My Pride Song
What a way to end the summer! Projects like this are what we are all about at Sundae, and this one in particular is a movement close to all of our hearts… the team at Pride Classical, the trailblazing organisation dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ history and culture through the power of music, invited us to raise awareness and confirm contributors to their new initiative My Pride Song, a celebration of Pride and allyship.
My Pride Song called upon as many LGBTQ+ community members and allies as possible to contribute a video message with the story behind their choice, the importance of the song, and why the music of Pride matters to them.
Any new contributors would join prominent LGBTQ+ community members and allies including actress, presenter, author, television producer, and activist Dame Joanna Lumley, winner of season 4 of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Danny Beard, renowned actress and activist Julie, Coronation Street actress Dolly-Rose Campbell, comedian Jason Manford, global cabaret queen Alison Jiear, and Olivier award winning actor Matt Henry MBE who had already joined the movement.
My Pride Song was born out of and inspired by Pride Classical, a brand new event that celebrated the music and history of the LGBTQ+ community. Premiering at the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom and Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, across the opening weekend of Pride Month in June 2023, Pride Classical presented brand new arrangements of beloved songs by iconic artists, performed by a full professional orchestra of LGBTQ+ musicians and allies.
We’re so proud to say that we placed features in I Love Manchester, GScene, DIVA Magazine and Canal Street Online, as well as confirming contributions from Coronation Street stars Anthony Crank and Jane Hazelgrove, It’s a Sin actor Neil Ashton, Waterloo Road’s Hollie-Jay Bowes, prolific actress and writer Sue Vincent, Hollyoaks’ Ashling O’Shea and Annie Wallace, Rise and Fall’s Connor Fisher and drag queen Kitty Scott-Claus.
In the words of Patsy Stone of Absolutely Fabulous fame: “Cheers, sweeties! Thanks a lot!”
Sundae x
📸: Joshua Croft Photography
Celebrating Italy at Festa Italiana 2023
Buona Festa Italiana, Manchester!
We’re back from another glorious weekend at the UK’s biggest Italian festival, held right in the heart of Manchester, so listen up!
Brought together by our long-standing friends, the team at family-run Italian Salvi’s, Festa Italiana has become the epitome of Manchester’s Italian community and heritage.
Championing collaboration and community over competition, Salvi’s owner Maurizio Cecco set off to bring the city’s best Italian food, drink and culture together in a festival which is now a three day celebration taking place over the August bank holiday weekend.
Now in its sixth year, Festa Italiana has combined the traits of a traditional Italian festival with a healthy portion of Mancunian charm to become a much-anticipated event for people all over the country. And we’ve had the honour to join the ride, managing the press and social media campaign for three years so far.
The festival kicked off with Festa Italiana della Donna – a day-long celebration of female chefs, championing their outstanding work within the male-dominated world of professional cooking, showcasing pastaia Carmela Sereno-Hayes, award-winning chef Sofia Gallo, and Salvi’s very own head chef, Valentina Ambrosino.
Do you hear the applause? We had a full house for Italian cooking legends Gennaro Contaldo and Giancarlo Caldesi, alongside Maurizio himself, while master baker and Great British Bake Off 2021 winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno put the cherry on top of the spectacular Festa line-up.
The classic Mancunian downpour did not dampen the Festa spirits. Vendors, chefs and performers worked around the clock to once again bring a slice of Italy to festival-goers, leaving hearts and bellies full.
We worked alongside iconic Italian brewer Birrificio Angelo Poretti to execute the press and social media campaign for La Grande Tavola, which gathered local and national press and content creators to a 80-person meal under the Festa stars, cooked and presented by festival creator Maurizio himself.
The grande Festa famiglia (the big Festa family) was the core of our campaign. Our press campaign put a well-deserved spotlight on the Italian vendors who shared their stories with the world and proved just why Festa Italiana is key to empowering the local Italian community. The human stories from the festival secured four features on BBC Radio Manchester and placed in various shows and bulletins on Radio One London, Capital Manchester, Hits Manchester and XS Manchester.
We also secured coverage from the likes of The Manc, Manchester’s Finest, Manchester Evening News, Creative Tourist, I Love Manchester, Secret Manchester and more, with media outlets also reporting live from the festival piazza on their socials.
