Manchester-based True North has secured two high-profile design projects, with appointments by The Royal Mail and Tate.
The Royal Mail has commissioned the agency to produce a set of stamps, due to be launched in 2007, following a pitch against unnamed agencies. Earlier in the year True North created the first day cover pack for The Royal Mail’s set of football stamps marking World Cup winners from the last 40 years. The agency also produced the presentation pack for a Bobby Moore commemorative medal, launched last month.
Agency managing director Martin Carr commented: \"We’ve worked with the Royal Mail on three or four projects, for both stamps and collectables.
\"For this latest project we were asked, alongside two or three other agencies, to design concepts for a set of stamps. The Stamp Advisory Committee and some highly respected independent designers had to choose which designs they wanted to be produced and fortunately ours were selected.\"
Details on the chosen designs and the subject matter are being kept tightly under wraps until next year’s launch.
The second big win for True North will see the agency create the biennial report for Tate. The publication will look at what’s been happening for the museum over the past two years, featuring the collections and individual site reviews. In previous years the report has been designed by London-based Pentagram.
Commenting on the two wins, Carr said: \"We’re over the moon. They’re two dream briefs. We want to be the best there is and we’re working with people that want the best. We’re very proud to be handling these kinds of projects and doing so from a small agency in Manchester. It reinforces where we want to be as an agency.\"
Meanwhile, following a review and pitch, Durham University has appointed True North as its lead design agency until 2010. The agency first worked with the University 18 months ago, when it was tasked with handling its rebrand.