April has been full steam ahead at Umpf! From rolling out a wave of April Fools’ campaigns and celebrating a CIPR shortlist nomination, to welcoming Liverpool ONE as a new client and launching Charity Super.Mkt at the O2 Centre, the month has been packed with standout moments and creative campaigns across retail & lifestyle.
Making waves at Gunwharf Quays with Oysters
Last month, the Umpf team shared the news that Gunwharf Quays had introduced 2,200 European flat oysters into the Solent, in partnership with the Final Straw Foundation – an initiative designed to support biodiversity and restore the local marine ecosystem.
The story quickly gained momentum, landing standout national and regional broadcast coverage including Good Morning Britain and ITV Meridian, alongside a strong pipeline of further coverage still to come.
Often referred to as ‘ecosystem engineers’, the oysters filter over 440,000 litres of water every day, helping to create cleaner, healthier conditions for marine life to thrive – providing a compelling hook that resonated strongly with media.
The results speak for themselves: 25+ pieces of coverage to date, a combined reach of over 11 million, and high-profile broadcast placements putting Gunwharf Quays firmly in the spotlight.
New Client: Liverpool ONE
We officially started work with our new client Liverpool ONE in April – and it’s already been busy! From new store openings to interactive trails, media calls and more, there’s been plenty for us to sink our PR teeth into. The 1.65 million sq ft open-air complex is one of Europe’s leading retail and entertainment destinations, with more than 170 stores, bars, restaurants and leisure experiences, including a 14-screen cinema and a five-acre park – so we’ve got loads to shout about! Attracting more than 33 million visitors a year, Liverpool ONE is a lively, vibrant shopping centre that’s proud to be at the heart of the city centre and local community, and we’re buzzing to be working with the team there. Keep your eyes peeled for some big announcements, eye-catching PR campaigns and influencer partnerships!
Creative Highlight: Aardman VR Trail Event Print & Digital Design
April was a particularly busy month for Umpf’s inhouse design team, but one standout highlight was our work delivering creative for the Aardman VR Trail, now live across seven Landsec shopping centres and outlets. The experience brings families together through a series of scannable trail points located throughout each destination, allowing visitors to follow a map and unlock interactive content along the way.
The Umpf design team worked closely with the Landsec team to develop a full suite of campaign and in-centre creative – from promotional assets driving awareness of the trail, through to the on-site artwork itself. Working within Aardman’s brand guidelines, we rolled out 50+ individual assets, spanning both print and digital design. This included designing everything from large-format in-centre graphics through to supporting promotional material across multiple channels and destinations.
It’s always great to see creative work come to life in situ, particularly when we get to work with such a well known and instantly recognisable character!
We’ve also got an exiting team update to come, watch this space 👀
Giving pre-loved fashion a new home at the O2 Centre
Last month, the Umpf team supported the launch of Charity Super.Mkt’s newest retail destination at the O2 Centre, bringing sustainable shopping and second-hand style in north-west London.
The new warehouse-style space offers shoppers access to curated second-hand fashion from premium and high street brands including Armani, Ralph Lauren, Adidas and Levi’s, alongside unique vintage pieces – all while supporting leading UK charities.
The launch story tapped into the continued rise in conscious consumerism and demand for sustainable fashion, creating a strong media hook around environmental impact. Positioned as more than just a retail opening, the story highlighted how vacant shopping centre space can be transformed into a purpose-led destination that benefits both communities and the planet.
The story gained a lot of traction and received 18 pieces of coverage with a reach of 752.7k from regional publications such as Ham&High, London Now and The Best of Camden.
Creator Connections & Industry Insights
In April, Umpf’s influencer marketing team hit the road, with Danni and Leanne attending two standout events on the same day. They both made fresh connections, swapped notes with industry peers, and got a front-row view of the trends shaping what’s next in creator marketing.
