with their own personal tastes and thoughts than previously possible.

Programmatic reach also stretches into other traditional advertising arenas. Take, for example, out-of-home, where advertisers can serve up ads in the right location, at the right time, on the right day, in the right weather conditions - or any of the other many adjustable dials that are key to matching your message/product with your audience.

All in all, it means thinking about audience targeting for traditional campaigns in a way that was previously reserved for social ads or paid search... and then some.