Each month we pick three things that have inspired us. From art, design and branding, to food, drink and beyond… Welcome to the June edition.
1. Upfest Presents
Just on our doorstep in Bristol, Upfest is Europe’s largest street art festival. Since its inception in 2008 when the ambition was to bring 20 artists together to paint for the day, it’s continued to grow and evolve and is now one of the most important events on the street art scene.
This year, instead of the usual weekend festival, it returned as Upfest Presents – a 17 day cultural programme of workshops, live painting, talks, tours and activities centred around Bedminster and BS3.
We loved seeing artists painting live, visiting galleries, and wondering the streets to seek out artworks which ranged from small discoverables to fully painted houses. Upfest’s Mural Map is available here if you’re ever visiting Bristol.
Although the festival is now finished, tickets are available for Upfest Art House which will feature large-scale artworks from 20 world-renowned street artists installed in the grounds of Ashridge House. It runs between 4 August and 15 September. Buy tickets here.
2. Irn Bru: Optimism Back in Scotland
Even if Scotland aren’t in the Euros anymore, they’ve still got Irn Bru. Its Euros campaign was a master-class in leveraging a big event to galvanise community and build brand equity.
Every detail was judged to perfection, from the brilliantly written TV ad, to the “We Can” limited edition cans and lucky pants, (launched by Scotland & Rangers legend Colin Hendry).
On brand, cohesive and tonally spot-on – an absolute winner despite what happened on the pitch!
3. Stocked
Global food waste is a huge environmental problem, with 2.5 billion tons lost or wasted each year – the equivalent of one-third of all food produced. That's why we're always excited to discover innovative solutions aiming to make a dent in this issue.
One such startup is Stocked, which offers ready meals with a twist. Its award-winning recipes are frozen into portionable blocks that can be reheated and ready to eat in minutes. It’s a clever solution that seamlessly weaves climate action with consumer benefits.
The range consists of nutritionally-balanced, award-winning flavours – including options for children – and is a convenient solution for time-poor foodies who often find usual ready meals too much of a compromise. The ‘block’ format allows people to serve as much or as little as needed, pairing their meals with any accompaniment of their choice. This flexibility is key to the brand’s mission to ensure no one ever has to throw food out again.
