Posts Tagged ‘PR Photography’
Being a huge rugby fan, as soon as I heard that TNR were doing a photocall that involved some of the British & Irish Lions, I had to be there. Thomas Pink, Official Outfitters to The Lions, were hosting a rugby event at the White Horse pub in Parsons Green which was to be renamed ‘The Pink Lion’ for the day.
TNR Photograph – David Parry
Unsurprisingly the day had a very pink feel to it with Pink umbrellas, Pink pints and Pink rugby balls on show. There was a touch rugby session for kids, with advice and tips from former England and British & Irish Lion player Matt Dawson. While the kids played in the park, parents were either crowding the current players who are off to tour Australia, or loitering around the BBQ which was manned by former England and British & Irish Lion Phil Vickery. Phil was cooking up kangaroo burgers which were available alongside Pink pints to wash them down.
After the various events outside had finished, everyone crammed into ‘The Pink Lion’ to meet and chat to Lions legends, past and present. Captain Sam Warburton, George North, Rob Kearney, Geoff Parling and Ben Youngs all spoke to people, shared stories of previous seasons and their hopes for the tour, while Matt Dawson & Phil Vickery recounted their experiences.
Lions tours are one of the great traditions that remain in the professional era and access to the players at events like this is definitely something that should be maintained. It was a fantastic day put on by Thomas Pink which attracted big crowds with young & old enjoying themselves.
I for one can’t wait for the first test match and I’m backing us to win the series 2-1 against the Aussies. Our last series win was 1997 which feels like a long time ago now and I’m confident this crop of Lions will do the job!
Post by Alex Waite, Marketing Manager @ TNR Communications
Tags: aptain Sam Warburton, Britain, can men wear pink, Geoff Parling, George North, in London, Lions Rugby, Matt Dawson, official outfitters, Parsons Green, Phil Vickery, Photography for Marketing, playing Rugby, PR, PR Photography, Rob Kearney, Rugby, rugby events in London, rugby in England, shirts, Thomas Pink, TNR Communications, White Horse Pub
Posted in Photography, PR, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Working on the TNR photo desk we’re used to covering numerous jobs every day of the week. However it’s rare to get 11 commissions from the same client on the same day. But that’s what we found ourselves working on for the launch of Everything Everywhere 4G last month.
Formed following the merger of Orange and T-Mobile, Everything Everywhere, or EE, launched their new 4G network services on 30th Oct and we were on hand to photograph the event at their stores in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Southampton and Manchester.
We have a great team of experienced photographers based throughout the UK who we speak to regularly, but it was unusual to be working with so many of them on the same project at the same time.
All the photographers sent their images in, from site, to our office in London, where our photo editors co-ordinated the project. Here, the shots were edited and immediately forwarded to the client city by city for local activity. Meanwhile the best shots were offered to our colleagues on the main Press Association Picture Wire, with 26 shots in total being issued on the PA Wire, making them available to every national and regional newspaper and news providers in the UK. Images were used in the Daily Star, The Independent and other regional and online titles.
The team then made up DVDs of all images from each location for reference, so the client had a comprehensive record of every shot from each location.
It wasn’t all about still photos; we also shot a ‘Videocall’ of the London store launch.
A great project to have been involved in. Although inevitably so much of the media work we do is based in and around London, as part of Press Association, TNR prides itself on its reach across the UK and Ireland. EE’s 4G launch was proof that not everything and not everywhere is inside the M25.
Post by Tim Kerr, Joint Managing Director @ TNR Communications
Tags: 4G, EE, Everything Everywhere, Orange, PA Wire, Photography, PR Photography, Press Association, Press Association Picture Wire, T-Mobile
Posted in Photography | No Comments »
Valentine’s Day is always a good day for press photos. Picture editors aren’t necessarily the most romantic of people. Good souls they all are, but wading through war, famine, disaster, left-to-rights, big cheques, handshakes and handouts tens of thousands of times a day doesn’t leave much room for candles & poetry.
However once a year we get to indulge our love for nuzzling swans, swathes of red roses and eccentric marriage proposals. If there’s a scantily clad model promoting Valentine lingerie, so much the better…
From a PR point of view Valentine’s Day represents one of those fantastic opportunities where at least part of the news agenda is fixed in advance. Valentines Day themed PR pictures or stunts – so long as the branding is managed – do what all the best PR press shots do; they give the media what they want when they want it.
