It’s a very rare and unique pleasure to get to work with artwork styled on someone you have studied, loved and been inspired by for many years.

This morning the first job thrown on my desk was such a piece, after adoring the works of the late Keith Haring I am lucky enough to now be involved in the roll out of Tommy Hilfiger’s new European marketing campaign.

Through a collaboration with the Keith Haring Institute New York Tommy Hilfiger is bringing Keith’s artwork back to life through Hilfiger’s new footwear range.

A large volume of bespoke POS material will be required for Hilfiger shop window’s, all adorned with Haring’s infamous artwork, and luckily it will all pass through my desk for creation and production. Watch this space over the coming weeks to see updates on what we have designed and produced.

Above is a little teaser of the type of artwork we will be using.

If you love Keith Haring as much as I do, or if you have not yet been lucky enough to discover his works, here is a little info about him…

Throughout his career, Haring devoted much of his time to public works, which often carried social messages. He produced more than 50 public artworks between 1982 and 1989, in dozens of cities around the world, many of which were created for charities, hospitals, children’s day care centers and orphanages. The now famous Crack is Wack mural of 1986 has become a landmark along New York’s FDR Drive. Other projects include; a mural created for the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986, on which Haring worked with 900 children; a mural on the exterior of Necker Children’s Hospital in Paris, France in 1987; and a mural painted on the western side of the Berlin Wall three years before its fall. Haring also held drawing workshops for children in schools and museums in New York, Amsterdam, London, Tokyo and Bordeaux, and produced imagery for many literacy programs and other public service campaigns.

Haring was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988. In 1989, he established the Keith Haring Foundation, its mandate being to provide funding and imagery to AIDS organizations and children’s programs, and to expand the audience for Haring’s work through exhibitions, publications and the licensing of his images. Haring enlisted his imagery during the last years of his life to speak about his own illness and generate activism and awareness about AIDS.

During a brief but intense career that spanned the 1980s, Haring’s work was featured in over 100 solo and group exhibitions. In 1986 alone, he was the subject of more than 40 newspaper and magazine articles. He was highly sought after to participate in collaborative projects and worked with artists and performers as diverse as Madonna, Grace Jones, Bill T. Jones, William Burroughs, Timothy Leary, Jenny Holzer, Yoko Ono and Andy Warhol. By expressing universal concepts of birth, death, love, sex and war, using a primacy of line and directness of message, Haring was able to attract a wide audience and assure the accessibility and staying power of his imagery, which has become a universally recognized visual language of the 20th century.

Keith Haring died of AIDS related complications at the age of 31 on February 16, 1990. A memorial service was held on May 4, 1990 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, with over 1,000 people in attendance.

Since his death, Haring has been the subject of several international retrospectives. The work of Keith Haring can be seen today in the exhibitions and collections of major museums around the world.

Last week we completed a tidy little promotional pack that will be used as a Direct mail piece for a new medical facility down in Waterford. The newly opened Whitfield Clinic is a Consultant run immediate access Emergency Department.

The facility will provide services in Cardiology, General Surgery, Medical, Orthopedic and Urology patients can be seen at the Emergency Department. Individual cases involving specialty expertise should be discussed with the Emergency Department Nurse/ Consultant to ensure that

Whitfield Clinic can offer the service required by the G.P.

The Emergency Department will offer a dedicated GP phone-line, which will be Manned by an Emergency Nurse to facilitate direct referrals and discussion of Individual cases. We will also endeavor to communicate the outcome of each Patient’s visit to the referring GP the following day. This can be done by phone, fax or email and the department will work with each GP to tailor this response to accommodate the need of their individual practices.

After initial assessment by a nurse the patient will be seen and examined by one of the Consultants A management plan will be formulated & any necessary Laboratory or Radiological investigations will be performed.

The need for a smart, compact and multi purpose promotional tool led us to the use of a small Box, using all 6 sides for information relating to the services, location and photographs of the facility.

A small 8 page fold over brochure was designed to fit inside the pack along with some note pads and business cards as keep sakes for the end user. While the box is a stand alone direct mail piece it was felt that all the miniature elements inside would be “Pocket Friendly” for popping in your wallet thus increasing the lifespan if the use of the item.

The end result as you can see above was very clean and smart, mimicking the sharp & modern design of the facility.

So, what is the fuss all about? The iPad essentially revolutionises the concept of a tablet computer. Previously tablet devices addressed a legitimate consumer need (casual, lazy, couch-bound computing), but left most people frustrated with a stylus-driven handwriting recognition system and an operating system that was really designed to be used on a desktop PC.

While it’s not the perfect implementation of a tablet computer, the iPad is quite simply the best yet. The use of the iPhone OS and its clever data-entry scheme - virtual keyboard, multitouch gestures and all - turns the iPad into an immeasurably more usable device than any Windows-based tablet PC we’ve seen.

