Getting ready for Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner, exciting right! For many of us, Christmas often creeps up out of nowhere, while others have had it at the forefront of their minds for months.

A lot of preparation goes into marketing in the run-up to Christmas, and with that, design plays an important part to showcase the warm, cosy feel that is associated with the festive season.

Several of our clients have been busy planning their campaigns which are now in full swing. As a result, we’ve recently been knee-deep in all things Christmas!

Targets for businesses can vary in the run-up to Christmas, so design concepts for each campaign cannot just be rinsed and repeated. While some organisations may be advertising festive events, others may simply be promoting their services or products, the ideal gifts for the important people in your life.

While there are colours we all automatically associate with Christmas, we have to bear in mind the target audience that we are aiming the campaign to. While a Santa Clause red may be an obvious choice when it comes to Christmas, it might not necessarily be the colour that will best match your message. And besides, does it suit your brands colour palette? You do not want your design to clash! Plus, too much red on your design and you may start to look more like a well-known cola brand!

While some campaigns may require an all-out Christmas explosion, others may need something a little more subtle. We recently created several pieces of marketing literature for Lincoln Cathedral that advertised several events they were hosting in the run-up to Christmas. While each piece had its own job to do, all three followed a similar look. Decorative elements such as baubles and gift tags were used to not only dress the designs but were also used to help key messages or logos to stand out. A rich gold was used alongside their recognisable brand colour of purple to create a traditional Christmas look with a classic Lincoln Cathedral feel. Along with the colour palette and design elements, we also thought about the textures that would help achieve the traditional look we wanted to achieve. Instead of flat blocks of colour, we added textured paper effects to create a richness to the design that compliments the overall look.

Over the last couple of months, we’ve also been helping South Ormsby Estate with a range of printed and digital graphics to help them promote their Massingberd-Mundy branded products. Similarly to Lincoln Cathedral, the overall aesthetic required was one that portrayed a feeling of tradition but also one that created a feeling of luxury that would match their quality, hand-crafted range of award-winning products. Again, we looked at different textures that would suit the feel and added a bit of Christmas sparkle with glittery elements to add a party feel to the campaign.

It’s not just our clients who have been preparing for Christmas. Here at Balance, we’ve created our own Christmas card that we will be sending to clients and suppliers. In a contrast to the designs we’ve created for Lincoln Cathedral and South Ormsby Estate, we’ve stuck very closely to our branding. Creating simple Christmas imagery using the triangle from our logo, along with our pink background colour, we’ve created a subtle design that is as much Christmas as it is Balance Designs. A Christmas card may be a simple gesture, and although an email may be a quicker and cheaper way to contact your clients, never underestimate the importance of direct mail. In our eyes, there’s no match to a piece of beautiful design that you can pick up and hold in your hands. It’s also a great way to ensure your target audience has a reminder of your business on their desk ahead of the New Year!

And New Year is where we’re heading next! We can’t wait to get stuck into all the new campaigns for 2022. A time of year for fresh ideas, new campaigns and positive changes for all of us. If you're looking to launch a new campaign or are looking to spruce up your branding, get in touch.

The 2020 wrap up

Here we go, it's nearly Christmas. And what a year that was! 

It's the time of year where many of us can stop and reflect on the 12 months that have just gone by and today, I thought I would take a moment out of my day and do just that. 

2020 will, of course, go down as a crazy year, a tragic year and a year full of disruption. It's a year that gave many of us time to reflect on our lives and a year that forced many of us to press the reset button. But when I think about it, I'm coming out the other side feeling pretty blessed.  

It may have been the year of the global pandemic that was Covid-19 but it was also the year that Balance was born, so I will always look back on this year with a degree of fondness and pride. But, it took more than just me to ensure I could finish a year like this with such optimism and, hoping not to sound like a dull acceptance speech at a socially distanced awards ceremony, there are a few thank you's I'd like to make.

Thank you, clients

It goes without saying that without our amazing clients, Balance wouldn't be here. As a new business, born out of Covid-19, I feel extremely privileged to able to work with some fantastic organisations. Some of which, like many others, have had to overcome some major hurdles along the way. Together though, we've been able to produce some fantastic work that we can all be truly proud of.

Thank you, NHS

If we think the year has been difficult for us, we have to remember the strain that our NHS has been through. So regularly a service we all took for granted, it has been good to see the appreciation and the tributes paid to the brilliant doctor's and the incredible nurses and carers who have worked so hard to help so many through what must have been one of their most challenging years. 

To show our thanks, Balance recently created a design that will be displayed at Lincoln County Hospital. Acting as a tribute to the incredible staff who work in their Intensive Care Unit, the print showcases every dedicated member of the 100+ team who put their lives at risk every time they simply went to work, just so they can help others. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're all amazing!

Thank you, family

Starting a graphic design business and working from home was always going to be a challenge. Staying in a creative flow, sorting out the accounts and telephone and Zoom calls were bound to have their moments when there was homeschooling with a 4 and an 8-year old going on at the same time. But, as interesting as that can be for me, I have to appreciate the change my family have had to go through too. Going from seeing me briefly in the morning and evening to having me sat in the dining room (ahem, design studio) all day must have had an impact on their lives and routine too! So, I have to say a massive thank you to my family, for bearing with me and for supporting me throughout this strange year. 

Although setting up my own graphic design business was never in my thinking at the start of 2020, it has been fantastic seeing more of my children (and my wife!) and enjoying the flexibility that working from home allows. As well as aiming to produce beautiful and effective designs to help businesses communicate their messages, Balance was also about finding the work-life balance that can easily get missed in a "regular" job. 

Sometimes things are forced upon us, and although they may seem a little scary at the time, you have to remember that thing's do happen for a reason. Yes, 2020 has been a bit... well, rubbish, but it has been great too. Remember, if we don't go through the tough times, we would never notice the good times. 

Right, I've gone on for long enough now. It's time you finished wrapping presents and making sure you're ready for Santa to visit. Have a great Christmas, stay safe and keep washing your hands. Here's to 2021. Let's hope it's just as good (or maybe a little bit better).