Creativity is our tendency to generate new ideas, alternatives, and possibilities or recognise them in the environment that surrounds us. It is precisely what helps us communicate with others. No wonder it’s often one of the most common objectives for graphic retail projects. 

Recently, we interviewed 2021 winners in the “Retail Project of the Year” category—Wild Visual Communications. From creative concepts and planning to international production and activation, Wild knows how to celebrate their customers to help them connect with their target audience and create honest, authentic, and loyal relationships for years to come. So, this article is full of insights about where Wild seeks inspiration, their creative process, and how their winning project came into being.  ‍

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‍Phases of creativity at Wild VC‍

At Wild, the creative process starts with a conversation. John Bayly,  Founder of Wild, told us:

“We begin by talking to the client and to get a feel for what they really want. We write down some ideas, do a mood board, and then come back to them to make sure that this is what they want. Often when people see the picture, they realise, ‘Yeah, that’s exactly it!’ or quite the opposite.”

Once the idea and mood of a project are confirmed, the team focuses on developing the entire concept, which is mainly based on materiality. Being a certified B corporation, Wild prides itself on being sustainable and helping its clients do so. 

Wild also has some exciting places where they find inspiration for their projects:

“We normally try and look for the things that are missing. Once every couple of weeks, the creative team wanders through their local high street or the streets near us. We look for bits that aren’t quite perfect. Obviously, we love the great-looking windows, but we are also searching for ones where we can add something. Then we come back and look for material or product solutions that would fill that gap. Normally we work from there, trying not to copy anyone, but instead, do our own thing.” 

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How can challenges drive creativity?

The Awakening is the Wild’s winning retail project at the UK Graphic Awards 2021. This graphic installation’s client is a luxurious CBD brand that wanted to celebrate the cool product. However, the cannabis leaf is not the most usual thing we see in the window. So how would you celebrate the cool yet semi-controversial CBD product? 

The creative team at Wild aimed to develop a beautiful way to represent the cannabis leaf. So, the Awakening is the idea about following the process of day and night, where leaves of the plant morph into birds. The installation also represents how the product works, from using the product before going to sleep and waking up in the morning. 

Many brands are actively trying to isolate their target market in the current climate, which evolves quite rapidly. It is also what Wild’s team kept in mind:

“At the time we designed that window, that was when the world was coming back to life the first time after COVID-19. It was figuring out who their new customers were and who was walking past”. 

For such retail projects, particularly windows, different aims and ambitions come into play.  It is essential to make sure that graphic installation design is fixed with the client’s guidelines and general campaign, and you’re not sacrificing your brand or ambition either. It is about balancing everyone’s aims, hopes, and dreams for the project.

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Succeeding with focus

John at Wild shared a couple of reasons that have helped them grow quickly. Throughout their journey, they have discovered their main objectives and made sure to keep them as their primary focus:

“We went back to our roots. COVID wasn’t a good thing for anyone, but actually, it gave us a chance to stop, think about, and look at what we were doing to make sure that ‘the heart’ of everything is service level.”

“The market itself—it has two options. You can fight on price, or you can fight on making clients happy. And we don’t believe in fighting on price. We’re cost-effective, but we may not be cheap. We are aiming to be the best value. I think our primary strength is working to ensure we are always helping the client—we are always offering new ideas, we are pushing comfort zones, and staying ahead of any requests. 

“About a month ago, we found some of the literature we released when we first started. It said that we are a brand activation agency focused on service. COVID gave us a chance to reset and look at it. I think keeping that as our core focus means that you get loyal clients because they know you care and that allows you to build whatever you want to build together.’’ 

Success at the UK Graphic Awards 

Wild is a growing business, but they are not a big business or not one of the famous names that have been around for decades. According to John, the UK Graphic Awards gave their brand a sense of recognition. It also helps with the team,

“There was one part of us that wanted everyone to realise that we were on the scene, but actually there was another piece that was very much about making sure the team felt that, yeah, what we are doing is very appreciated, and people genuinely think that it is not just me giving a team a pat on the back. I think that in the current climate, everyone needs that pat on the back.” 

 “For anyone thinking about entering the Awards, I would say do it! You’ve got nothing to lose. Actually, it is a really good experience because the Awards and your team have the opportunity to review the good stuff that you’ve done”, added John at the end of the interview.