PR shots are usually trying to gain coverage on a date that is specific or important to the clients campaign or announcement. However on occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Easter Sunday, first day of Wimbledon, Halloween, etc. supply and demand sync up. Papers need related picture stories and in an era of limited staff photographers, PR’s, with a little thought and creativity, can be in a good place to provide them.
In the past few years we’ve been commissioned to cover a living Valentine’s billboard for MasterCard, arranged Alesha Dixon in a bath filled with red condoms for the Dept of Health and photographed glamour model Lucy Pinder encouraging us to turn down the lights for love on behalf of Energy Saving Trust. The latter being probably the only time such environment concerns made the front page of The Daily Sport – proof indeed that the right picture can engage a whole new audience.
I don’t know what 2011 will hold but I’m confident that even in these difficult times romance isn’t dead and I look forward to seeing some equally amorous images brightening up the papers and news websites once again come February 14th.
Post by Tim Kerr (Picture Editor and Director @TNR Communications)
Tags: celebrities, picture editor, PR Photography
Posted in Photography, PR, PR Photography | 1 Comment »
I recently came across Frank Chimero’s ‘Design Nobility Pyramid’ concept via photography blog aphotoeditor.com
Chimero teaches graphic design & typography at Portland State University as well as being managing partner of Thinking for a Living.
His ‘Design Nobility Pyramid’ forms part of his frequent lectures on design, but it can be equally relevant to effective PR photography.
Chimero believes ‘delight‘ in design is success in it’s highest, truest most noble form. When innovation and clarity come together you find ‘delight‘ and that he argues is perfect design.
Looking at PR photography the clients aim is ultimately to inform and persuade. We let consumers know about the product or initiative and encourage them to buy or support it.
But too often we forget that to do that, first we need to delight, or entertain, or amuse…
If it’s all information and persuasion the public won’t be interested. Great PR pictures need to delight first. That’s the most important thing and the information and persuasion will be better received as a result.
Be it our picture for the National Lottery of ballet dancers on Millennium Bridge,
National Lottery Love UK campaign. Geoff Caddick/TNR
a more recent shot of Cybermen on the Underground for the Dr Who Experience,
Cybermen take command of the London Underground. Matt Crossick/TNR
or workmen getting the first glimpse of Wonderbra’s 3D billboard,
Wonderbra 3D Billboard. Geoff Caddick/TNR
it’s the ‘delight‘ in the aesthetics, the composition, the novelty, the fun of the image that captures the viewers interest.
That is what makes us look twice at the picture, show it to our friends, twitter about it. That ‘delight‘, that enjoyment, that connection paves the way for the pictures commercial purpose to inform and persuade. But the aim to delight should always come first.
http://work.frankchimero.com/
www.aphotoeditor.com
Post by Tim Kerr (Director and Head of Photography at TNR Communications)
Tags: Frank Chimero, Photography, PR Photography
Posted in Photography, PR Photography | 2 Comments »
This week saw PA Photocall (the sister company of TNR Communications) work with Frank PR on an exclusive launch of a limited edition ‘Aleksandr talking toy’ due to arrive exclusively at Harrods in time for Christmas.
An Aleksandr Orlov meerkat 'talking toy' in the meerkat enclosure at London Zoo ahead of them going on sale exclusively in Harrods in early December.
The star of comparethemarket.com’s TV adverts has brokered a deal with the world’s most famous department store to stock a limited number of the furry meerkat toys. Set to be the must-have toy for Christmas 2009, the talking Aleksandr Orlov replica comes complete with his trademark smoking jacket and paisley silk cravat. Aleksandr’s ‘Simples!’ catchphrase can be heard with a distinctive squeak when his belly is squeezed.
A member of staff at Harrods in London handles one of the limited edition Aleksandr Orlov meerkat 'talking toys'. David Parry/PA Photocall
PA Photocall were commissioned to capture the talking toy in Harrods department store and London Zoo’s meerkat enclosure with Aleksandr and his real furry friends being introduced for the first time. Photocall photographer David Parry was onsite at 9am to capture the various images, which were sent immediately through to the Press Association picture desk for distribution on the wire. It was no surprise the amount of coverage the celebrity meerkat received within the press including The Metro, Metro Online, Ok Magazine and Virgin media.
PA Photocall also received a 535% increase in visits to their website due to popularity of the images, streaming visits from Twitter, Facebook and forums. Photocall are commissioned for such a broad range of projects that appeal to a wide audience which makes their social media strategy a simple and effective one. This project is a great example of how PR Photography can be great fun and extremely powerful within the media.
