Major giftware player, Widdop & Co has unveiled plans for a forward-thinking, multi-faceted programme of events, impressive product launches (700 skus across 14 collections) and fresh initiatives to support its retail customers as they come out of lockdown and embrace the new landscape.
Running from Thursday August 27 through until Friday October 20, Widdop’s ‘Look On The Brightside’ Autumn campaign will incorporate a 450sqft socially distanced, appointment only roadshow in 20 locations in the South West and South East; an eCrm show for baby gifts; The Evening Sessions, where customers will be able to book evening digital tours of the company’s showroom, digital catalogues, as well as a whole programme of webinars. It will also be running a Widdop and Co signature showroom event at its Manchester HQ. (For updates and registration information retailers can visit www.widdop.co.uk/brightsideshow)
“It’s been a whirlwind few months, something none of us could have ever predicted and that hasn’t been experienced in generations, if ever before. But as the world starts to re-open and shoppers venture out again with trepidation, our focus is to ensure that even in a shifting marketplace, we continue to offer our customers not only the very best products and great service, but new ways of engaging with us which offer them maximum flexibility,” states Stephen Illingworth, Widdop’s director of product and marketing.
As the umbrella name of the campaign suggests, forming a significant part of the ‘Look On The Brightside’ campaign, Widdop has acquired distribution and manufacturing rights for The Brightside giftware, taking over the licence for several product areas from Really Good for the brand. This follows the decision announced in January by David Hicks, owner and founder of Really Good to cease trading by the end of the summer (https://www.pgbuzz.net/really-good-and-soul-prepare-to-cease-trading/)
The Brightside brand, created by Rachel Bright (who has worked closely with David Hicks on its development over the last decade), with its distinctive ‘voice’ and look has proved very successful – a case in point, over 750,000 Brightside ‘Man Tins’ have been sold since they launched!
The first phase will see Widdop & Co launch on September 1 with a range of 33 Brightside gift items, acquired from Really Good. This will be followed at the start of next year by a brand new collection that is currently in development with Rachel Bright heavily involved.
“I have long admired The Brightside brand and how David and Rachel developed it on giftware. I am now delighted to now have the opportunity to bring Brightside to Widdop’s customers through a range of high relevant and well-designed products,” said Stephen.
Commenting, David Hicks said that “it feels good to have found the right new home for Brightside with Widdop. I still feel there is a market for the brand as it speaks to the consumer in a positive language.”
In addition to Widdop taking on a giftware licence, Danilo is to produce a range of The Brightside greeting cards while Portico is to publish a collection of calendars and diaries featuring the brand.
Sharing her thoughts as her creation embarks on its next chapter, Rachel Bright said: “The Brightside has been on quite a journey already and I have enjoyed every minute of working with David at Really Good who has ideas, energy, originality and enthusiasm in spades. We have had so many amazing times over the years and we both look back in wonder at how far The Brightside has come from that first Valentine’s card idea I created in a dusty print room in Bristol so many years ago! When David first told me he was retiring, I was so happy for him! After all…following your instincts and answering the call of your soul to do something new…this is the stuff of life! I think if The Brightside were a person, it would be an eternal optimist and purposeful possibilitarian – and so would be advocating for him flying into new territories (or indeed lying in a hammock in them!) at every turn! I wasn’t sure when he told me what the future would hold and what the next steps for The Brightside would be, since David and I had always taken them together up until that point, but I always have great faith in the unfolding of things in their own time and was absolutely delighted when the opportunity to work with Stephen at Widdop, Dan Grant, licensing director and the team at Danilo and Simon Harrison, md at Portico Designs came up. This all happened just at the time when the world flipped on its head and…well…I thought – if ever there is a time for championing the silver lining…of helping people find ways to see the light amidst all of the dark, it’s now. As soon as I spoke to Stephen, I could feel he had the same perspective, energy and enthusiasm and it was really a pleasure to begin this new part of the journey with him. We’re working together very closely to see how The Brightside might evolve and bring some rays of sunshine to the world in the coming months and years.”
Top: A selection of The Brightside gifts that Really Good has sold over the years.
