Good Noise

Paper Cuts

No, not those irritatingly painful injuries caused by innocent bits of paper, but these amazing works of art. I can't remember how I stumbled across these examples, it was from another blog, but aren't they amazing? They're made from toilet rolls!

Happy New Year!

It's a new year in the Resonate offices. The tree is down, the diets have started and everyone is trying to remember how to type and construct coherent sentences that aren't "where's the Baileys?"

We had our Christmas Party with Bell Pottinger in December at Il Bottaccio near Hyde Park Corner. We were treated to lots of lovely canapes, bowl food, more booze than was sensible to drink and an Abba tribute band (much to my disgust). Anyway, someone, and I won't mention any names, decided that they should dress up as Abba with some fellow Director colleagues and treat everyone to a rendition of Money, Money, Money. It was a delight. A truely-tuneless-unchoregraphed delight.

Anyway, at this party we also had a photo booth of sorts. A camera, white background and the ability to take your own photos. (You'll have to forgive my descriptive excellence today, it is January remember.)

Here are some delights from the Resonate crowd.

 

Marketing Professionals?

Siralun, sorry Lord Sugar, calls on Resonate again to help out his potential new recruits.

Last night's The Apprentice final featured a likely looking bunch of 'marketing professionals' in our very own boardroom. The Resonate boys gave some proper marketing advice on all things booze to Team Stella.

It is fair to say, their insight led to Stella's triumphant win as Lord Sugar's new recruit.

And Nick! Nick was in our offices.

It's all about the chin stroke...

Gav does his best "made for TV" grimace. Do you like my jacket?

Ghalib looks on in disbelief at the genius marketing professional advice coming from a usually incoherent Gavin

The boys were disappointed not to meet Stuart Bagg The Brand

 

TalkTalk's Secret X Factor gig!

A lounge themed room with comfy sofas, fluffy pillows, popcorn and the stars of Britain’s biggest TV show was the theme for Wednesday night as a couple of hundred very lucky TalkTalk customers and media mover and shakers turned up to witness a one off secret gig of this years X Factor’s semi finalists at The Hospital Club in Covent Garden.

Organised by Resonate, on behalf of this years X Factors sponsors TalkTalk, the night was a chance for fans of the show to get up close and personal with the stars as they belted out a range of hits to the delighted crowd. Rebecca, Cher, Mary and One Direction showed us just how talented they are, with only poor Matt not able to perform due to a sore throat.

One photo-call, live Q&A, a scrum of broadcast interviews, 4 live performaces and an autograph signing session later a couple of hundred beaming faces could be seen leaving the venue...popcorn still in hand!

A brilliant night for all and amazingly enough no Resonate staff tried to corrupt One Direction! Well…as far as we know!

Go to TalkTalk and record you own Ident and get yourself on the show. You know you've got what it takes!

RIP Leslie

My favourite Leslie Neilsen quote:

It's the same old story. Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girl dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.

What's yours?

Happy Halloween from npower

This weekend will see some spooky goings-on in the npower football league. The Wicked Witch of Energy Inefficiency will be attempting to save pumpkin penalties at QPR, Ipswich Town, Sheffield United, Derby and Notts County Football Clubs.

As we have discsovered its incredibly hard to find footballs that look like pumpkins. Therefore, sometimes you just have to use your creativity!

Happy Halloween!

East and West Unite For Mikhail Gorbachev’s 80th Birthday

A GALA concert to mark the 80th birthday of international elder statesman Mikhail Gorbachev and raise £5 million for children’s charities will be held at London’s Royal Albert Hall next March, it was announced today.

The concert and fund-raising campaign was launched by Mr Gorbachev’s grand-daughters, Ksenia Gorbacheva and Anastasia Virganskaya, at a press conference at the Royal Albert Hall.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, one of the most transformational figures of the 20th century and regarded globally as ‘the man who changed the world’, will turn 80 in March 2011.

Taking part in the fund-raising campaign and concert celebrations will be politicians and world leaders including former British Prime Minister, Sir John Major and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Also taking part will be former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California and Friede Springer, of German publishing house Axel Springer, with more expected to add their support shortly. The first celebrities to lend their names and support to the campaign include stars such as Bono, Jose Carreras, Hugh Grant, Elizabeth Hurley, Alan Rickman, songwriter and producer Magnus Fiennes, and his film director sister Martha Fiennes, with more names to be announced in the coming weeks.

Ksenia Gorbacheva and Anastasia Virganskaya

Victory Dance

Last night was a first for Resonate. We've been nominated before but we've never been given the giant red P before. 2010 was our year, and last night a slightly inebriated Grumpy collected a PR Week Award for the Best Technology campaign at the Grosvenor House Hotel.

Back in August 2009 TalkTalk and Resonate launched their PutPocketing campaign. The idea behind it was to create media attention and position TalkTalk on the side of the consumer whilst in the depths of the recession. So TalkTalk put £100,000 in the pockets of hardworking Briton's and Resonate was there to spread the word.

Sambucas were consumed in celebration last night as Grumpy clutched the giant red P with pride. He can die happy now.

 

 

 

Name your pod

Resonate tends to move around a lot. We move desks, we move office space, we reshape our pods. We still remain at Holborn Gate but over the past year I think we've moved our desks about 3 or 4 times. The most recent time was a few weeks ago and we are settled again. And a few of the pods have been shaken up.

We do like our pods in Resonate - when you are sitting and working in close proximity to people everyday you do form a bond. You may remember we had a pod decorating competition a while back (this was when we were on a different floor and in different pods to what we are now!). We have often named our pods - it tends to come about organically, depending on the people sitting on it. We've had the Posh Pod, Another Level and The Fit Pod (which also doubles at The Fat Pod). 

Grumpy decided we all needed to rename our pods as we'd moved yet again. I think he had visions of the pod names being strung up in lights. It hasn't quite worked out like that. It was supposed to be a big competition with a prize. The prize turned out to be a bottle of wine that Grumpy found in the fridge. But the honour was still there.

I give you, the winners: Ben, Lewis, Matt and Marissa Gadeley are Three Men and a Little Gadeley

The other entries didn't have as much flair and creativity, or visual support. We had Mickey's Angels (for the pod who are all clearly angels, whose names all begin with an A and as a tribute to Grumpy - who hates to be called Mickey by the way). The last pod, well we named ourselves The Slags. We didn't get an honorable mention or anything..

An American Story

I came to Resonate overdressed. That’s the first mistake. I met Lewis. Second Mistake. I thought he was English. Another mistake. A bromance began. An awful mistake. Resonate began with some big mistakes. That’s part of the fun though.

Working at Resonate has been an experience that will be cherished. People had no idea how to handle a redheaded American, so Lewis took the reigns and put me through all sorts of tasks. Days were full of new learning. Whether it was words that didn’t make sense, accents too thick or Wales being the Mother Land, I experienced a new side of life. I imagine many interns have an interesting time due to such an interesting group. The relaxed, yet productive feel was constantly felt. As any foreign intern feels, I felt like a bit of an alien at first. Once I learned what makes up Resonate, I tried my best to fit in and become a part of the team. It just so happened that the person who I called “boss” had just about in common with me as most of my good friends. I suppose that’s why I annoyed him so much.

I feel that working at Resonate this summer will never be something I will forget. I also hope to keep in contact with the people I met and someday be as crazy and good at their jobs as them.

 

The Green Goddess that blessed our hearts and our cheeks at the Retirement Show

 

A bromance with a third wheel (Gavin not pictured)

 

Unspeakable love for the Mother Land

Lewis misunderstaning the true meaning of teabagging

Posted by Craig, a real American Hero