Thompson Brand Partners

History of Vegas in neon

I’m just back from our summer family road trip around California. There were many highlights, including Yosemite, Big Sur and San Francisco, but for me the most interesting was Las Vegas.

The city is going through tough times right now, with unemployment higher than ever and those much needed gamblers not coming in big enough numbers or with fat enough wallets. The Strip still shines throughout the night, but the number of dormant and half-finished casinos still surprised me, carefully hidden and only visible if you’ve got a long nose like me.

I am fascinated by the history of Vegas. How it grew to its heyday in the fifties, the gangsters and showgirls, and the fantastic design of the buildings, typography and incredible signage. The neon that has become iconic, plots the social history of the city, and still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck when you first drive down the Strip.

I was delighted then to find the following article on the BBC website when I got back. If you’ve got 5 minutes, this is a fascinating film about how the old neon is creating a history, and provides an excellent insight into the marvelous Las Vegas.

History of Vegas in neon

 

Responding to the weather

I've been watching how the brands have been responding to the weather this week, and spotted a couple of ads in The Guardian on Saturday which grabbed my attention. The first is from NatWest and I was really surprised at how salesy their approach is, given the difficulties everyone is having. Whilst I know they mention convenient ways to bank and the flexibility of overdrafts to manage cash flow, they clearly lead with the offer of upping your borrowing on the basis of an interest rate of a shade under 20%. Helpful banking, as their strap-line goes. First Direct's approach on the other hand is all about making life easier for people. They are still looking to recruit new customers, but the emphasis is much more about convenience and choice, as it always has been with the brand. So 2 different banks, 2 different approaches and 2 very different brands.

Scottish toilet discovery

Josh is on holiday this week.

We all thought he'd probably gone to Cornwall. Or even Lanzarote. Tenby was a possible.

Imagine our surprise when we discover he's halfway through a weeklong tour of pub toilets in the highlands of Scotland. 

Ever the trailblazer, Josh is truly at the cutting edge of package holidays leaving our frankly pathetic attempts at cool or edgy vacations well behind.

Imagine further the double bonus, then, whilst visiting the mens room in 'The Poncy English Sassenach' (in Paisley) he discovers a poster that he has designed for NHS Direct! Now that's fame for you.

Coming to a urinal near you. If you spot one in your local gents (a poster that is) - take a snap of it and send it to us.