Imaginary Friends

Today is National Playlist Day. Our friends at @playlistforlifeuk – the dementia and music charity – believe every person living with dementia in the UK should have their own unique playlist. So, they created National Playlist Day to encourage people to make a list of music that reflects meaningful moments in their life. Last year, we had the privilege of working with them on the #NationalPlaylistDay visual identity, logo, website, and campaign creative, Soundtrack of your Life. The campaign made a real impact with over 800 playlists created using our bespoke online playlist maker. Page views grew by 183% compared to the year before, social engagement rose by 106.8%, and the online buzz around National Playlist Day reached almost 2.5 million people. The work was also recognised at the Scottish Design Awards, winning🥇 for Campaign Design and shortlisted for Brand Identity – Civic. We’re proud to have helped shine a light on such a powerful cause. Get involved today!

We’re thrilled to have kicked off our journey with @circularglasgow working towards making Glasgow a Net Zero city by 2030. With the incredible support of our Step Up to Net Zero co-ordinator, Gem (@thewaywardgem ), here’s what we’ve achieved so far: • Calculated the studio’s electricity and gas emissions. • Measured business travel and commuting emissions and exploring how to reduce and offset them. • Developed a supplier checklist to support more sustainable procurement and reduce supply chain emissions. • Reviewed sustainable print guidelines to engage with printing more responsibly. • Created a set of e-waste solutions - from redeploying unused tech to donating, refurbishing, recycling, or reselling. •Hosted two learning sessions deepening our knowledge of the circular economy, Doughnut Economics, and greenhouse gas reduction strategies. We’re looking forward to seeing what else we can accomplish this month!

Last year, we had the great pleasure of working with @playlistforlifeuk to help raise awareness of the extraordinary power of music for those living with dementia. A playlist of personally meaningful songs can be a vital source of comfort and connection. Music has the ability to take us back in time, unlocking treasured memories of people, places, and important moments in our lives. Today, we’re sharing some of the tunes that hold special meaning for us. Why not join in? You can create the soundtrack of your life - or help others rediscover cherished memories with the music they love by using Playlist for Life’s playlist-maker tool at Gemma ‘Green Onions’ by Booker T & the MG’s This soul classic never fails to get my feet tapping. Once, on holiday, my family and I got so carried away dancing to it, the house shook and neighbours complained! Sam ‘Wichita Lineman’ by Glen Campbell Country songs will always remind me of being in our gold Datsun Cherry. Mum and Dad in the front, with me and my sister being squashed by our red setter, Ben, who stood in the middle, no matter how long the journey. Claire ‘Real Real Gone’ by Van Morrison Van Morrison’s ‘Enlightenment’ album brings back so many childhood memories of family holidays and great days out together. Paula ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits When I hear a song from this album, it reminds me of being a kid and singing at the top of my lungs as I wheeled about in my ‘car’. Juliette ‘Aftermath’ by Tricky This song transports me to a quirky flat in Newtown, Sydney - a time filled with fun, freedom and the excitement of being in Australia. Peter ‘Do the Bartman’ by The Simpsons As a kid, every holiday meant a long drive to Aberdeenshire to visit family, so I’d always take a mixtape. Even now, this track instantly takes me back to those special journeys with Mum and Dad.

New work! A new website for @qni_scotland We were excited to partner with @qni_scotland to refresh their website. QNIS has a long history of providing professional development opportunities for nurses and midwives, encouraging them to tackle health and care inequalities in Scottish communities. Our task was to provide better security, easier accessibility for a diverse audience and ensure a smoother experience for all. We simplified navigation, restructured content to make everything simple to find, and, crucially, improved donation flows vital for third-sector organisations like QNIS. The new site is modern, welcoming and meets WCAG Level AA standards. Because it’s custom built with a future-proof framework, the website can grow alongside QNIS.

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STEP UP TO NET ZERO We are delighted to have signed up to @circularglasgow ’s initiative to help Glasgow become a Net Zero city by 2030. In this era of unprecedented climatic changes and ecological collapse, the need for decarbonisation and circularity has never been greater. We are ready to take action to reduce our environmental footprint as a business and commit to adopting more circular practices. So, we welcome Gem (@thewaywardgem ) to the team as our Step Up to Net Zero Co-ordinator! Together, we will be exploring reducing our emissions and imagining how we can be a force for ecological good within the creative sector. This programme is fully funded by @glasgowcc and the UK Shared Business Services and delivered by @glasgow_chamber #circulareconomy♻️ #climatechange #sustainability #glasgow #business #creativity

What a night! Our first ever @scottishdesignawards saw us picking up the gold for Best Campaign for our work with @playlistforlifeuk on #NationalPlaylistDay. The aim was to shine more light on what Playlist for Life do. They’re a tiny charity who need as much support and exposure as possible. Winning a gold was way beyond what we’d hoped for but we couldn’t be happier. Well done to everyone who was shortlisted on the night. Huge well done to @form_digital for Agency Of The Year and @lizzysnow.jpg for Young Designer Of The Year. And a big thank you to @needthinking , @paper_igloo , and @loadermonteith for being great table buddies. (And well done on your awards, too!)

