International acclaim for ICG design work

ICG’s creative design will, once again, be celebrated in two internationally renowned industry publications.

The LogoLounge Master Series brings together the very best in logo design from across the world and publishes them in books relevant to specific categories.

Our Intonation and Corderoy logos will appear in the ‘Typography and Enclosures’ book whilst our work for BiProduct Recovery and Jorgus Carpets will be featured in ‘Shapes and Symbols’.

It is the second year in a row that a number of ICG’s successful branding projects have gained worldwide acclaim in this popular series and we are looking forward to the publishing date later this year.

Zebra foal becomes overnight star….with stripes!

ICG PR has been in a whirlwind of stars and stripes this week after announcing the birth of the first Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra to be born in the UK for nine years.

In a twist on the usual press release and photography we produced broadcast quality video footage of Blackpool Zoo’s adorable new arrival and sent it out to the world’s print and broadcast press.

The phones and emails were red hot and the resulting coverage included a page three lead in the Blackpool Gazette and home page video coverage, Granada TV, Real and Smooth radio and their respective websites, national children’s newspaper First News, Visit Lancashire, BBC national and regional news sites, Zoo Borns and Lancashireone.com to name but a few.

The video footage was beamed from websites and news portals and thousands of people flooded to You Tube to see the foal for themselves.

So, after a fabulous start to the season we are looking to forward to announcing many more new arrivals throughout 2011.

COMIC RELIEF COVERAGE FOR ICG PR

ICG PR got into the swing of Comic Relief with our client The Mall Blackburn.

With staff and retailers from the £66m redeveloped shopping centre dressed from head to toe in red and some strategically placed stocks outside Blackburn’s iconic Clock Tower, we got moving to invite the local press to get involved.

The Lancashire Telegraph sent a photographer to catch general manager Loraine Jones in the stocks and BBC Radio Lancashire sent on the road reporter David Bailey to come and cover the event.

As the day went on crowds gathered and willing volunteers took to the stocks to raise money for very worthy causes in Africa and the UK.

Elsewhere in the county another ICG PR client, Scott Rees & Co Solicitors in Skelmersdale, were busy selling cherry ‘red nose’ cupcakes, which went down a storm! Photographs of the frivolity were sent to the local press for inclusion in their Comic Relief round-ups.

Well done to everyone that got involved!

BLACKPOOL INTERNATIONAL CHECKS IN AT WORLD EXPO

When Blackpool International ‘checked in’ at the Business Airport World Expo in March with sister airport Exeter, it had a top flight exhibition stand thanks to the design team at ICG.

We mirrored the airport’s eye-catching branding using the illustrative icons, clear fonts and crisp white space to bring all elements of the stand together for maximum impact.

The airport was promoting its new Aviation and Operations Centre to visitors from around the globe so we also created an easy to ‘navigate’ information leaflet that outlined what Blackpool, and Exeter, had to offer corporate clients.

The show, which was held in Farnborough at the beginning of March, was hailed a success by our client and we are looking forward to more high-flying assignments in the near future!

TWELFTH NIGHT AT TWELVE

ICG PR client, Twelve Restaurant & Lounge Bar is tomorrow night celebrating its final 10th anniversary fund-raising event.

Foodies can bid for the ultimate ‘Come Dine with Me’ accessory as Chef Proprietor Paul Moss, goes under the hammer in a charity auction to be a lucky bidder’s personal chef for an ‘at home’ dinner party for six.

The charity fund-raiser is the final event in Twelve’s 10th anniversary celebrations – 12 months of 12 events to raise money for Trinity Hospice.

The Marsh Mill based restaurant has organised lots of events throughout the year including a trip to Cartmel Races, a cook-off between amateur chefs, a summer BBQ and a Blues Brothers Evening.

Tomorrow night will be a relaxed evening of good food and great entertainment with the Ian Hooper Band. There will be a hog roast buffet served with lots of home-made salads and side dishes as well as heavenly desserts produced by Twelve’s Patisserie Chef Graham Floyd.

To book a place call 01253 821212. Tickets cost £25 for the meal (main course and dessert) and entertainment, starting from 7pm.

NEW GRAPHIC DESIGNER AT ICG

ICG is delighted to welcome Graphic Designer, Stephen Daniels to the team.

Stephen joined us in late February and has considerable experience of working on a wide variety of branding campaigns.

He studied Web and Multimedia at the University of Central Lancashire and clients will benefit from his wealth of industry experience and knowledge.

Outside of the office, Stephen is a keen roller blader and gamer.

He also enjoys playing the guitar, which will no doubt, be greatly appreciated on the next ICG camping trip!

SPREAD THE WORD - MARCH MADNESS IS HERE!

Get ready for a month of madness at Blackpool Zoo!

Residents in Blackpool, Wyre and the Fylde can enjoy half price admission at the award-winning attraction during March.

Locals living in postcodes FY1 to FY8, PR3 and PR4 can take advantage of the 50 per cent March Madness discount - just remember to take some proof of address, such as a driving licence or recent utility bill.

Catch up with all the beautiful babies that were born last year, including Meisie the Western Lowland Gorilla and Anandi the Caribbean Flamingo, and don’t forget to say hi to the sea lions and penguins in Active Oceans.

With the promise of Spring in the air...a bit of March Madness is most definitely good for the soul..and your pocket!

A LANCASHIRE LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVES

ICG PR joined Fleetwood fisherman Steve Welsh aboard his family trawler, The Colinne, to experience life on the Irish Sea, and find out what it really takes to bring this incredible produce to our plates.

Steve, of Welfish Ltd, supplies fish and shell fish to Twelve Restaurant & Lounge Bar, and we invited the team from Lancashire Life to come along too.

With the salty wind and rain in our faces, The Colinne took us on a two-hour journey and we discovered some amazing things about the Irish Sea.

Steve specialises in catching langoustine just off the coast of Cumbria, but his Dad also knows the best places to get scallops and also brings back beautiful fish such as turbot, sole and plaice.

Once The Colinne is back at the quayside, Steve and his team prepare the fish for despatch all over the UK and beyond, but for customers like Twelve, he delivers it directly to the kitchen at all hours of the day and night.

After a couple of hours on the boat, talking about fish quotas, Hugh's Fish fight and all things Fleetwood, it was back to Twelve for an incredible fish lunch cooked by Paul Moss and served by Twelve's Conference and Banqueting Co-ordinator Liz Connor.

We tucked into langoustine lightly battered with a caper mayonnaise, followed by melt-in the-mouth roast pork belly and scallop starter and, then for main course, turbot served with fennel, lardons and a celeriac puree.

To find out more about the incredible story behind The Colinne and Twelve, keep your eyes peeled for the April edition of Lancashire Life.

Pictured: Paul Moss, Chef Proprietor of Twelve Restauant & Lounge Bar with Julie Hackett from ICG PR. Also featured is Steve Welsh of Welfish. For more information about Welfish call Steve on 07970 676806.