And as social media platforms grow, so did our campaign. Telling the story of the big Festa family was a key focus of this year’s campaign, which resulted in reaching 396k accounts and brought in a 40% increase in following across multiple platforms.
We worked with local and national brands, the Festa organisers, chefs, vendors and participants, and a wealth of Manchester’s biggest content creators in order to celebrate all things Italian for yet another extremely successful year.
AND Maurizio even went viral! Talk about a busy weekend…
Who’s ready for Festa Italiana 2024?
Evelina x
📸: Florindo Albaphotos
In the Woods With Noisily Festival
Yesterday we made the exciting journey down to Barkestone Woods, Lincolnshire, as we had the pleasure of hosting the official press tour for the 10th anniversary of Noisily Festival, welcoming a host of journalists and bloggers from across the UK, and giving them a glimpse into the festival’s soul.
Sundae has worked closely with the team at Noisily on a bespoke comms campaign over the last 10 months, taking in key announcements such as the new site, the anniversary, the official line-up, its spectacular arts programme, revealing Mind Body Soul, the transformative, heart opening wellness programme, as well as telling the beautiful stories of some of the people behind the magic.
It was so wonderful to see the project come to life and to experience the stunning landscape of Coney Woods; the lush greenery served as the perfect backdrop for the enchanting festival-world that unfolded before our eyes, and we could not wait to explore.
The press tour kicked off with a palpable buzz in the air as we embarked on the immersive journey into the realm of music, wellness, and art. Introducing press to Mind Body Soul, the festival’s sanctuary for holistic wellbeing, we offered an exclusive workshop with trailblazing meditation programme Lumenate which left participants feeling recharged, enlightened, and somewhat curious to find out more.
Walking through the festival grounds, we were joined by Noisily co-founder Charles Audley who talked us through the different music stages and how they were put together in order to optimise the sound quality in such a unique setting, as well as arts director Ruth Herbert who stepped in to introduce the press to larger-than-life installations and interactive sculptures that created an immersive dreamscape.
Across the full campaign, we secured lots of fantastic, varied coverage including features with Glamour Magazine, Conde Nast Traveller, Stand Out Magazine, Total Production International, Broke Magazine, Data Transmission, DJ Revolution, The Festivals and Leicester Mercury, as well as a series of interview features in collaboration with BBC Radio Leicester who also came along to broadcast live from the woods.
It has been a delight to be a part of this extraordinary event – the collective energy onsite and the fusion of music, wellness and art creates an atmosphere and experience that is unparalleled and unforgettable!
Charlotte x
Images by: Jake Davis & Sammy Leigh Scholl
Happy First Birthday, Salvi’s Deansgate Square!
Authentic Italian food and drink, classic gelato, a sunny soundtrack and top Manchester press and content creators – sounds like a Salvi’s birthday party! We’ve just arrived home after a huge Italian knees-up celebrating a year of the Deansgate Square site, where we took care of all things press and socials. Let’s dive in!
Maurizio Cecco’s brainchild has grown into a go-to hot spot not only for residents of the luxury development, but also for anyone craving a slice of Italy right in the heart of Manchester, so celebrating the very first birthday had to be a grande family affair, done the Salvi’s way.
In the lead up to the event, we worked with the team at Salvi’s to build awareness across press and socials, followed by capturing some live social media content on the day.
We filled Salvi’s private dining space with over 30 of the city’s leading media and content creators who were delighted to try Maurizio’s exclusive brand-new specials. Our campaign resulted in some excellent pieces of coverage with main Manchester outlets like The Manc, Manchester’s Finest, Creative Tourist, About Manchester, Secret Manchester and Manchester World all covering the big birthday bash.
The content creators also immersed their audiences into the sapore d’Italia (the taste of Italy) with a series of stunning posts, reels, and over 40 live stories capturing the fiery spirit of the party, Salvi’s style.
Loyal customers were welcomed to the festa-a-la-Salvi’s as a “thank you” from the family behind Manchester’s favourite Italian restaurant.
One of the highlights of the night was an exciting new collaboration between Salvi’s and luxury ice-cream parlour Grandpa Greene’s – another local family-owned business, which delivered a special birthday gelato flavour. We revealed the big news via Salvi’s social media channels right before the event, building into the anticipation.
