Celebration

FOREWORD

In 1985, the movie Back to The Future hit our screens. A summary of the film explains that it’s filled with humour, action, and heart, making it a beloved classic that has stood the test of time.

In 1985, a communications agency was started by Matthew Freud - with a fax machine, and a cat called Tiarlie.

Forty years on, many would give that agency the same review.

So, this is a nod to all the people who have ever walked through our doors – who have worked for us or chosen to work with us - with humour, action or heart. It is a reminder to our younger selves that we used to be somebody. And a reminder to our older selves that we’ve still got it.

Forty years of celebration, change, connection and courage.

Forty years of love and work.

FOREWORD

In 1985, the movie Back to The Future hit our screens. A summary of the film explains that it’s filled with humour, action, and heart, making it a beloved classic that has stood the test of time.

In 1985, a communications agency was started by Matthew Freud - with a fax machine, and a cat called Tiarlie.

Forty years on, many would give that agency the same review.

So, this is a nod to all the people who have ever walked through our doors – who have worked for us or chosen to work with us - with humour, action or heart. It is a reminder to our younger selves that we used to be somebody. And a reminder to our older selves that we’ve still got it.

Forty years of celebration, change, connection and courage.

Forty years of love and work.

There have been a fair few Freuds parties over the years, marking many an occasion – and celebration holds a unique and powerful role for us.

Celebration is about recognition, gratitude, joy, and connection. When we celebrate people, we honour their achievements, and their presence in our lives. When we celebrate places, whether it's our hometown, or a new destination - it reminds us of their significance. When we celebrate creativity, we acknowledge the ability and drive it takes to imagine, innovate, and bring something new into the world.

To create something new takes real effort. And most of the time, this comes from many, many people. So, it is important to mark occasions, to mark creation, collaboration, and to come together in celebration – and then inspire to do it all over again.

OPENINGS + THE POWER OF A DESTINATION

So where do we start? Maybe let’s open with openings.

Much has changed at Freuds over the last 40 years, but one thing that has stayed consistent throughout that time is the importance placed on gathering people together in celebration. Much of this celebration comes in welcoming new projects into the world, from small restaurants to grand hotel openings. These celebrations are sometimes of a life’s work, but also recognition of, and thanks to, the many people who come together and work so hard to make things happen.

From the thousands gathered in Central London in 1991 to catch a glimpse of Arnie, Sly and Bruce opening Planet Hollywood, through to music royalty Beyoncé marking the creation of Atlantis, The Royal Dubai in 2023. There have been hundreds of opening nights of restaurants, bars and spaces we have coordinated and shouted about – and then we have lovingly created our own - in Bull, and the Highway, Burford.

Atlantis The Royal
Dubai Opening

CELEBRATING TV,  FILM + THE ARTS

In the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, Freuds was predominantly known as an entertainment-led agency, and celebrating Film, TV, and the Arts has remained an important part of our output. The agency’s first ever client was actually Clannad, the Irish Folk Rock band who were at the height of their popularity in the early 80s.

Into the 90s, Chris Evans, and the golden era of The Big Breakfast and TFI Friday ran parallel to some of the most iconic British films of all time, in Four Weddings & A Funeral, Notting Hill, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, and into the early 00s with Bridget Jones and Love Actually. There have also been some incredibly moving films in that time too, covering some important topics, such as An Inconvenient Truth, Shooting Dogs, Blood Diamond and United 93.

On the red carpet, Freuds worked with BAFTA for over 20 years, helping make the Film, TV & Games Awards shared cultural events. And every month we lead premieres on many major films, including Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Star Wars, Bond, and Indiana Jones. For 40 years, we have worked with almost every single major studio or production company.

From the silver screen to the small screen, Freuds has been integral to appointment-to-view shows such as Top Gear, The Grand Tour, Clarkson’s Farm and Welcome to Wrexham.

And with the wider arts, we have worked with the National Portrait Gallery, The Old Vic, The Saatchi Gallery, and The National Youth Theatre – from shows like Love Never Dies through to Come Alive!

Publicizing new TV shows, film premieres, stage productions, exhibitions, and galleries is about more than just entertainment – it's about nurturing culture – and Freuds has helped shaped that culture for four decades.

THE MARRIAGE  OF ADVERTISING + COMMS

The eternal tango between advertising and comms agencies - a dynamic full of passion, rivalry, and necessity. On one hand, we are bound together by shared goals in shaping public perception, and boosting brand visibility. But on the other, there’s the friction, those differences in approach and perspective.

Freuds has had its share of turf wars over the years, yet beneath the rivalry there lies a real mutual respect. And we have found that true collaboration is where both parties can happily co-exist, and where the client will end up with a highly enhanced output.

THE MARRIAGE  OF ADVERTISING + COMMS

The eternal tango between advertising and comms agencies - a dynamic full of passion, rivalry, and necessity. On one hand, we are bound together by shared goals in shaping public perception, and boosting brand visibility. But on the other, there’s the friction, those differences in approach and perspective.