We were delighted to participate in Glasgow Tech Week which celebrates the innovative work happening across Glasgow’s thriving tech, digital and creative industries. Last Wednesday, we hosted Curio 03 at The Social Hub and what a night it was. A diverse lineup of speakers explored one powerful question: “What if?” From deeply personal journeys to explorations of tech, art, and risk, the evening was a true celebration of curiosity and creativity. And it didn’t stop there. Our very own Martin then took to the stage at Fusion Fest, joining a panel discussion that brought together voices from across the industry. Fusion Fest is all about connection - a day of inspirational key notes, fresh ideas, and real opportunities to network and collaborate. Glasgow’s tech scene is alive with talent and possibility - and we were proud to be part of it.

The sun is out and what better time to celebrate our Claire with Six of the best. If you’ve not already had the pleasure of meeting her - she’s Co-owner of Imaginary Friends, Client Services Director and has lots of guilty pleasures. 1- What did you want to be as a kid? An archaeologist in Egypt or an artist - I loved watching crafty TV shows, then collecting loo rolls and yoghurt pots to make things from Blue Peter or Art Attack. 2- What’s your favourite film? The Wizard of Oz, I had it on video tape when I was growing up and my brothers were constantly trying to find excuses to tape over it. 3- What would your warning label say? “May steal your pets” - maybe that’s from watching the Wicked Witch? “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too” ( but only to hug - promise!) 4- Best gig you ever went to? I should say Elton John as I’ve seen him so many times I’ve lost count, but I think I’m going to fly the flag for Scotland and say The Proclaimers. They were surprisingly good. 5- What’s your guilty pleasure? There are so many: Below Deck; Barr’s Cherryade; The Kardashians; Drumstick Squashies; Angel Delight. I’m going to stop now. 6- What’s your favourite joke? A mummy covered in chocolate and nuts has been discovered in Egypt. Archaeologists believe it may be Pharaoh Roche. The end.

🏆 We’re over the moon to have received three nominations at this year’s @scottishdesignawards 🏆 Our very own @hey.curio has been shortlisted in the Design for Good category, while National Playlist Day for @playlistforlifeuk has been recognised in both Brand Identity – Civic and Campaign for Design. We’re incredibly proud to see our work alongside such inspiring projects and talented creatives. A huge congratulations to all the finalists and best of luck to everyone on the night! 🥳

New work @celebritycruises x Imaginary Friends Overview — Celebrity Cruises has the enviable reputation of being one of the most innovative and industry-leading holiday brands, awarded the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide Star Award in 2023 before this year being recognised in their inaugural ratings for restaurants on ships. It’s therefore crucial that travel professionals and partners know everything about Celebrity Cruises so they can sell the holidays with confidence. Celebrity Cruises in Miami approached us to replace their existing online training platform which had aged over time. Our brief was to design and build a brand-new e-learning programme for travel professionals across North America. We were asked to: 🥇 Deliver a first-class digital experience that was easy to navigate, intuitive and interactive. 💡 Bring the brand to life in a refreshing way. ✍ Provide succinct, on-brand copywriting. 🧑‍💻 Deliver a new, future-proof e-learning platform. No easy task – with a whole host of design, functionality, integration, and development challenges to overcome – we’re super proud that the site launched with much excitement Stateside. More to come on all the details and stats. Full case study on our site. Link in the bio!

New Work @hey.curio — Curio is a series of talks centred around curiosity and creative thinking. Devised, named, created, and hosted by us, it’s our contribution to Glasgow’s creative community. 𝗪𝗵𝘆… There’s never been a more important time to cherish what creativity is. At a time where the value and very meaning of creativity is being questioned with the rise of generative AI, we wanted to create an event that celebrates and protects creativity and curiosity. Where people from different sectors, backgrounds, and perspectives can share their stories of asking ‘What if?’ We believe that creativity is everywhere. From painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to rearranging the furniture in your front room. Curio is a space for everyone – and that includes those who don’t see themselves as ‘creative’. (Spoiler: they are.) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 Six speakers each talking for 10–12 minutes on anything they wish as long as two criteria are met: the talk must centre around curiosity and creative thinking, and it must not simply be a run-through of their portfolio or most recent project. We want stories. Despite the singular subject matter, so far we’ve had 12 talks each more different than the last but all relatable due to the human element contained in each of them. Curiosity is an intrinsic human trait, and we want that reflected in every Curio event.   𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 Curio’s identity consists of a cluster of curiosities. Starting with a logotype that is bold and chunky with a quirky and unconventional ‘R’, we feature a series of abstract imagery that provides lots of colour and richness, hinting at something but never revealing anything. All of which is brought together with a framework that takes inspiration from curio cabinets. Such a wide range of imagery means there’s flexibility in the identity where colours can clash and contrast, but at the other end of the scale be much more harmonious. Each individual event has its own distinctive colour scheme to give standout and make it easy to recognise. It feels like Curio has come along at the right time and place. See our website for the case study. Link in the bio.