Tuesday 8 May 2012

We ♥ to Doodle-do you?


Okay, so time is precious, especially when you are snowed under in the office; however at First, we believe it is important to take a break so we've found a few cool sites to distract you (temporarily of course!)... Please don't blame us if you get addicted.

1) Pinterest-the perfect combination of pictures, text and expression. Get yourselves an account and get pinning!
www.pinterest.com

2) Doodly.ly-Doodle to your heart's content. Great source of fun and a little bit of inspiration?!!
http://doodle.ly/

3) Jam Studio-fancy mashing up some funky beats? Well, www.jamstudio.com is definitely the place to do it.

4) Remember the Milk-Okay, so not necessarily fun, but quite pretty useful for getting your life in order! www.rememberthemilk.com

5) Crayola-Probably aimed at children but that's okay! Still good fun on a miserable Monday afternoon. www2.crayola.com

Somerset Top 10!


Being a Somerset company, we're always proud of Somerset brands who have made it to the top or are on the up. So, we thought we'd put together a little showcase of our top ten Somerset brands.
From cool logos to exceptional products, each has its own selling point that we want to give a little shout about! Opinions are our own and entries are numbered randomly!


Mulberry
With roots firmly in Somerset (no pun intended!), Mulberry have gone on to be world leaders in the fashion industry. Their exceptional products and unique styling make them stand out from the crowd. Posh rustic and refined country styling pay homage to their rural somerset heritage.
Visit www.mulberry.com

Babycham

Ok, so it went out of fashion for a while but this little deer is truly having a renaissance. Shepton Mallett based Babycham has been in production for over 50 years and still continues to add masses of sparkle to parties worldwide with sales up 50% in 2011. One of the reasons we chose Babycham is the iconic logo. The ultimate kitsch 50's styling but the colours and overall impact ensure each bottle holds its own against today's contemporary drinks brands.
Visit www.babycham.com

Yeo Valley
Rolling hills, happy cows, glorious sunshine and flowers galore. Yeo Valley Organic has been established for over 50 years and has become one of the UK's leading organic brands. Quite frankly, they've got it all right. Packaging, website, tv adverts, company ethos, logo....hence, why they are on our list.
Moooosey on down and check out their site www.yeovalley.co.uk

Clarks
How could we not include them? In the 90's they had a bit of a lull but they are firmly back on track! Cool branding, excellently styled photography, great products. What more can we say?
Visit www.clarks.co.uk

Thatchers Cider
Well, it would be rude not to being from Somerset and all... The growth of music festivals, starting with Glastonbury has seen a huge surge in the popularity of Somerset's liquid gold. Thatchers have truly embraced this and their brand has become one of the front-runners in the market. The logo, website and bottle branding all evoke a real sense of summer in the somerset countryside. We particulalry love their 2012 television advert featuring the story from flower to glass.
Visit www.thatcherscider.co.uk

Styles Farmhouse Ice Cream

Making the transition from small scale cottage business to large, international ice cream producer without losing quality and identity is a challenge to say the least. Exmoor based Styles Ice Cream have embraced this and through passion and hard work have seen unprecedented growth. Launching their Slim Ewe product in the noughties has sent them overseas too. Great products, cool packaging and a love for what they do places them firmly on our list.
Visit www.stylesicecream.co.uk

Fox Brothers and Co Ltd
It's not often that a company stays absolutely true to its identity, but Fox Brothers buck the trend with their high quality heritage brand and products. This Wellington based luxury manufacturer of woollen cloth is internationally renowned and can be found in Saville Row's finest tailors. We particularly love their fabric labels which maintain their authentic heritage branding.
Visit www.foxflannel.com

Brown and Forrest
Hambridge based brown and Forrest are producers of the finest smoked goods which are sold internationally. The essence of the company as a whole is the reason they have made their way on to the list, plus, although they've only been running for 31 years, you'd never know it. With a logo that depicts Victorian grandeur and a well selected company colour palette, Brown and Forrest are history in the making...
Visit www.smokedeel.co.uk

Wyke Farms

Another Somerset favourite-cheese. We just had to add Wyke Farm to the list. They've come a long way in the last few years and have managed to establish their brand at the forefront of people's minds not only in somerset but throughout the country. Their distinctive black and gold logo and bold accent colours can now be seen on shelves country-wide and their vintage themed television adverts can be seen gracing screens up and down the country. A great representation of Somerset and a brave use of colour on the packaging for quite a traditional brand.
Visit www.wykefarms.com

Cotleigh Brewery
Last but not least, Wiveliscome-based Cotleigh Brewery have won their place in the top ten because we love their well designed graphics. They feature some great illustrations of animals, scenery and items of local interest without being cheesey! Full of colour and very distinctive, you can tell a pint of Cotleigh anywhere.
Have a look at www.cotleighbrewery.com