This is not our first rodeo with the Ceccos, as we look after the press and socials for all three of their venues. Most recently, we also announced the return of Festa Italiana 2023 – UK’s biggest Italian festival delivered by none other than Salvi’s. Bringing some of the very best local Italian food, drink, and entertainment together, the Festa will take place between 25th-27th August in Manchester’s Cathedral Gardens and, honestly, we couldn’t be more thrilled to work on it for the third year in a row.
This was definitely one to remember for both Salvi’s and us. Saluti to many more in the future!
Evelina x
Russell Maliphant Dance Company Presents ‘Vortex’
Last night was the press night for Russell Maliphant’s ground breaking project Vortex at the iconic Sadler’s Wells Theatre and we were delighted to welcome a host of national, cultural, and specialist dance press including The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, The Financial Times, Culture Whisper, Bachtrack, British Theatre Guide, Broadway World and Dance International.
It was wonderful to see the internationally acclaimed dance company grace the stage for the first of three consecutive nights as we have had the joy of working with the Russell Maliphant Dance Company throughout its UK national Vortex tour, which comes to a close this June.
The production itself was sublime and an utter escapism from reality. The performance sparks a variety of emotions triggered by the production’s astounding composition and lighting – at times the production is beautifully intense, at other times it is peaceful, gentle and serene. The dancers of RMDC were nothing short of remarkable, and it was a privilege to watch the performance in such an esteemed setting.
Our close relationship with RMDC stretches right back to 2018 and in five successful years, in addition to Vortex, we have worked with the simply incredible team on the award-winning Maliphantworks and looked after the entire press campaign for the UK national tour of the critically acclaimed Silent Lines (either side of the pandemic!).
The audience absolutely loved last night’s performance; there was a certain energy in the room that only Russell’s work can generate, and we cannot wait for the rest of the tour.
Sundae x
Images by: Roswitha Chesher
With Love, Spinningfields x
Working on Spinningfields’ ultimate Valentine’s Day celebration at Hardman Square ‘With love, Spinningfields x’ has been a beautiful experience for us here at Sundae; as we arrived in the office after Christmas, those January blues were quickly given the old heave-ho by the happiest, joy-filled project to start the year with a flutter.
This fully interactive, love, art and music infused, memory creating journey was as much for the Gals and the Pals as it was for the Vals, so all you had to do was pick a partner and head along for the romantic (or not!) ride.
And head along people did! From minute one, the celebration was hugely popular with everyone from the fine folk of Spinningfields, to those passing through on a shopping trip, to those who had grabbed their fave person and embarked upon a specific love-fueled mission.
A huge neon sign illuminated the area with the little, well known, mix of five words that mean something different to everyone: ‘Shout Out to my Ex’ and provided the perfect picture backdrop… which, needless to say, was well and truly taken advantage of.
Those in attendance were welcomed by a very special host and guided to the starting point located under a Heart Arch (AKA: Harch) where they were given the opportunity to pick an envelope containing a surprise song from a secret selection of popular tracks, which would then be played in their honour by a simply stunning string quartet.
Following the serenade, it was time to visit a storyteller extraordinaire who skillfully extracted some relationship based facts from the pair in question, to create a fitting finale in the form of a bespoke love story for the ages.
Sundae delivered both communications and social media for ‘With Love, Spinningfields x’ and in doing so achieved high-quality media coverage across a range of key national and regional outlets, ensuring cut through into listings, news stories and features, with high quality coverage appearing in Manchester Evening News, About Manchester, Manchester World, Creative Tourist, I Love Manchester, Your Mcr, Student Life (MMU), What’s On Manchester, Unlock MCR, Secret Manchester, and Hitched, amongst others.
The social media campaign we put together was really engaging, informative, and hard-working; running through Spinningfields’ channels, we designed a consistent, recognisable brand style to reflect the feel of the celebration, and while on-site, we worked with members of the public to create reels that told their true, heartwarming, and often hilarious love tales.
We also launched an interactive online poll, asking a targeted audience which love songs they would like to have featured within the experience, and the results reaffirmed two things that we already knew: our city knows good music, and it definitely knows how to have a good laugh!