Post by Penny Joyner (Marketing Executive for PA Photocall)
Tags: Aleksandr Meerkat, Christmas Toys, Compare the market, Compare the Meerkat, Frank PR, Harrods, image, London Zoo, Metro, OK Magazine, PA Photocall, Penny Joyner, PR Campaign, PR Photography, Press Association, press picture, The Sun, Virgin Media
Posted in PR, PR Photography | 1 Comment »
With CNN launching it’s new website with a focus on better integrated video and photography, it highlights the importance of considering a multimedia approach for all new stories.
Brian Stelter of The Washington Post said last week:
“The Web site, which will come online Monday, aims to highlight CNN.com’s original content. The red-hued home page will place breaking news and headlines to the left side, and add a feature section in the centre. It will often include a video player front and centre, reflecting the growing popularity of online video. “
“With 38 million unique visitors a month, CNN.com exists within the top tier of news Web sites, making any redesign particularly influential.”
As someone who not only works in a news agency but also works in communications, I get my news through many channels through out the day:
- Getting ready for work: Radio – BBC Radio 4
- Commuting to work: Print – The Independent newspaper
- At work: Online – Press Association newswire (Mediapoint) / RSS feeds /Twitter /industry newsletters /e-mail alerts
- Commuting home: Print – Free Paper
- Winding down: TV – BBC Newsnight, ITV 10 o’clock news
Wow, just writing that list shows how much news I personally consume in any given day and all the different channels I use to get it. I am sure that most people would find that if they did the same list, they also would be consuming their news through a variety of platforms.
Of course, not all media avenues will be relevant or possible for each campaign as budgets and content are of course varied but starting off by thinking about a multimedia approach to any campaign can be key to getting the most coverage and therefore the biggest impact for yours or your client’s message.
Post by Suzy Richards (Head of Marketing at TNR Communications)
Tags: Broadcast PR, CNN, Multimedia, News Editorial, Online News, Online News Rele, online news video, Online PR, Online video, Online video production, Photography, PR, PR Photography, Suzy Richards, Video, website video
Posted in Broadcast PR, Online, PR, TV, Video | No Comments »
National Lottery Love UK Campaign June 2007. Geoff Caddick/PA Photocall
On this day 3 years ago PA Hostpics was re-launched as PA Photocall and to celebrate this occasion I wanted to take at look at some of vast and varied projects we have been involved with…
I thought I might begin with perhaps PA Photocall’s most iconic image which was commissioned by The National Lottery for their Love UK campaign back in June 2007. English National Ballet’s Swan Lake ballerinas enjoyed a practice session on the Millennium Bridge as part of the new Love UK campaign to celebrate the £20 billion raised by Lottery players for good causes. English National Ballet and the Millennium Bridge had both benefitted from Lottery Funding.
Our seasoned PA Photocall photographer Geoff Caddick captured this beautiful image…
‘As a photographer I am obsessed with symmetry, this image just worked perfectly. You always envisage how you want the photograph to turn out but sometimes it doesn’t always happen that way, this image was everything I hoped it would be.’ Geoff Caddick
One image which highlights the importance of planning your photocall was this shot commissioned by BAA and British Airways to announce the opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport.
BAA and British Airways announce Terminal 5 at Heathrow opening. Geoff Caddick/PA Photocall March 2007
The effectiveness of the image is that it gives the impression of a news picture from what is actually a PR set up. The photo was featured in several national newspapers including The Times, The Independent and The Evening Standard.
An image which is my personal favourite and a testament to not having to use branding in your picture to get your message across is that of ‘Ripley’s’ photocall with the worlds smallest road worthy car which we ran riot with in London’s Piccadilly Circus.
The world's smallest car, the Peel 50, which is soon to go on display at Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Museum of oddities, in Piccadilly Circus, London. Carl Court/PA Photocall
The Peel 50 was to be exhibited in ‘Ripley’s Believe it Not’ Museum in London and they wanted to capture a photograph to mark the occasion. PA Photocall photographer Carl Court followed the little car around as it unveiled to the public and caused quite a stir. The beauty of this image is the reactions of the people to the Peel 50 against the London back drop. The image not only got into the national papers and online but was also featured in the BBC programme ‘Have I Got News for you’.
As far as spectacular PR stunts go this year’s highlight was that of Eden TV’s launch back in January. A 16 foot high sculpture of an iceberg featuring a stranded female polar bear and her baby cub floated on the River Thames. The stunt was to mark the launch of Eden, a new digital TV channel devoted to natural history.