Freuds has had its share of turf wars over the years, yet beneath the rivalry there lies a real mutual respect. And we have found that true collaboration is where both parties can happily co-exist, and where the client will end up with a highly enhanced output.

Walkers Do Us A Flavour

Walkers Do Us A Flavour

And the best examples of advertising having impact beyond its 30 seconds, is when it taps into the public conversation, or creates it.

Freuds created the Walkers Do Us A Flavour campaign which played on the very British sensibility that we all have our favourite crisp flavours, and who chooses those flavours anyway?! We also created the Walkers Sandwich campaign – in Sandwich, Kent – because a sandwich is always better with Walkers.

And then there are truly great ad campaigns that are just, well, perfect. Mother London created the iconic campaign for KFC which removed ‘finger lickin’ because of COVID-19, another wonderful example of tapping into the public narrative, and becoming a positive part of the conversation.

And the best examples of advertising having impact beyond its 30 seconds, is when it taps into the public conversation, or creates it.

Freuds created the Walkers Do Us A Flavour campaign which played on the very British sensibility that we all have our favourite crisp flavours, and who chooses those flavours anyway?! We also created the Walkers Sandwich campaign – in Sandwich, Kent – because a sandwich is always better with Walkers.

And then there are truly great ad campaigns that are just, well, perfect. Mother London created the iconic campaign for KFC which removed ‘finger lickin’ because of COVID-19, another wonderful example of tapping into the public narrative, and becoming a positive part of the conversation.

OUR HOME

Throughout our 40-year history, London has been our home. The several offices have all been a stone’s throw from each other. When Alumni get together, we often talk about which one, or how many, we have worked in. Despite now operating on a far more global scale, some of Freuds’ most important campaigns and initiatives have been set here, in London.

Having worked for the Mayor of London Office, both Ken Livingston and Sadiq Khan, we have promoted London for over two decades, and sought to shine a light on its rich tapestry of diverse individuals, organisations and destinations.

Parliament Square has seen us tackle issues such as knife crime, the war in Ukraine and sugary drinks. Trafalgar Square has seen us dance, sing, and look up at a fake sun. We’ve cried tears of sorrow for Jo Cox, and tears of joy for the London 2012 Olympic win.

We’ve publicised exhibitions, theatre productions, orchestras, fashion shows and premieres – we’ve opened galleries, museums, restaurants, bars and hotels.

We’ve moved Eurostar. And we’ve started and ended a torch relay.

All here, in our home – London.

National Portrait Gallery Reopening

National Portrait Gallery Reopening

Parliament Square has seen us tackle issues such as knife crime, the war in Ukraine and sugary drinks. Trafalgar Square has seen us dance, sing, and look up at a fake sun. We’ve cried tears of sorrow for Jo Cox, and tears of joy for the London 2012 Olympic win.

We’ve publicised exhibitions, theatre productions, orchestras, fashion shows and premieres – we’ve opened galleries, museums, restaurants, bars and hotels.

We’ve moved Eurostar. And we’ve started and ended a torch relay.

All here, in our home – London.

THE THROW CAUTION TO THE WIND CAMPAIGN

Sometimes there are those campaigns where you look back and say, ‘did we actually do that? Were we a part of that? That’s mad’.

One of those campaigns was Pepsi Blue Concorde, almost 30 years ago.

In 1995, Freuds worked with Pepsi, a relationship that continued for 15 years with leading Pepsico brands.

Pepsi was undergoing a major rebranding effort, shifting its identity to emphasize the colour blue. As part of its $500 million "Project Blue" campaign, Pepsi sought a bold way to showcase its new branding. The company decided to paint a Concorde in its signature blue livery. Pepsi approached both Air France and British Airways, the only operators of Concorde at the time, and Air France agreed to the deal.

The chosen aircraft was Concorde F-BTSD, nicknamed "Sierra Delta." The painting process took place in secrecy at Air France's facility in Paris, requiring 200 litres of paint and 2,000 hours of work.

On 2nd April 1996, Pepsi and Freuds unveiled the aircraft at a dramatic event at Gatwick Airport, featuring celebrities of the day such as Cindy Crawford and Andre Agassi.

The Pepsi Blue Concorde operated for just two weeks in March and April 1996. During this time, it completed 16 flights, primarily for our promotional purposes. The aircraft's routes were carefully planned to avoid extended periods at supersonic speeds due to the limitations imposed by its unique paint job.

The Concorde's original white paint was designed to reflect heat generated during supersonic flight. The darker blue paint used for the Pepsi livery absorbed more heat, which posed a risk to the aircraft's aluminium structure. To mitigate this, the wings were left white, and the aircraft was restricted to cruising at Mach 2 (its maximum speed) for no more than 20 minutes at a time.