First up, Danni headed to Influencer360, powered by PRWeek and Campaign, for a day focused on the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of creator marketing. Panels from the likes of ITV and Asics covered juicy topics including the potential resurgence of long-form content, and using the comments sections as free focus groups 👀
Much of what industry leaders were championing is already central to the way Umpf delivers influencer campaigns for clients, reinforcing that the team’s approach, instincts, and hard work are landing exactly where they should be!
Meanwhile, Leanne joined the team at Connect Management for ConnectFest 2.0 – catching up with some of our favourite talent face-to-face, making new industry connections, and hearing creators share their honest take on where the industry is heading next. Listening to the creator panel left Leanne with real, practical insight we can feed straight back into how we partner with creators and build campaigns that feel authentic.
Shaun the Sheep arrives at Landsec sites
Umpf supported with media outreach and photography to bring the Aardman Shaun the Sheep augmented reality trail to life at Landsec sites nationwide including White Rose Shopping Centre, St David’s Cardiff, Liverpool ONE, Braintree Village, Bluewater, Gunwharf Quays, and Westgate Oxford.
The team secured standout coverage across the board from regional titles around the country.
How Umpf marked Aprils Fools’…
April Fools’ Day saw the Umpf team roll out a series of playful campaigns across retail and lifestyle clients, each designed to spark conversation and capture attention.
Divine Chocolate’s ‘Good Vibes Bar’ – the world’s first chocolate bar infused with positive affirmations secured 10 pieces of coverage with a reach of 17.4 million, including The Guardian, The Grocer, Yahoo! and MSN.
At Trinity Leeds, ‘Viva Leeds Vegas’ was unveiled, with plans to transform the city’s skyline with dazzling LEDSs, generating 9 pieces of coverage with a reach of 2 million, including Yorkshire Evening Post, Welcome to Yorkshire and PR Week.
Bluewater revealed its glowing bioluminescent lake, which landed 3 pieces of coverage with a reach of 4 million, including Express, PR Week and Londonist.
Clarks Village introduced ‘Clarksbury’ – a fictional rebrand inspired by Glastonbury Festival, achieving 3 pieces of coverage with a reach of 1.4 million, including Retail Gazette, Yahoo News and Somerset County Gazette.
Meanwhile, 4lite unveiled the ‘world’s thinnest LED strip light’, securing coverage in PR Week and DIY Week with a combined reach of 292K.
Braintree Village launched ‘BrAIntree’, an AI-powered shopping assistant that “knows what suits you best”, landing coverage in PR Week with a reach of 284K.
Take a look back at our previous Aprils Fools’ here and our favourites here
CIPR shortlistings
We’re buzzing to have been shortlisted for two awards at this year’s national CIPR Excellence Awards! 🏆
From bringing smiles to Trinity Leeds to transforming St David’s into a Supernova spectacle, it’s been a year of bold, standout work that we’re really proud of.
It’s an honour to be recognised alongside so many brilliant teams in the industry. Here’s a snap from last year’s ceremony 📸
LEGO makes a comeback at Trinity Leeds
We invited local media for a first look at the brand new LEGO store, which resulted in plenty of positive coverage and engaging social posts.
We secured a total of 75 pieces of coverage with a reach of 33.9m from the launch announcement to the opening, from all major regional titles such as Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds+, and Leeds Live – not bad for a store relocation!
An excellent working morning, chatting to journalists and showcasing all the fun LEGO products.
“Definitely, maybe the greatest name in UK PR”
Umpf came home with FIVE wins at the PRmoment awards in Manchester! 🏆
✨ Our work with Trinity Leeds picked up Gold for Community Engagement Campaign of the Year
✨ The Wonder Wall we created with St David’s Cardiff won Gold in Stunt of the Year as well as Health, Beauty, Retail, & Fashion Marketing Communications Campaign of the Year
✨…plus a Silver in the Best Creativity – Consumer category
✨ And a huge shoutout to our amazing Danni Griffin, who was awarded Young Professional of the Year – incredibly well-deserved 🤩
Some might say we’re going to live forever on words from Ben Smith, founder of PRmoment, when announcing our Stunt of the Year win: “Definitely, maybe the greatest name in UK PR.”
Read more about our PR Moment Awards Success.
