This week saw Operations Controller Richard Jackson give David Dickinson a run for his money at Fourninety’s charity auction of surplus photography props. All Richard needed was a dash of fake tan as he took over the mantle of chief auctioneer in aid of the Haiti Earthquake Appeal!

Fourninety team members bagged some real bargains as crockery, kitchen and bathroom accessories, rugs, kids toys and electrical items went under the hammer for a brilliant cause.

The auction has so far raised an impressive £557.25 for the appeal, which will hopefully go some way in helping to provide clean water, shelter, sanitation and medical care to those affected by the devastating earthquake.

Fourninety are sending congratulatory vibes to two of our Media Square sister agencies this week. Cadbury have appointed communications agency CMW to develop and execute the Trebor digital strategy across its portfolio of gums and mints. This new appointment is a sign of CMW’s burgeoning relationship with Cadbury, having launched a new digital playground for Whispa at the end of Janurary. Janine Blakeway, Trebor Brand Manager, said:

“We are thrilled to be working with CMW on our Mint People digital campaign taking Trebor to the next level.”

Well done CMW!

Meanwhile, design consultancy Holmes and Marchant have launched the packaging and identity for Monster Puffs, a new cereal bar from Honey Monster Foods. John Price, Marketing Manager at Honey Monster Food said:

“Honey Monster is an iconic and well-loved character…Holmes and Marchant’s work is fun and mischievous and will really appeal to Mums, Kids and Kids at heart.”

Senior Account Manager Claire Holden spends her days at Fourninety project managing the Argos jewellery range, but in the evenings she transforms into a home-cooking domestic goddess who would make Nigella jealous with her culinary talents!

After chatting about what she cooks for tea (or dinner as they say dawwwwn sauff) on a daily basis with her team members here at 490, Claire’s started a blog which is regularly updated with her favourite family recipes and photos to match. It’s a really lovely read and full of great ideas for freshly-cooked and easy meals. One tip though: don’t read it when you’re at work and hungry- the food looks so good that you might be tempted to eat your chair leg!

Check out Claire’s blog here.

As sustainability commitments form an increasing importance in retail strategy, packaging agencies have entered the dawn of greater influence. Using the latest research, Fourninety have produced a white paper which explores the importance of creating sustainable packaging solutions for the consumer, manufacturer and retailer alike. It also discusses how meeting consumer demand depends on deeply integrated client-agency relationships.

As a retail communications agency with a proven track record of working closely with our clients to understand their retail strategies, we pride ourselves on our ability to explore new innovations and solutions. As such, we believe that we are strongly positioned to initiate this debate.

Your opinions on the white paper and its relevance to your business would be most welcome. Please email your feedback to whitepaper@fourninety.com

Click here to download the white paper.

We were proud to see our hard work paying off this month when the new Argos Spring/Summer 2010 catalogue hit the shelves.

Fourninety have worked in close partnership with Argos’ parent company, the Home Retail Group, for over 12 years. We generate over 3,800 pages for Argos through catalogue and flyer design every year, as well as being their main photography supplier.

The Spring/Summer catalogue sees Argos unveil the first phase of an exciting new re-brand which aims to develop a more consistent brand identity across various channels.  However, the catalogue continues to focus on value with over 2,000 lower prices included within its pages.