A 16 foot high sculpture of an iceberg featuring a stranded female polar bear and her baby cub on the River Thames outside the Houses of Parliament to mark the launch of Eden, a new digital TV channel devoted to natural history. Geoff Caddick/PA Photocall
After 3 years much has changed and will continue to do so but the ability to be creative, fun and varied will always stay true in the world of PR photography. No one day is the same and each job gives us a new challenge, to that end long may it continue.
Post by Penny Joyner (Marketing Executive for PA Photocall)
Tags: Ballerinas, British Airways, Eden tv, National Ballet, National Lottery, Nicola Charalambous, PA Photocall, Penny Joyner, Photographer, photographer techniques, photographic agency, Photography, photography tips, picture editor, Polar Bear, PR, PR Camapign, PR Photography, Press Association, public relations, public relations photography, Ripleys, Swan Lake, tim kerr
Posted in PR Photography | 1 Comment »
British cheese producer Peter Mitchell sits on top of a half tonne Mature Farmhouse Cheddar, which forms part of the World`s Largest Cheese Board record attempt in accordance with the Guiness Book of Records, Covent Garden Piazza, central London. Geoff Caddick/PA Photocall
Although the history of the PA Photocall service goes back further under the guise of PA Hostpics and indeed PA Photos, this month sees the 3rd anniversary of the PA Photocall name.
So along with blowing out birthday candles and wearing a big ‘I am 3′ badge we thought it was as good a reason as any to have a look back over the last three years & what we’ve been doing.
Three years might not seem a long time, but since our relaunch as PA Photocall in Oct 2006, there’s been some big changes in press & PR.
We’ve seen the londonpaper come, and go, a complete redevelopment of the the concept and content of newspaper websites, an industry shaking recession and the explosion of social media – Facebook in it’s modern form is only about a week older than us, while twitter was still known as ‘twtrr’ and had about as many users as vowels..
But however the industry has changed, photos remain important. Video & moving image has become more accessible and that’s something we’ll be doing more of next year. But great photos retain the ability to cut through complex information and campaigns, and convey stories in a way people intuitively respond to.
Our first PA Photocall commission was to photograph a giant cheese board. However random that might seem, I look at that shot 3 years later & it still stands up; bright, simple, quirky, fun. Any new PR shot that does the same will always have a good chance of succeeding.
Is it harder to get PR pictures into the newspapers now than it was 3 years ago? Yes and no. There’s more pictures around now than ever before & technology makes them easier and quicker to take & distribute. As a result the papers have become more demanding, a celebrity just standing there in a branded t-shirt isn’t going to do it anymore. But good launches, stunts, events and news, where the picture has been an integral part of the activity rather than just tacked on at the end are still in demand. In an age where papers are employing less & less staff photographers, PR photos are important again.
Looking through the files I also see later that first PA Photocall week in October 2006 we also photographed the Sugababes. Three years on the Sugababes have just announced another line up change, yet in a strange way remain exactly the same. There’s something similar with good PR photography. To a certain extent the more things change, the more they stay the same.
The Sugababes smile backstage at the Girlguiding UK Big Gig, an exclusive concert for Girlguiding UK members at Wembley Arena, London. Rebecca Reid/PA Photocall
However they’re taken or however they’re distributed, or however they’re seen, at the end of the day the quality of the pictures & the ideas behind them are still the most important thing. Here’s to the next 3 years!
Post by Tim Kerr (Director & Picture Editor of PA Photocall)
Tags: Birthday, celebrity photos, cheese board, Geoff Caddick, image, Media, media relations, Nicola Charalambous, pa, PA Photocall, Photographer, photographer techniques, photographic agency, Photography, picture editor, PR, PR Camapign, PR Photography, Press Association, Press Photography, public relations, public relations photography, sugababes, tim kerr
Posted in PR Photography | 2 Comments »
Following the Press Association’s dynamic re-brand in November when, for the first time, PR Services took a central role in the news agency’s portfolio, the Press Association’s communications consultancy, TNR has unveiled a re-brand of its own to support a range of new online services.
Formerly Television News Release and now in its tenth year, the highly visual re-brand to TNR Communications is a notable departure from the company’s original identity and follows in the footsteps of its parent company by putting multi-media at the heart of its brand.
