It would be nice to do this
...if I had a day job to go to after Coivid-19.! So quite a few years experience as a marketing director, commercials director , creative & brand director for what? Well this ...... Famous Rebel. That's what it has all lead to.
Now I didn't start out thinking I wanted to run an e-commerce wall art & decor shop. Nope I wanted to be a footballer ( that's soccer for Americans ). Quite a few years later and somehow I'm here.
I'd always worked in the creative industry usually more on the tv and film side and then running my own creative marketing agency for years. About 4 years ago I got a call to rebrand a large European print company which was my first foray into the print world.
Down and Out in London and Paris (and Torquay)!
It fascinated me but a few year into the job and the company was bought over. The whole marketing team was disbanded and I was out on my ear. From London & Paris back to Torquay a place I'd called home for a while even whilst working in Europe.
A quirky fact about Torquay is that on it's doorstep is one of the Worlds biggest print companies who print photos for loads of companies you know of (Truprint, Freeprints etc). And when Truprint ( a company dear in the hearts of many ) needed rebranded and a marketing overhaul they called yours truly.
They say lightning never strikes twice. Well that's bull because just as the rebrand happened Truprint was bought out and ( you guessed it ) the business was closed. ( warning to not employ me your business will close ).
Famous Rebel ( nee Black Bloc ) rises from the ashes
So I'd seen enough of the print world. Not to give up on it. But to create a company that would be different. Something that would avoid the bland . Avoid being like the others and avoid the lazy marketing mistakes I had seen over the last 5 years.
Initially we called it Black Bloc but during Covid ..with no job on the horizon we decided . Well if we couldn't rebrand now we never would. So Famous Rebel was launched with all the love, bells and whistles that I could muster.
Hardest challenge
I'll be honest this is the hardest challenge I've done. There was no marketing team of 40-50 people and no marketing budget of £xxxx per year to waste. I think that's a good thing. Because what you et with Famous Rebel is real hard work , love and dedication in everything. From the designs to the products to the copy, to the packaging and customer service. I can honestly say I get no bigger buzz than a customer liking some of our work enough they will put it on their walls or drink a coffee from our mugs.
Is it better than being a footballer. Probably not. But! It's certainly betrr than the day job I never really had. My advice to anyone. If you think something will work and it brings you happiness . Do it. Fuck what the others say. Go for it. You never know. I certainly don't at this present moment.
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