March has been buzzing at Umpf! From announcing major investment plans at Gunwharf Quays and celebrating sweet Easter success for Divine Chocolate, to supporting new brand openings, getting campaigns up and running, and bringing seasonal creatives to life, March has been full of memorable moments.
Gunwharf Quays celebrates 25 years with announcement of next phase of investment works
Gunwharf Quays made headlines in March with the announcement that it had submitted plans for the next phase of its £45M investment works. If approved, these plans will create larger ground and first-floor terraces, enhance al fresco dining locations, and improve access between the floors beside the waterfront.
The Umpf team managed outreach for the consumer press release, securing fantastic coverage across national and regional titles including The Sun, The Scottish Sun, Express, and Time Out, as well as The News Portsmouth, Southern Daily Echo, and Island Echo. We also secured an interview with local broadcast title, That’s TV Solent, bringing the total to 35 clippings with a reach of 38.4M so far.
Sweet Success for Divine Chocolate’s Easter Collection
We secured egg-cellent coverage for our client Divine Chocolate’s delicious Easter collection, landing strong features across a range of key print and online titles.
We also generated valuable sampling opportunities across key consumer media, resulting in 22 pieces of coverage with a total potential reach of just under 17 million. Highlights included Daily Mirror, The Telegraph, Daily Express, OK!, New!, Daily Record, S Magazine, Notebook and Sunday Mail, alongside trade coverage in Talking Retail, Scottish Grocer, Better Retailing and Kennedy’s Confection.
Launching Nobody’s Child at Bluewater
In March, the Umpf team supported the launch of environmentally-responsible womenswear brand, Nobody’s Child, as they opened their first Kent-based standalone store at Bluewater.
We secured 10 pieces of coverage, across national and regional titles, with a combined reach of over 4.3 million – highlights included Daily Express, Drapers, and Kent Live.
Striking Ice Sculptures Highlight Breast Cancer Awareness
We worked with Yorkshire art organisation Sand in Your Eye to showcase an installation highlighting the importance of breast cancer awareness. The artwork featured seven ice and snow torsos, each representing a different body type – including one male – demonstrating that anyone can be affected and encouraging people to perform regular self-checks.
The campaign generated strong media interest, with interviews on BBC Radio Leeds and BBC Radio Sheffield with Sand in Your Eye’s Claire Wardley, who was diagnosed with breast cancer just over a year ago, alongside coverage from BBC Look North, the Yorkshire Evening Post, Yorkshire Post, and South Leeds Life. In total, 14 pieces of coverage were secured in March, reaching 3.8 million, amplifying this important message to a wide audience.
Read more about the campaign and ice sculptures on the Sand In Your Eye website.
Xscape Goes the Extra Mile with Free Recovery Zone at MK Festival of Running
The MK Festival of Running brought energy and excitement to the streets of Milton Keynes on 15th March, as thousands of runners came together for a day of fitness, community and celebration. To enhance the experience and position Xscape Milton Keynes as a central hub for participants, we delivered a targeted PR and activation campaign centred around a free Runner Recovery Zone at the venue, which served as both the start and finish point of the race. In partnership with Nuffield Health, the space was fully equipped with stretch mats, foam rollers and resistance bands, while expert staff were on hand to provide guidance on effective warm-ups, stretching and post-race recovery. We also collaborated with on-site brands including InstaVR Arena, Gravity Active, iFLY, Nando’s and Taco Bell to create exclusive offers and giveaways, further elevating the visitor experience.
To drive awareness ahead of race day, we issued a press release highlighting Xscape’s involvement, securing 14 pieces of coverage with a combined reach of 1.1 million across key regional titles such as MK Citizen, Destination MK, MKFM and MyMK. We also worked closely with the MK Festival of Running organisers to promote the offering across their own channels and direct communications with runners. The activation proved highly successful, with strong engagement from runners both pre- and post-race, while Xscape Milton Keynes benefitted from a notable uplift in footfall.
American Flavours arrive at Buchanan Galleries
Two US-inspired brands, Philly Express and American Dirty Soda, landed at Buchanan Galleries, introducing Glasgow to a bold new offering of authentic Philadelphia-style comfort food and customisable American “dirty soda” creations. To support the launch, we led a PR campaign, issuing a press release to local and regional media which secured 23 pieces of coverage across titles including the Glasgow Times, Daily Record, Larder Magazine and Glasgow World. The launch generated strong local interest and widespread editorial pickup, helping to firmly position the new brands within Glasgow’s vibrant food scene. We’ll let the verdict speak for itself, with even a Philadelphian journalist at The Herald giving their seal of approval.
Students Take on Made in Yorkshire Challenge at White Rose
In March, we supported Trinity Leeds and White Rose Shopping Centres’ annual Made in Yorkshire challenge with Ahead Partnership, which sees local schools compete in a Dragons’ Den-style pitch.
Year 10 students from three Leeds schools participated in hands-on sessions designed to highlight the role young people can play in shaping the future of physical retail while boosting skills and confidence, with workshops mirroring real-world industry processes exploring creative placemaking, community and customer insights, and environmental sustainability.
In the final, student teams presented proposals for their imagined concepts to be judged by a team of experts. Umpf managed press outreach around the event, arranging photography and working within the safeguarding procedures required.
We secured great regional coverage for the final, including a print piece in the Yorkshire Post. Best of luck from us to Dixon’s Unity Academy who now go on to the national semi-final.
Creative Roundup: Easter Events, Experiential Design & Social Content
March has been a typically busy month on the creative front, with a range of campaign, event and social content projects delivered across retail and destination brands. Here’s a few of our highlights…
One focus has been Easter holiday event creative for Landsec, including visuals for an Easter craft event at White Rose Shopping Centre. Building on the creative direction we developed for February half-term, this latest campaign took on a woodland-inspired theme. Alongside digital assets, we also created print materials including a large-format photo backdrop designed to drive engagement during the event.
We’ve also developed an illustrated creative direction for Easter events at Trinity Leeds, Bluewater, Westgate Oxford and Braintree Village. With popular children’s character appearances taking place across the holidays, the creative needed to feel playful, vibrant and family-focused. We evolved the illustrated style originally created for last summer’s campaign, adapting it into something more suited to Easter. Across these projects, we delivered a mix of digital design, print design and experiential assets, including a bespoke window vinyl backdrop at Braintree Village.
We were also busy developing April Fools’ concepts, combining bespoke mock-ups, AI-assisted creative and stunt-led thinking to create ideas designed to grab attention and spark conversation. Alongside that, we’ve continued to support client content plans with ongoing social creative, as well as developing bespoke finance calculators for our client Visionary Finance.