The iPad is also sleek and portable, sports a palpably speedy processor, and dines on battery power with the appetite of a strung-out celebrity ingénue in emotional distress.

How do I bag myself a FREE  iPad? Log onto our new fan page on Facebook, suggest it to as many friends as possible, when we hit 250 fans we will ask you a question, then when we reach 500, 1000, 1250, 1500, 2000 fans respectively we will ask another question (all the answers to the questions will be found on our blog or website). The fans who get all the questions right will be sent an iPad pack, simply return it to us within 5 days, complete with all your details. All completed entry forms will be put into a tumbola and the winner will be drawn on Tues 30th September at 3pm - Video of the draw will be posted on the Facebook page. If we don’t reach 2000 fans by the 30th September I get to keep the iPad (HA!).

Let the games begin! Good luck to all. Become a fan & share, share, share!

Direct mail is still statistically one of the strongest forms of marketing tools available when executed correctly. Our client, Howl at the Moon Lower Mount Street was host to the launch of their new “Hot in the City” BBQ event.. With our help over the last few weeks we were able to ensure a guaranteed turnout using not just only flyers but also a Narrowcast Direct Mail project.

After creating an eye-catching design to roll out the campaign we enlisted an area code specific mailing list. These days’ mail merges are not as complex as they used to be thanks to modern technology. If a project is planned correctly the production of a successful mail merge should be no harder than pressing print.

For this project we generated 1600 personalised invitations to the event. Throughout this process we have complete feedback & traceability on attendees for the event.

The events attendance was proof to what can be achieved with strategic marketing generated through Direct Personalised Mailing.

Maximum results with minimal costs!

So for your next marketing campaign, why not consider using a personalised tool that is guaranteed to provide results. This process incurs a minimal extra cost as the merging takes place during the printing process of your bespoke direct mail piece.

Why not give us a call to discuss what options would best suit your needs, and if you happen to be in the Dublin 2 area any time soon, pop in to Howl at the Moon to sample some of their tasty Bratwurst BBQ sausages.. There well worth it.

A few rules to maximize impact.

To be effective, Direct Mail requires the careful combination of three key ingredients: the right audience, the right message, and strong, complementary creative. Unfortunately, many marketers get taken in by the glitz and glamour of creative design—the colors, folds, and converted envelopes—and forget just how crucial data and messaging are to coming out on top.

After all, showboating for the crowd is never a substitute for technical skill, and for direct mail to really do its thing and live up to its potential, it requires the right mix of people, language, and looks—in other words, strategy, strategy, strategy.

Lead with data

Data is what lines you up and gets you within striking distance. To overemphasize its importance is impossible. Diligence and methodical preparation will not only lay the foundation for your campaign but also ensure that you save on postage and improve deliverability, direct mail doesn’t stand a chance without qualified, healthy data. So, long before you even start thinking about what you’re going to say and what your mailing’s going to look like, understand your market and source appropriate data.

Initial direct mail efforts are generally best for developing an understanding of a given database that will allow you, once the relationship gets rolling, to leverage additional direct mail campaigns to secure customers and loyal advocates (supporters and proponents of your business).

Follow with messaging

Once you’ve identified your audience, figuring out what to say is fairly easy—it’s how you say it that can be challenging. We are a nation of scanners, not readers; simplicity is therefore key, and tried-and-true devices like subheads and call-outs can do wonders for guiding a “reader” through a letter. Including a postscript provides tremendous benefit, as recipients typically first look at the signature, to see who the letter’s from—so having a PS that actively recaps your message/offer can quickly engage interested parties and prompt a closer review and better opportunity for reiteration of your call to action.

While industry jargon is great for impressing readers with your expertise and placing you in the trenches alongside your audience, anything too technical will prove to be a wasted flurry that will ultimately distract from your call to action. The quicker you can tell your readers exactly what they need to know in order to conclude that your product or service is clearly the best choice, the better.

It’s all about heart

Not really. But it’s certainly not all about looks. Creative design can have an impact on how a mailing performs, but the role of creative cannot even begin to compare with the necessity of sourcing the right data and perfecting your messaging. Creative design is the showmanship.

Hype is fine, and putting on a performance is one thing, but too much glitter and flash just scream “junk mail” and make it difficult for recipients to take a mailing seriously.

Choosing the best vehicle to deliver your message isn’t to be taken lightly. Format is extremely significant in how well a mailing performs, with the most affordable “package” not always the best for the task at hand. For instance, letter packages are proven to out-pull postcards and self-mailers under most conditions—but not always. Be sure to make your form-factor selection based on how you want a recipient to interact with your piece—not strictly on production and mailing costs. But don’t forget that the more creative you get in terms of a mailing’s overall design the higher the cost per unit—making a higher response rate that much more critical in terms of justifying investment.

