Boast, Boast, Boast!
28 November 2008
I know its awful to boast, but lil' ole us won two golds at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) awards this week and we were absolutely ecstatic!
We won Gold for FASHIONWEEK as Best Event (which is fab because its our baby and it almost takes our lives away each season) and Gold for Outstanding Small Consultancy for all the hard work we've put in over the last few years. It was our first time entering and getting to the finals, so it meant a lot to our small but beautiful team! The CIPR awards are judged in London by experts in our field, so the recognition from our peers is really like the icing on a fabulous cupcake for us. And all this comes on top of the Chartered Institute of Marketing's award for Best PR Campaign for FASHIONWEEK last month as well as finalist status as the Belfast Telegraph Woman of the Year awards, the Business Eye awards and the Ulster Tatler People of the Year awards. Phew!
Anyway, enough about us, some other amazing PR teams did great things in the last 12 months and their work was also recognised at this week's do. Coca Cola won an outstanding number of awards with their in-house and agency team from Smarts. Pippa and Leontia from Smarts were also awarded a Contribution to Industry award for their dedication to clients over the last decade and talented teams from Morrow, JPR and Aiken also walked away with a number of golds with silvers going to plenty of other creative types from the region's agencies and in-house teams.
At CMPR we love our industry and its people. Sometimes we collectively get a bad rep, but that's usually from people who are jealous of the perks to our jobs. However behind the perks there is a HUGE amount of work going on and I imagine many people couldn't stand the heat if they spent 24 hours in our shoes. They say hard work reaps wonderful rewards and this week's events go a long way to prove that point, so congratulations to all winners from us.
Ding Dong! Wedding Lists arrive at House of Fraser
25 November 2008
Wedding Journal magazine helped House of Fraser Belfast launch their fabulous Wedding List service from this month and many of Belfast's most blushing brides turned up to be among the first to sign up for the service (which, by the way, has fantastic perks for both the bearer and recipients of gifts). Former Miss UK Lucy Evangelistatook her fiancé Ulster Rugby star Matt McCullough into the store for a quick peek around the best of the linens, glassware, furniture and other interior delights in anticipation of their own wedding date in 2009.
Bradley at Eakin
21 November 2008
Terry Bradley's latest show at the Eakin Gallery on Belfast's Lisburn Road followed hot on the heels of his recent bag success by selling out most of the pieces of art before the show even began. Collectors from across Irelandjoined the celebrated artist in a colourful show which had many influences from his recent trip to New York. CMPR was there to welcome guests on the cold, crisp autumnal evening and direct them to the after show party at award-winning restaurant SHU for the after party. For more information on Terry Bradley, visit
www.terrybradley.comBlah blah blah...blog blog blog
14 November 2008
Well this week is hurtling along at jet fighter speed as we prepare for the Breitling Jet Simulator Challenge courtesy of Lunns in Victoria Square. The amazing machine, which rockets along faster than the speed of sound, is touching down for just a few days this weekend and we're very excited. CMPR's Cathy is apparently taking the challenge with Mr Cool FM, Pete Snodden. Let's see how that pans out... Well, up against some of Northern Ireland's hottest male media, it could be a toughie.
Model booker turned teacher turned photographer Roisin Patterson unveiled her first collection of photographic images at a superb event in ArtTank this week. The exhibition, entitled Beauty: Nature or Nurture, attracted some very arty types alongside fashionistas and friends who were spotted snapping up the images of florals and sassy models on the FASHIONWEEK catwalks. CMPR's favourite was the image of model Rachel Montague from an Agent Provocateur show with their tantilising nipple tassles on... We can just picture it on the office walls, very cool...
And staying on the subject of fashion, the Fashion Pharmacy team has been tasked with styling the gorgeous Zoe Salmon for her role as anchor presenter on Children in Need this evening... she has had a plethora of beautiful dresses delivered to the CMPR and Fashion Pharmacy offices so its just a question of choosing one now. We reckon she'll go for the fab Jenny Packham flapper style dress which is worth over £1000 and which is up for auction on the show later! But then again, she could out-do Katy Perry at the MTV awards and wear several... Remember if you need help with your fashion choices, check out www.fashionpharmacy.net and pick a stylist who will take you from pretty to pretty blinkin' fabulous in an afternoon.
Our favourite girlie website, www.sugahfix.com has some amazing coverage of our recent West Coast Cooler FASHIONWEEK event, which took place last month. Click on the link and follow the Fashion News links to find a day-by-day account with amazing photographs by Sugahfix's own snapper Ruairi.... Plans are already well in place for Spring 09, with some exciting names and faces already booked. The week starts on 09.03.09 - so start planning your outfits now - you know the Sugahfix gals will be style spotting again!
And its a case of Roll Up Roll Up! as we prepare for the hottest boutique to hit Belfast at the end of the month. Madison Rose, which will open on the Lisburn Road this week (eek!), is holding a launch event on Fri 28th November.... So if you're not already on our mailing list but you'd like to be, then email us at info@cathymartinpr.com or use the contact us page to be added to the list... Honestly, these dresses are TO DIE FOR....
Waiting List, Schmaiting List: Bradley Bags
07 November 2008
House of Fraser, Belfast City Council and artist Terry Bradley just couldn't believe their eyes when they saw photographs of eco-hungry shoppers queue outside the store from 7am this am for the launch of their collaborative Bradley bag. The fab shoppers, which were launched by Belfast City Council using one of local artist Terry Bradley's images proved hugely popular, and just hours later, they were already selling for inflated prices on ebay.
Remember, Remember the 5th of November!
05 November 2008
Northern Ireland's largest and most papped red carpet event, the FATE awards in association with Carling, launched this week at a fab party with what have to be the coolest invitations EVER. Seven inch white vinyl records came individually numbered and personally addressed to each and every one of the guests, with a cool pink disco ball label and all the relevant info for going online to vote for favourite pubs, clubs and restaurants at www.fateawardsni.com
Tickets for the actual event, which takes place on 03 April next year, are available at 02890236888, but hurry� they sold out in ten days last year. No doubt organisers will beat all records for celeb-spotting on the red carpet, but major wardrobe planning will be required - the event has an eighties theme, with the very cool strap line of 'excess all areas'. Now, we all know 80's is a look which can go from cool to fool in one badly placed legwarmer, so get planning�
We LOVE working on the FATE awards PR - having teamed up with Chris Love at LOVE PR, together we have managed the launch party and generated fantastic press coverage in a media spectrum which is now inundated with awards ceremonies