So, did we enjoy ourselves? Don’t be Cupid! Of course we did! But, as with all good things, ‘With love, Spinningfields x’ had to come to an end, though it will forever be… no YOU’RE crying!
Sundae x
A Sundae Autumn Filled with Amazing Children’s Television
Autumn at Sundae was filled with campaigns for three incredible children’s TV shows, something that is so close to our hearts as it has been a key part of our work from day dot.
Speaking of dots, we have had the absolute pleasure of delivering press for the announcement of two shows for our good friends at Dot To Dot Productions; the hotly anticipated second series’ of CiTV comedy art and craft show for 6-12 years olds Makeaway Takeaway, and CBeebies cookery programme for pre-schoolers Big Cook, Little Cook.
Coined ‘the new Art Attack’, and presented by comedian Bec Hill, Makeaway Takeaway is bursting with unique makes, top tips and inspirational art ideas; Bec experiments with recycled materials and uses her hilarious funny bones to make us laugh every step of the way.
Big Cook, Little Cook, presented by Big Cook Jen (Ibinabo Jack) and Little Cook Small (Courtney Bowman), combines slapstick humour, with an infectious enthusiasm for creative cooking. Its unique blend of mischief and know-how, a tasty treat for a modern pre-school audience.
We placed previews for Big Cook, Little Cook in trade titles Telly Mix and C21 Media, while for Makeaway Takeaway we placed in depth interview features for Bec Hill in British Comedy Guide covering her journey as a comedian, as well as one for creator and executive producer Jo Killingley alongside Bec in Broadcast Magazine discussing the importance of art and creativity in children’s television, and the invaluable support provided by the BFI’s Young Audience Content fund.
We also looked after the communications campaign for the new series of The World According to Grandpa, the multi-award winning children’s series by Manchester’s Saffron Cherry Productions and Grandpa Productions, starring Don Warrington and Sally Lindsay, as it returned to Channel 5’s Milkshake!.
Made in Manchester, the mixed media series, written by Chris Heath, is a truly inclusive show featuring a diverse team both in front and behind the camera, featuring live action stars in a 2D animated world, as well as music by North West composer Tayo Akinbode, is filmed at Vectar Studios Stockport and illustrated and animated by Flix Facilities at MediaCityUK.
The show is made with the support of the BFI’s Young Audience Content Fund. S4C also re-commissioned Byd Tad-cu, the Welsh language version of the show starring Danny Grehan and made in co-production with partners Boom Cymru.
Following the placement of an interview with series producer Rima Sen on I Love Manchester, Don Warrington was obviously a huge focus for The World According to Grandpa and we achieved a lovely interview piece for him in the Guardian, while we also put an emphasis on the importance of diversity, inclusivity and representation within children’s television which saw the team at The British Blacklist invite him onto their podcast for a brilliant conversation on the topic.
Children’s television is a massive passion of ours here at Sundae, and we feel so lucky to work on such important shows.
Sundae x
BBC Philharmonic x The Royal Northern College of Music – Future Music #4
As part our work with the wonderful BBC Philharmonic we have had the absolute pleasure of looking after the communications campaign around their fascinating concert within The Royal Northern College of Music’s festival, Future Music #4.
The RNCM’s Future Music Festival explores the boundaries and intersections between science and art. Produced by PRiSM, the Royal Northern College of Music’s Centre for Practice & Research in Science & Music, Future Music #4 featured ground-breaking world premieres from composers Robert Laidlow and Emily Howard, performed by the BBC Philharmonic and brought to life by conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni.
This performance marked the 5th anniversary of PRiSM, the 50th Anniversary of the Royal Northern College of Music and the BBC Philharmonic’s Centenary. It celebrated the ongoing collaboration between PRiSM and BBC Philharmonic through their shared interest in science and technology.
Our aim with this campaign was to amplify the forward thinking, experimental nature of the orchestra, as well as the incredible work of RNCM’s PRiSM; with such unique material and ground-breaking performances comes the opportunity to tap into some different media sectors that would usually be outside of the orchestral music realm, so that is what we did.
Following an in-depth pitching process to some targeted specialist media, we achieved a detailed video feature documenting the concert that went out post-event on New Scientist, with listings, previews and interview features on I Love Manchester, About Manchester, BBC Radio Manchester respectively.