PR services including Online News Releases to get clients’ video on to editorial websites and video production designed to enrich communication via the web now sit synonymously alongside the company’s core range of broadcast, photography and training services.
Press Association editor Jonathan Grun commented;
”The multimedia landscape is shifting dramatically and all of us have to find new ways of telling stories. We now combine words, pictures, video, interactive graphics and data as stories unfold. If you do not understand these issues you will really struggle to get your message across.”
With the ratio of online readership to print now standing at 10:1 and with online users seeking richer more diverse experiences, the need for content to include a fluid combination of text, photos and videos has been the driving force behind the evolution of both companies. The Press Association now services hundreds of online and digital platforms with the UK’s first domestic Video Wire service, launched in May 2009, which runs alongside the traditional text and picture wire.
TNR’s unique position at the headquarters of the UK’s news agency has been a major factor in the company’s success. However, TNR’s offer of free editorial consultancy and the commitment to advising against investment in campaigns that are unlikely to work is, according to TNR’s Managing Director, Claire Southeard, the main reason clients come back and why their media relationships remain so strong.
“Since TNR’s inception in 1999 we were determined to be different, by turning away business if our journalistic instincts tell us a story wasn’t strong. It was a scary business model for a fledgling agency but the best thing we ever did. The endorsement of the UK’s news agency through their ownership is testament to our consultancy’s integrity and I am very proud that ten years on, even though we’re a bigger, more diverse company now, that guiding principle of honest, journalistic advice still permeates everything we do.”
Jonathan Grun said of TNR’s re-launch:
“It is increasingly difficult to navigate your way through the new multimedia landscape and TNR can act as a very useful guide for companies wishing to get their point across to the media.”
Tags: Agency, B Roll, Broadcast PR, Corporate video, D Roll, Media, media coverage, Media Training, Multimedia, News, ONline Communications, Online News Release, Photographic Consultancy, Photography, PR, PR Consultancy, PR Photography, Press Association, Promo, Radio Day, TNR, TNR Communications, Video production, Videos
Posted in Broadcast PR, Media Training, PR, PR Training, Radio, TV, Video | 1 Comment »
Interesting piece in the current issue of PR Week about concerns we could be seeing the ‘Slow death of the embargo’. The Wall Street Journal is believed to have introduced a new policy stipulating that they will only honour embargos on exclusive stories. It’s a change of direction that’s obviously brought on by the pressure to be first with breaking news amid increasing competition from other online media outlets especially bloggers who traditionally have been more cavalier with embargos.
Certain newspapers may feel that they can’t afford the niceties of sitting on embargoed stories when specialist blogs are prepared to ‘publish and be dammed’. News has moved on it’s no longer written up today printed tonight and read in papers tomorrow, it’s available instantly & constantly via multiple formats.
The walls have come down and the means of news production are now available to anyone. In that light embargos can seem antiquated, but they still have a place, they just need to be used with care and not as a ‘catch all’ control mechanism.
PR Week editor Danny Rogers talks about embargoes as being “a lazy means of dealing with the media.” The WSJ and the blogs have stirred things up & if that stops these ‘lazy’ embargoes it’s probably no bad thing.
So what could this it mean for photos? I always feel the best way to handle a press PR photo is to use embargoes as sparingly as possible. Basically, ‘take it, get it out, get it in!’ Getting your pictures in the press is always hard enough without making it harder for yourself by putting embargoes across the top of them unless they’re really necessary.
Obviously certain photos because of logistics or availability need to be be taken beforehand and held back. Journalists will understand that and personal relationships, trust and exclusives will always play a role in this business. But maybe the shake up in attitudes towards embargoes generally will make people look at picture embargoes a bit harder too. Using embargoes where they aren’t really appropriate, such as on pictures taken in public places or of stunts that are open knowledge may start to become a thing of the past.
In this climate when the media is crying out for good, free to use PR copy, it’s unnecessary to shackle every story & picture with an embargo. Nobody can really control the media, instead we just need to continue to work with it making content that the press will want to use now, not next week.
Post by Tim Kerr (Director & Picture Editor of PA Photocall)
Tags: Danny Rogers, embargo, embargos, Media, media outlets, newspapers, online media, PA Photocall, Photographer, photographic agency, Photography, photography tips, picture desk, picture editor, PR, PR Camapign, PR Photography, pr week, Press, Press Association, press coverage, Press Photography, press picture, public relations, public relations photography, tim kerr, wall street journal
Posted in Photography, PR | 2 Comments »
FOLLOW US...