Creative design needs to complement your message and compel recipients to open and read what you’ve got to say, so you have to be hard on your creative and evaluate it objectively to see whether it’s helping or hurting.

When done right, direct mail can be fast, affordable, efficient, and extremely effective—and exceptionally reliable.

The project involved supply and fit of both full colour wall graphics and vinyl decals. The results were, well we’ll let you be the judge of that. We hope you enjoy the images as much as we enjoyed printing & installing the graphics. To appreciate the graphics you need to visit the showroom, where we believe you cannot help but be impressed.

For mini lovers all over the world here are some mini facts:

1 Issigonis’s first design sketch for the Mini was drawn on a napkin in Switzerland.

2 In 1961, racing driver Stirling Moss was banned for a year for speeding in a Mini, allegedly while testing it for a Sunday paper.

3 In 1964, BMC tested a 2.3-litre Mini with engines at both ends. It was so fast development was dropped.

4 Rumour has it Issigonis designed the door bins in the original Mini to hold a bottle of gin and several tonics. Or maybe it was just pints of milk.

5 How many people can you fit in a Mini? The record is 66, apparently.

6 Longest Mini convoy? 269 cars.

7 Joanne Westlake was the fi rst person to be born in a Mini.

8 Actor Kevin Spacey once paid $130,000 for the last classic Mini Cooper to be built.

9 Most famous death in a Mini? Marc Bolan of T Rex, who was in a crash in a 1275 GT.

10 The breathtaking escape through the Turin sewers by gold bar-filled Mini Coopers in The Italian Job was filmed in Coventry.

The Exclusive Radisson Blu St. Helen’s in Stillorgan, a long-standing client of ours is stepping up their game and targeting local executives and business with their new marketing campaign.

We have designed their new direct mail piece which is offering various options for delegates hosting breakfast meetings in “Five Star Style” in one of their many luxury board rooms, private areas or even outside on their impressive terraces surrounding the unique building.

This project had to have a five star feel to it while adhering to the Radisson Group brand guidelines. The venue itself is a pretty strong USP and married together with high quality materials and a heavy lustre Black on black flock overprint the piece speaks for itself.

If you fancy a meeting with a difference why not check out what is on offer.

One of the newest additions to our Client List is Howl at the Moon, Mount Street in Dublin, we would like to give a big Select welcome to them and look forward to working closely with them.

Our first project was to create an alternative type of advertising, since the end user is Dublin’s young pubbers and clubbers, it was thought that hitting them before they decide on a venue for the evening would be the best approach.

With this in mind a car air freshener was designed with all vital details and branding in place to grab the target audience’s attention. 3000 of these were printed and are currently being distributed to taxi men free of charge to display in their cars for all to see and hopefully add a little bit of our scent to their lives to make everyone’s journey a bit more pleasant.

Keep your eye out for one of our pieces the next time you hop in a taxi.

After yet another busy month in the Studio we are all delighted that the Easter weekend is upon us. This is my favourite holiday not just because I can get my hands on as many Easter Eggs as possible but because it’s such a family weekend. It’s the first good excuse for the family to meet up since Christmas and have Easter Sunday dinner together.

Every year this particular weekend always makes me feel like there is an end to the cold winter season, the days are longer, every thing around us is growing, regenerating and full of colour.

I myself am off down to Wexford for a big family weekend and a much needed break away from the studio.

Whatever you are doing this weekend enjoy it and have a big HAPPY EASTER from all of us here at Select.

And try not to eat to many eggs!

Over the last week we have been very busy creating a traditional yet very Bling design for the Fitzpatrick Hotel Group, a long-standing loyal client of ours.

Their flagship Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel Killiney is running an excellent promotion for 2 night stays in the form of gift vouchers. A stylish yet old world approach was taken to the design, using Ivory boards and gold metallic inks on the vouchers themselves it gives a high quality feel to the piece. To present these vouchers we went all out with a highly detailed gold foil on the die cut wallet, again the details were foiled onto a high quality ivory board to give the entire package a luxurious appearance and feel in your hand.

Fitzpatrick Castle are celebrating their 40^th Anniversary this year, we would like to wish them a very Happy Birthday from all of us at Select and why not check out some of their amazing offers they have running at the moment to help the celebrations along throughout 2010

After spending many years designing and managing the successful Gerrards Barber Shop we are pleased to be assisting him once again with the relocation of his business to the prestigious D4 Hotel in Ballsbridge.

Gerrard himself is renowned in Dublin as a highly skilled Barber, Winner of Gold Medal European Championship and Numerous times Winner of Irish Championship we wish him all the best in his new endeavour with his Son in his new premises.

At the very front of the D4 hotel in a slick modern unit we have begun to upgrade the existing shop with large vinyl decals on all windows, over the next few weeks we will be adding to this with various elements to enhance the unit further and allow some privacy to the hotels frontage.