A small tribute to the Synergy maypole: In Britain and Ireland, the maypole was found primarily in England and in areas of Wales, Scotland and Ireland which were under English influence.

Although the earliest recorded evidence comes from a Welsh poem written by Gryffydd ap Adda ap Dafydd in the mid-14th century, in which he described how people used a tall birch pole at Llanidloes, central Wales. Literary evidence for maypole use across much of Britain increases in later decades, and "by the period 1350-1400 the custom was well established across southern Britain, in town and country and in both Welsh-speaking and English-speaking areas."[11]

The practice had become increasingly popular throughout the ensuing centuries, with the maypoles becoming "communal symbols" that brought the local community together - in some cases, poorer parishes would join up with neighbouring ones in order to obtain and erect one, whilst in other cases, such as in Hertfordshire in 1602 and Warwickshire in 1639, people stole the poles of neighbouring communities, leading to violence. In some cases the wood for the pole was obtained illegally, for instance in 1603, the earl of Huntingdon was angered when trees were removed from his estates for use as maypoles without his permission.

You can read more in the wikipedia article here.

We're pleased to announce our first project with new client NicePak is about to be rolled out.

Grime Boss is already huge over in the States and is one of the sponsors of Nascar, so we're expecting big things in the UK too.

We'll be displaying the creative on the site very soon.

We recently came across these amazing little sculptures by Dalton Ghetti. Each one is hand carved from a pencil using just a sewing needle and scalpel blade!

"His idea is to bring people’s attention to small things. Small is beautiful. Most of the pencils he uses are found on the streets and sidewalks. Dalton’s work is a recycling process. He turns discarded objects into art. 

To create his sculpture, he holds the pencil in his hand under a strong light source (table lamp or sunlight) and carves it mostly with a sewing needle and a very sharp, triangular, small, metal blade. He works at very small intervals: 1 to 2 hours maximum per day whenever he gets inspired. He works very slowly by removing specks of graphite at a time. It therefore takes months or sometimes years to complete a sculpture. 

For Dalton, sculpting pencils is a hobby and a form of meditation, which requires a lot of patience. His pencil carvings are not for sale. He doesn’t do it for money. He sculpts pencils mostly for himself and his art comes from his heart. He wants to keep it that way."

Check out more of his work here http://www.daltonmghetti.com

Here at Synergy, we are inspired by and passionate about all areas of design, not merely print and digital. Recently we attended the Interiors UK exhibition at Birmingham's NEC and were very keen to see the design trends for 2012.

We were not disappointed. Each hall had a different theme and contained a vast range of furniture, lighting, soft furnishings, fabrics, flooring and accessories. The cascading stands and demonstrations presented exciting interior themes, ranging from industrial, vintage and statement glamour!

It was a great way to spend our Sunday and we will certainly be able to use and digest the trends for 2012 into the ongoing work within Synergy... So watch this space.

Happy Valentines Day from all at Synergy. To celebrate the day of Love we have stocked up on Valentines Doughnuts as a little gift to ourselves.

This year Krispy Kreme have created their doughnuts in a ‘cute’ appealing design, which we just LOVE.

Synergy sponsored and were represented by members of the creative team, at Blab 9, held in The Deaf Institute in Manchester recently. 

Speakers Mat Heinl and Ian Anderson kept a packed forum entertained with their different presentational styles and invited us into their thinking and often amusing approach to how they work. The gulf between agencies/consultancies in terms of budgets, timescales and client buy-in is often wide, but the ‘show’ indicated that we all apply (or should do) the basic principles of the strategic/creative process to ensure we create successful and stunning work.

Ok, so we're half way through the first month of the year and thought it was time to give you an update on who is winning our 'Pop the Cork' mobile game.

So far we have Alan Hughes in first place and looking like he's going to take home the prize. Feel free to have as many attempts as you like, only your best score will be entered onto the leaderboard.

You'll need a 2012 Synergy calendar to join the fun (find out more). If you haven't already received one, drop us an email at info@createsynergy.co.uk and we'll do our best to get one to you.

This year we've embraced technology and created an interactive experience using those cheeky little QR Codes.

If you're wondering what it's all about, all you need to do is download a QR reader app to your smart phone – we recommend RedLaser as this has proved the most reliable after testing (and it's free). Simply open the app, hold your camera lens over the QR Code and wait for it to scan. Once that's done you will be taken to the content (go to 'Open Browser' if prompted). We can't say too much more as we don't want to spoil the fun, all we will say is enjoy it and keep coming back each month – there are prizes to be won! Good luck.

If you haven't already received one, drop us an email at info@createsynergy.co.uk and we'll do our best to get one to you.

We are looking for a talented Account Manager: A strong agency background is required as you will be the main point of contact for the client, ensuring queries and projects are responded to effectively.

You will also liaise with the creative team and be responsible for ensuring creative output is delivered to the timescales outlined to the client. You will handle accounts across a wide range of sectors and disciplines so digital, as well as print knowledge is a must as we look to push the agency forward throughout 2012 and beyond.

