Cornish duo scoops Isles of Scilly briefs

Cornish consultancies Gendall Design and Nixon Design are both working on projects to promote the Isles of Scilly as a tourism destination.

The consultancies have been appointed to a three-year framework agreement by the Council of the Isles of Scilly Tourist Board, following an open tender process. They saw off shortlisted consultancies Wilcox and Co and Joe Armstrong Creative Design.

The framework, to which both consultancies were appointed in July, is worth £120 000-£250 000, according to Isles of Scilly tourism officer Katherine Sleep. Gendall Design and Nixon Design will now work to promote the islands, which lie 40km off the coast of Cornwall.

Falmouth-based Gendall Design is working on an annual tourism brochure, which is due to be released in November.

As part of its work, Gendall Design will also look at the Isles of Scilly’s brand positioning, according to creative director Darren Whittington. He says Gendall Design hopes to use the phrase Simply Scilly, which comes from the address of the tourism board’s website, as an umbrella brand.

Whittington adds, ‘We’re looking at how the brand might be used in advertising and other materials – we already have loads of great photography.’ The advertising is produced by Mercury PR.

Meanwhile, Nixon Design, which is based in Hayle, Cornwall, is working on visitor leaflets for the Isles of Scilly as part of the same contract. Managing director Martin Nixon says the consultancy had designed the islands’ brochure for the past six years.

Gendall Design is also working on a website for Designs of the Time Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, with Nixon Design also hoping to get involved in the project, which is being run by the Design Council and Cornwall County Council.

A Dott executive board meeting was held at the end of last week, with items under discussion believed to include a number of new projects and appointments of ‘senior design producers’ to a tenstrong roster.

ISLES OF SCILLY FACTFILE

• There are about 150 islands, of which five are inhabited
• The total population is about 2100 people
• Tourism accounts for about 85% of the islands’ income