Chalk & Cheese celebrates three decades of marketing and design
Design and marketing agency Chalk and Cheese still prides itself on its high creative standards after celebrating 30 years in business.
The company has many clients in the garden trade, including GIMA, Notcutts and Longacres.
David 'Chalky’ White and Adam Randall registered Chalk and Cheese Designs with Companies’ House on April 1, 1983, little expecting that the company would achieve 30 years trading.
“It all started with a hand painted sign for the Seckford Arms pub in Woodbridge”, explains founder member David White. “This was followed by more sign writing for Notcutts and Letraset projection slides for BT.”
Both David and Adam applied for a Government grant, courtesy of then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, which was called the Enterprise Allowance Scheme. This provided the pair with £40.00 funding per week each for the first year, which enabled them to invest in modest premises and the specialist equipment required to become a working design and artwork studio.
Five years later the pair amicably parted and David formed Chalk and Cheese Advertising. The company grew and prospered as a full service agency specialising in the garden and motor trades, and employing a full compliment of creative and account management specialists, some of which eventually went on to run their own marketing companies in the region.
In 1998 David acquired Ruth Lowe Graphic Design and Chalk and Cheese Limited was formed. The company’s growth necessitated the purchase of larger premises at Friars Bridge Road by Portman Road football ground, where the team of designers enjoyed notable success when they created the well-known ‘Lock ‘em Inn’ crime prevention campaign which eventually became national.
“Running a design, marketing and publishing company with its characteristically fluid client base and full exposure to constantly changing economic conditions has been like riding a rollercoaster,” commented David.
“However, whilst riding the ups and downs the industry does have its compensations - for example, our recent new business drive has introduced a number of fresh accounts which are an absolute pleasure to work with.”
Throughout the last 20 years, David has worked with his Creative Director Richard Donald.
Today, Chalk and Cheese is starting its fourth decade in the design, marketing and publishing trade from its Neale Street, central Ipswich office and studio base. Despite having come through many changes the company’s core values remain and Chalk and Cheese still prides itself on the high creative standards which have been the key to its success over the last thirty years.
