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Meet the team that brings us Alive – Rob

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Meet the team that brings us Alive – Rob

Meet Rob, our quick-witted designer, our tech guru and the self proclaimed office DJ. He’s one of the early members of the creative team and always takes on every brief with a smile :).

When did you join Alive?

It was June 2010 and it was the early days of Alive. I’d previously freelanced for Alan at another agency and he got in touch about needing some help with a new business that he’d setup with his college friend Alex. Huddled in the middle room of Chequers Road for a few days working on variety of briefs it was clear that it was slightly different to some other freelance gigs I’d had. Working together so closely (3 people huddled in a room) was helped by the fact we seemed to get on well and the soundtrack to the day was right up my street (Alex was in charge of Spotify then), it was hectic but both Alan and Alex were appreciative of the work. I think we ended the week with a beer after work and being able to catch the train home afterwards meant maybe there was slightly more than one. But it felt good, to have got through plenty of jobs and then to have relaxed with a cold one afterwards. It pretty much has been more of the same ever since.

 

What are your key responsibilities?

(The initial response was, “I don’t like feeling responsible”).

I guess it’s mainly coming up with creative approaches to answer the latest brief alongside the other designers, this usually involves trying to distil all the info and trying to find something in it that can tie it all together. Sometimes it can flow easily and other times it’s a bit of a wrestling match but it always seems to get there in the end. I’ve always been a bit of stickler for detail and like a tidy job folder – if a job’s worth doing etc. and all that. Keeping an ear out for anyone struggling with a job and helping out some of the younger designers.

 

What projects do you most enjoy working on?

I really enjoy the variety of projects we approach at Alive. I guess working up animation concepts and identity work are my favourite jobs and I get involved with a lot of the pitch work which keeps me on my toes. I thoroughly enjoyed working on a digital job for a championship winning team at the pinnacle of motorsport. It was one of those jobs that just seemed to work and it was inspiring to hear about their approach and mentality so that they can always stay ahead of the others. I think they gave us the most detailed response to our briefing document ever (I seem to remember it was three pages long when it’s usually a few paragraphs here and there).

 

What’s it like working at Alive?

It’s alright I guess. (Blatantly trying to downplay the experience!) It’s a really positive place to work and everyone really tries to look out for each other. It’s pretty busy most of the time but we all crack on and make sure we’re able to get home to our significant others at a decent time. Plus, there is the drinks fridge which requires a lot of restraint.

 

Where are we most likely to find you outside of work?

Well on a Tuesday/Thursday evening it would (usually) be on the 5-a-side pitch. I really enjoy a bike ride with the family and the occasional open water swim at the lake. The main reason for all this activity is so I can earn the calories to visit the local brewery (Hogsback). I think I’ve done the tour there so many times I could probably run one myself.

 

Finally, something we’d never guess about you?

I often get pulled apart for being the practical/safe guy (and no, I’m not a fire marshall) but when I went travelling I ended up ticking a few bucket list items off, (mainly in NZ – the home of crazy) so I’ve bungy jumped at Kawarau Bridge and seen Lake Taupo dangling off someone from 15,000ft. While that sounds stressful it’s nothing compared to having to help design something for an Apprentice contestant with a camera stuck in your face.

“I feel like they own and care for the project as much as we do! I would not use anyone else for my creative work and think Alive is ahead of the game.”

Jo Hobbs — Communications Manager

“Thanks for all your help. We are delighted with the campaign, both in terms of the creativity and messaging but also the thought taken over the rollout of the materials. All looks absolutely fabulous!”

Sarah Crowdy — Campaign and Media Officer Communications, South East Water

“We went to ‘Alive’ for ideas on how to run a specific employee program in Europe. Alan and his team were brilliant in coming up with fresh, creative and practical approaches. The team took charge and executed brilliantly. We are pleased with the progress made so far and hope to have the same level of partnership and commitment going forward.”

Sobha Varghese — Tata Consultancy Services

“Alive helped us create a video of our response to the floods of winter 2019. Our Chief Officer received messages from all round the country praising us for it and was really pleased with both the video and the response to it.”

Alexander Mills, Communications Manager — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“We had the privilege to work with the Alive team. It was our first time to be involved in creating an animation for our patients within paediatrics. The team were approachable, friendly, creative and very accommodating. Your vision for what you want to create, is at all times acknowledged, appreciated and accommodated by the team. They worked effectively and with great passion towards our project and worked not only alongside health professionals but also our patients who really enjoyed the experience of working with the Alive team. It has given our team the confidence and inspiration to do further projects in the future. We highly recommend Alive and their exceptional team.”

DR ELENI ATHANASAKOS, Lead Paediatric Clinical Scientist — NHS Barts Health

“‘The short animation developed in co-production with clinicians and young people is outstanding! Informative, developmentally appropriate, vitally fun and engaging. We are really grateful for the expertise of the Alive with Ideas team for their innovative approach in building children’s health literacy.'”