Working on this concert further opened our eyes and minds to possibilities via the link between science and art, and in particular the infinite potential of music for reinvention and incorporation of ground-breaking technologies.
We will be following the BBC Philharmonic’s future journey with interest in the excited anticipation of what it can show us next, and if the notion takes you, you should do the same.
Tom x
Photos by the BBC Philharmonic
100 Years of the BBC Philharmonic
Just a couple of days ago on Saturday 15th October, we had the absolute privilege of watching our lovely client, the BBC Philharmonic, as the orchestra celebrated its centenary year with a concert at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall showcasing what it does best: sharing music with the masses by continuing to laud Beethoven’s enduring popularity and championing rarely performed and newly written music.
Conductor Eva Ollikainen and soprano Héloïse Werner presented the world premiere of a new work by Erland Cooper in tribute to Peter Maxwell Davies’s long and close association with the orchestra, in a concert including Gipps’s Overture ‘Chanticleer’ and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with soprano Tuuli Takala, mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately, tenor Steve Davislim, and bass-baritone Simon Shibambu and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus.
Unsurprisingly, the simply stunning performance received a standing ovation in the equally stunning venue from an audience that was evidently as blown away as we were by what they had just witnessed.
For the campaign around this concert, we wanted to celebrate the orchestra, its longevity, and most of all its people; the players that make the music possible. We worked with the amazing team at the BBC Philharmonic to find out about the incredible stories that existed within the group, of which there were many.
From the longest serving members of the orchestra and their experiences, to players whose parents had been been in the orchestra before them (and in some cases at the same time), to married couples who met in the orchestra and went on to have families – it was clear that music was at the heart of it it all, and was responsible for the palpable family feeling running through the orchestra.
After telling the media about these beautiful stories, we were inundated with regional and national support, and listings, previews and interview features appeared on I Love Manchester, About Manchester, Manchester World, YourMcr, The Manc, BBC Radio Manchester, and BBC North West Tonight, as well as yesterday’s BBC Breakfast.
Our work with the BBC Philharmonic is well up there with our most enjoyed; the people and the music make it what it is, and we love nothing more than to discover stories like these and share them out into the world.
If you haven’t been to watch the orchestra yet, we would advise making that change.
Tom x
Canyon Del Muerto
Just last night, we attended and managed press and social media for the very special advance, exclusive screening of brand-new feature film Canyon Del Muerto, directed by Coerte Voorhees, starring Tom Felton (Harry Potter) and BAFTA winner Abigail Lawrie (The Crown), which also featured a Q&A with the cast and director.
Canyon Del Muerto is a stunning historical epic and the important true story of Ann Axtell Morris, North America’s first female archaeologist who worked with her husband Earl Morris (the inspiration for the Indiana Jones character created by George Lucas) and the Navajo in the 1920s, to uncover America’s first civilization – the Anasazi.
Ann struggled to prove herself in a male-dominated profession, but she was overshadowed by her husband’s accomplishments and virtually left out of the history books.
Their trek across the magnificent Southwestern United States was fraught with danger as their Navajo guides discouraged them from their descent into the canyon, which they believed was cursed.
The incredible supporting cast includes Hanako Footman (The Crown), Academy Award Winner Wes Studi (Dances with wolves, Last of the Mohicans), Academy Award Nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), James Hillier (The Crown), and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (The Queen’s Gambit, How They Run).
With the importance and type of subject matter, and the advanced and exclusive nature of the screening, we spoke to a very targeted selection of media and generated interest within a very specific sector. In the audience, we had The Express, The Guardian, New Scientist, Current World Archaeology, Minerva, and British Archaeology, with an in-depth feature on the Q&A running in The Express just a couple of days later.
We looked after the press in attendance and made sure they got what they needed from the evening, and in addition we devised and managed birth of the Canyon Del Muerto official Instagram account, as well as the gathering of all social media content inclusive of all cast and director interviews and audience vox-pops before and after the screening.
It has been a brilliant journey working with the Canyon Del Muerto team and we cannot wait to see what’s next for this hugely important story.
Tom x
Pictures by: Shoib Ahmad and Olivia Ross