Salary is dependent on experience.

This is a great opportunity to work in an established agency with a strong creative output and growing client list. If you think you have what we are looking for, and more, please send your cv and any other relevant information to: alex@createsynergy.co.uk

Synergy's base is our recently converted barn in Whittle-le-Woods, Chorley. With a full service offering of marketing, design and advertising, we have a broad client base to which we deliver creative solutions, through both off and online activity. Check out our site to see what we do, and how we do it.

We’re back in the saddle after a busy 2011 and a well earned Christmas break and looking forward to all the new, exciting challenges ahead in 2012.

Remember to keep up to date with all our goings on via the blog and keep checking the site for regular work updates. Hope to hear from you soon.

Senior Designer wanted: If you are a talented, creative designer – with a clear understanding of dpi, pixels and html – then we want you in the Synergy team!

Your great ideas, sharp design and the ability to understand and deliver a clients needs will make you a key part of our growing business.  

If you think you have what we are looking for, and more, send your cv and portfolio to: alex@createsynergy.co.uk

Synergy's base is our recently converted barn in Chorley. With a full service offering of marketing, design and advertising, we have a broad client base to which we deliver creative solutions, through both off and online activity. Check out our site to see what we do, and how we do it.

Last Saturday night the team went medieval at Park Hall for the annual christmas party.

Much eating (without cutlery), drinking and merriment was had by all and 'twas a fitting end to the year. There were sore feet (and heads) all round but what a night - MORE MEAD!

We are pleased to announce that we are now a member of the Recommended Agency Register (RAR). The RAR helps companies source, select and build relationships with marketing agencies across the UK.

The RAR provides this service to around 10,000 clients. It is a special accreditation as it is achieved through ratings from our clients so...  a massive thank you for all the positive feedback!

We are always looking for ways of improving our service so if you have any views or comments about how we can improve our service even more, please send your thoughts to: info@createsynergy.co.uk

So folks, here it is, a little later than planned the fruits of our labour over the month of movember.

Thanks to all who contributed, your donations are much appreciated and have gone to a very worthy cause. Well done to Dave, Phil, Lee and Matt. Roll on next year (maybe).

Recently came across this self initiated project from Manchester creative agency Young.



“ViewRL is a visual display of URLs posted on twitter. See images, videos, music and URLs shared at a glance without having to click a link. A great way to ensure you don’t miss a link, picture, video or song in the twitter conversation...”



We do like our Twitter here at Synergy and thought this was a great idea. It’s all about creating a better user experience which is just fine by us. Check it out here.

Here at Synergy we love our films and we love our posters so when we saw these we couldn’t help but post a link.



“Created by Antrepo Design Industry as "alternative movie posters about brand integration" and it shows who's in the film. It is available for 10 different movie, Kill Bill Vol.1, The Matrix Trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Ocean's Eleven, The Da Vinci Code, Cast Away, Fight Club, Pulp Fiction.”



Check them out here.

“Just like webfonts, mobile fonts protect brands and help set apps apart from the crowd. Optimized by hand for the device screen, Mobile FontFonts enhance the user experience. Mobile FontFonts let designers and developers break from the mold of system fonts and give their products some personality...”

FontShop have recently released a mobile fonts pack for use in iOS apps. What this means is  greater brand consistency across mobile devices, which can only be a good thing. Hopefully it’ll take off and become available cross-platform, we’ll wait and see but in the meantime you can find out more here.

Space, modernism, type, logo’s, NASA. For some designers (me) there isn’t a more exciting combination of words.

Really interesting first hand account from Design Director Richard Danne on of the switch from ‘Worm’ to ‘Meatball’. Only in America! Read the article here.

A couple of months ago myself and Phil (Decode) were asked by MA Anthropology student Nija Dalal to take part in her ‘Typography and Urban Space’ thesis.



It was great meeting Nija, she’s from a design background and has now branched out into Anthropology but still with a healthy appreciation for design and typography. We found it a fascinating subject, thoroughly enjoyable and were glad we could help out. Good luck with your grade!



You can find out more about the thesis here and there is also a short, edited section from it here.

It’s that time of year again, where facial hair is grown (some more than others) and in the process we raise some money for a great cause. Plus the branding is great too. 

“On Movember 1st, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shave face and then for the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Mo Sistas are the women who register to support the men in their lives, raising funds by seeking sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts.



Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November and through their actions and words raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health. 



At the end of the month, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas celebrate their gallantry and valor by either throwing their own Movember party or attending one of the infamous Gala Partés held around the world by Movember, for Movember.”



It will be a space where we can air our thoughts, preview some work, tell you about the things we like, the things we don’t like, the things we’ve been up to and in time will become a resource of information you can come back to time and again.



You may agree with the things we say, you may not, either way we always encourage an open dialogue and would welcome any comments/feedback.