Kath Evans — Director of Children’s Nursing at Barts Health

“Our mission was to update our brand visuals to better reflect our innovative and forward-thinking organisation. After receiving numerous pitches from different branding agencies, Alive stood out with their clear passion and understanding of our identity and goals. We thoroughly enjoyed working with the Alive Team to create an engaging new brand that we are immensely proud of.”

Lianne Springer — Communications and Engagement Lead

“Alive wowed us during the pitch process and they didn’t stop wowing us throughout the whole project. Every person we worked with at Alive were so friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about what they do. They have worked with us to really understand what we do and have created a new brand and website that really stands out from our competitors. Thank you!”

Louise Burnard, Head of Marketing and Communications UK — Be | Shaping the Future

“I think the team have done such a brilliant job, particularly with responding to our requests. It's one of the best mental health videos I've ever seen. Very proud to be associated with your exemplary work. Thank you so much.”

Dr Anna Batho — Clinical Psychologist – Critical Care, UCLH

“We have worked with Alan, Caroline and the wider Alive With Ideas team for many years. In that time, they have provided a dedicated service that is second to none. We appreciate their attention to detail and creative approach to bringing our brand, communications and stories to life. And would recommend them to anyone looking for creative communications support.”

Georgia Beech — Internal Communications Specialist, Ocado Group

“This is brilliant. I wanted to give my heartfelt thanks to all of the team who worked on this. You all understood exactly what we wanted to communicate and why, and then managed to do it in a way that was far better than anything I could have imagined. I’m a bit choked up to be honest!”

Sarah Wright, Head of Communications and Campaigns — NEA

“Each time I work with the team, I am always stunned at the effort and creativity that goes into each detail and am always eager for the end result. The team is extremely accommodating and always provide a fresh approach to our projects that elevates our communications materials!”

Alana Khaytin, Communications Specialist — Braskem America

“What I really appreciate about Alive is that they work with us as partners, and care as much about getting it right for our patients as we do.”

Sara Langston, Patient Engagement & Marketing Manager — italk

“Alive are unique in how much they deeply listen and invest in you and your ideas. I have not come across a company that listens as much as they do to ensure your needs are understood and met (actually - they always exceed my needs and expectations). Everyone I recommend Alive to has an equally brilliant experience. When you work with Alive, you are not only getting some genius creativity brought into your life, you are also hanging out with some of the best examples of human beings I’ve ever known.”

Steph Tranter, Hybrid Exec Coach & Psychologist — StephTranter.com

“The (Alive) team were able to creatively pull together and document (in just over 2minutes) everything our service has achieved over the last few months, from thousands of prescriptions deliveries to hundreds of phone calls made to the vulnerable. The final product was so powerful and reflective of what our service has and continues to achieve. It couldn’t have been better received within the service – thanks Alive for once again helping us to communicate our vision!’”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire & Rescue

“We worked with the team at Alive to create our staff recognition video.
At a time like this, its never been more important to share the amazing work that our staff have done and continue to do on a daily basis under very difficult circumstances. We wanted to shout about this and recognise that when the time came, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue stepped up to the plate. We didn’t want an ordinary thank you post on social media or a basic email sent out internally, we wanted something special. Enter Alive. ”

Emma Wright — South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

“Our company is fun, we have great brands, but most importantly we’re all about our people – and I wanted an agency who would understand that and help us bring it to life through our website and other comms. Straight away I felt that Alive ‘got’ us and provided the creative inspiration exactly where we needed it, as well as the technical expertise to deliver a well-functioning website.”

Keren McCarron, Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications — KP Snacks

“Boom!
Thank you so much. Incredible work done at incredible speed by incredible people.
Outstanding work as ever and what a turnaround. As for the concepts – wow. These are that good it would be an insult to describe them as just good. It’s a joke, quite frankly. This is exactly the Alive effect I was after. Right now I feel like I am living in an Alive With Ideas wonderland. Thank you!”

Jack Grasby, Campaigns Manager — SYFR

“If you are looking to improve creativity and build teamwork, I highly recommend a session like this for your team. No matter where you are in your creativity journey, a workshop like this can give your team a boost of energy and ideas to invigorate their creative thinking.”

Amy Lilja, IC Manager — Hennepin Healthcare

“Alive were there to help when we were working every hour to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. They gave us the creativity, ideas and support we needed to deliver campaigns which empowered our residents in the most difficult time most of us have ever seen, personally and professionally. The team understood what we needed, worked closely with us and delivered fast without any compromise on quality. Working with Alive has been a joy in the darkest of times and I have no doubt will have helped to save lives. Thanks team x”

Julie Odams, Assistant Director of Communications & Customers — Derbyshire County Council

“We got 'Alive' involved to help us shift mindsets across our organisation and they delivered! Using simple, clear and creative ideas the team have delivered us a campaign which has seen a dramatic increase in idea sharing and development. They’ve also played a significant role in creating a culture of shared success. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with again, in fact, we already are!”

Gavin Buckle — B&Q
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