The Most Advance Pre-Press Production Studio in Europe.
(Extract from Pre-Press News Magazine 2004)
A long, long time ago...
...way before Redface began, I worked at Safeway Stores plc as Head of Creative Services and Studio. Back in 1994, the studio was housed in an old cleaning cupboard (literally) and comprised of two artworkers, churning out line and price tickets. It was dark, the Mac's were old, they used fax machines, trust me, Deliverance had nothing on this place!
Ten years on...
The Safeway Creative Services dept became one of the most advance digital pre-press design studios in Europe, according to Pre-Press News magazine. Two state-of-the-art creative studios, eighteen designers, a night crew of five, a marketing team of six, a digital photography studio and a POS production process second to none in Europe, possibly the world!
As well as producing circa 40,000 POS artworks, the Safeway studio also produced over 400 retail designs per period. The activity ranged from national store campaigns to institutional signage, to product labelling. This activity generated an annual cost saving to the business of over £4 million.
The Studio's success, and reputation for delivering, gave the business the confidence...
...to ask the Safeway Studio if it could deliver an ambitious leafleting program. I Chaired the cross-business committee which designed the process (from Trading, to Promotions, to Studio, to print). On agreement, I then presented the agreed procedures to PWC and Trading Standards for sign-off.
On sign off it was all-systems go! As well as ensuring seamless business as usual activities, the Safeway Studio produced 118, A3 leaflet pages, packed with product shots and deal messaging 3 times every single week. It was a huge undertaking which was a massive success and ran for 3 years.
