Two+Two is back, bringing together more than 180 students from universities across the North as they go head-to-head on a live client brief where they’ll have the opportunity to make their pitch a reality.

Taking place in Manchester on 20^th February, the one-day event will provide aspiring young creatives with the opportunity to network with industry professionals – while giving them a taste of what it’s like to work on a real campaign.

This year, the event is in aid of Millie’s Trust, who provide free and low-cost first aid training. Students will be tasked with developing a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of paediatric first aid.

For the third year running, we’ll be returning to play a key role in Two+Two. Our Creative Director Angelo Giaquinto will form part of the judging panel while our Head of Creative, Paul Grimshaw, and Head of Strategy, Kate Cook will be circulating throughout the day, helping students to develop their campaigns.

So, what will our judge be looking out for on the day?

We’re really keen to meet people who can get creative without letting the big idea run away with them. Our ideal student will also have an awareness of time management and work effectively as a team to ensure they meet deadlines, just like they would in the real world.

We’re also really pleased to be able to provide the print for some of the collateral – including printed biographies of different industry experts who’ll be on hand to answer questions as the day goes on. Our in-house photographers and videographers will also be poised, ready to capture all the action.

Two+Two is a wonderful experience for students and mentors alike. It offers a fantastic opportunity to support a great cause, while giving us a chance to meet the next generation of talent.

Going to be there? Tweet us @aps_group to say hello!

Families Outside, the only national charity that works solely to support families affected by imprisonment, is working with the Scottish Prison Service and APS Group to give female prisoners in HMP Edinburgh an opportunity to make, and send, personalised gifts to their children in time for Christmas.

As most primary care givers are women, the imprisonment of a mother is particularly devastating for children, as they are more likely to have to face the disruption of moving to a different home and school at an already traumatic time.

With an estimated 20,000 – 27,000 children in Scotland with a parent in prison each year, this is a significant issue, and over the Christmas period these emotions are often heightened. Children can experience grief, shame, and guilt.

APS Group will donate card-making packs and boxes for the gifts and will deliver them in time for Christmas as part of their commitment to supporting the wider community.

Allan Doyle, Managing Director of APS Group Scotland said, “APS is delighted to be able to support this project which will help to brighten up Christmas for these children. Partnership is what we’re all about and we hope that this particular collaboration between APS, Scottish Prison Service and Families Outside can go from strength to strength.”

Although this initiative is currently running out of HMP Edinburgh, thanks to support from Scottish Prison Service and APS Group, Families Outside hope that it will roll out to other prisons in the future.

Learn more about Families Outside via: www.familiesoutside.org.uk

Best Social Media Campaign – Ideal Standard

Our second nomination, for ‘best social media campaign,’ looks back at an event where our Agency Services team carried out social media management for client Ideal Standard’s biggest event of the year, ISH, held in Frankfurt. We were tasked with translating the client’s new brand position into a strategic and visual approach that would work across specified social media channels – growing the client’s new social media channels into an engaging audience of target customers.

In just a short time, our campaign saw Ideal Standard’s follower-base grow from 50 to 5,272 followers – an increase of 10,444%.

The Northern Marketing Awards

The Northern Marketing Awards celebrate the excellence, creativity and achievements of the marketing industry in the north. The 2019 awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 21 November at The Point, Lancashire County Cricket Ground in Manchester.

“It’s been an incredibly busy and rewarding year for APS. We’ve been lucky enough to work with some great clients on really exciting projects, including the two we’ve been shortlisted for. It’s fantastic to see our teams being recognised for their exceptional talent and hard work.” says Nick Snelson, Group Managing Director.

The best ideas will then face a judging panel which comprises Tom Richards from Havas Lynx, Monica Tailor from McCanns, Kieran Edwards from Shoot the Moon, Roydon Turner from Live Life Give Life and our Agency creative team.

While the event is a fantastic opportunity for the students, equally, we see it as an amazing chance to meet the next generation of creatives and find emerging stars. As our own teams continue to grow, we want to ensure we are nurturing tomorrow’s talent – which is why we’re offering one student a paid month-long internship at APS Group.

As well as providing printed materials, we’ll also be sending a team of videographers and photographers to capture moments from the day. We want to hear from students and industry folk alike so grab us to say hello if you’re going to be there!

To get a flavour of what Two+Two is all about, take a look at the video from last year’s event –

…and a sneak peek here of what you can expect at this year’s event.

Two+Two is the brainchild of Creative Resource and takes place on Friday 8 February in Manchester.