At Yarn PR we can’t wait to see the crowd pour in to check out Andrew Quilty’s latest show when it opens at Maunsell Wickes Gallery on 1 May 2012.

Documenting the back roads and backwaters of North America, Blue Highways USA Part 1 is the third solo photographic show from this young and acclaimed Sydney photographer.

Offering us a viewpoint that is bleak and unrelenting, Quilty’s portrait of America is palpably melancholic, and often conflicted. Don’t miss his first series of 12 black and white hand-printed photographs in which hot empty vistas (Liberty and Route 66) are counterpointed by more touching portraits of hillbilly life in the Pacific north-west (Big Bottle of Bourbon).

Learn more about Andrew Quilty here

Blue might be the colour of success at Facebook, but Australian creative agency Imagination were thrilled to win bronze in the inaugural global awards. Announced by AdWeek U.S on 27 February 2012, Imagination’s bronze sees their work recognised alongside 11 of the world’s most innovative agencies. Imagination’s Community Seeds for The Commonwealth Bank of Australia was chosen out of 1000 entries from 40 different countries. Announced by AdWeek U.S on 27 February 2012, Imagination’s bronze sees their work recognised alongside 11 of the world’s most innovative agencies. Imagination’s Community Seeds was chosen out of 1000 entries from 40 different countries.

Part of Facebook’s outreach to agencies globally – the Facebook Studio was launched as community platform for agencies, brands and creatives to showcase their best Facebook work. In April last year Facebook Studio instituted the global award to encourage and recognise inspired and well-executed Facebook Campaigns.

New York based journalist Bec Couche recently wrote a piece called Triple Threat for Cosmopolitan Magazine. Investigating women who have all cultivated three specific skill sets in order to find career bliss, Couche interviewed the director Yarn PR Belinda Aucott as part of her research.

On a fine Sydney evening in December, the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge formed the stunning backdrop to Australia’s largest public party. For creative agency Imagination – who helped produce 2011 Sydney New Year’s – sunset was ‘show time’ – their moment to reveal, the result of 10 months of hard work. Eagerly anticipated, Time to Dream did not disappoint. It possessed all the glamour and gloss of the 21^st Century, with Imagination transforming New Year’s Eve into a truly state-of-the-art experience. When the sun began to set, all the vital elements came together.

From the slick endless rainbow logo, dreamt up by Creative Headliner Marc Newson, to the pylon projections and digital bridge effect – 2011 Sydney New Year’s Eve took a more contemporary approach.

‘Firsts’ for the night included fractal digital projections on the Bridge; a midnight fireworks display choreographed to an all-Australian soundtrack, and an event website with ability to download a special New Year’s Eve anthem, and a ‘new improved’ App.

Facebook and Twitter invited people to share their dreams in a ‘virtual dream-catcher’ and as a result of careful, creative planning Imagination grew the event in terms of media buzz and global reach.

Media coverage over four months touched 79 million sets of eyeballs, with the total PR exposure was valued at a whopping $9.7 million. In 2010 the total media reach was only 60 million and media coverage valued at just 6.3million.

Overseas the story of Sydney as the New Year’s capital of the world also ‘went ballistic,’ receiving over 1000 mentions in the Europe and US. In China Beijing TV boomed the night’s proceedings into millions of homes and in France 10 million people watched a special news report by Renaud Villain on TFI.

Imagination’s General Manager and Project Director Heath Campanaro, the man responsible for putting together the all-star creative team to bring off the event is quick to point out the significance of the Event for Australian tourism.

“New Year’s Eve effectively sells Sydney to the world,” Campanaro said. “This event is designed to touch as many people as possible and to let them all know what’s great about being Australian. In 2011 we celebrated our diversity and positivity, encouraging people to consider 2012 as an opportunity to dream.

“Our decision to work with an Australia icon each year, like design luminary Marc Newson, is a deliberate move to showcase Sydney as a creative hub, ” Campanaro said.

Waterfall by Tokujin Yoshioka was on display at the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation until 15 December 2011. We had the chance to meet the artist behind this breathtaking work and observe the line Yoshioka walks between art and design.

The Japanese concept of Shinrabansho – the whole of the universe, the whole of creation – has no direct translation in English. Yet when you witness Waterfall by Tokujin Yoshioka at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, you come one step closer to understanding. Waterfall is not a representation of a waterfall. It is a gallery space transformed into a giant sanctuary. Yoshioka’s Waterfall is a startling installation that inspires a naïve wanderlust.

Read the whole article on habitusliving.com.

In September 2011 Belinda Aucott joined Habitusliving.com. Working as a content consultant on the companion website to Habitus magazine. Working on creating the ultimate Design Hunter’s website, she has helped Indesign to execute social media strategy and worked with the Marketing Team on PR collateral and syndication.

In December the magazine and website were both relaunched with new graphic elements and simplification by Studio one8one7.

Read the story here.

In October 2011 Yarn PR teamed up with Play Communication to create bespoke celebrity experiences in Daylesford.

Daylesford is Australia’s very own spa and wellness destination promoted as offering rest and rejuvenation by Tourism Victoria.

During November 2011 we invited prominent Australian designers Fleur Wood and Akira Isogawa to travel to Dayelsford to experience premium getaways with close friends and family.

See below some snaps of Fleur Wood enjoying her time in Lakeleigh property with her 9month old son Billy. Images by James Gear, courtesy of Tourism Victoria and Fleur Wood.

Read about Fleur’s impressions of Daylesford on her Fashion, Food and Friends blog.

Visit Victoria

Play Communication

During the September and December Belinda Aucott guest edited the Food & Wine section of Gentleman’s Quarterly.

In June 2011 award-winning journalist John Connell and Publicist Belinda Aucott from Yarn PR teamed up to stage a demonstration against the detainment of Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei in Beijing. A protest was staged at Chinese Embassy in Camperdown on 23 June and an open letter created to media and government officials.

In the letter to the Chinese Ambassador to Australian Yen Chuming, signatories including; Warwick Thornton, Anna Schwartz, Morry Schwartz, David Malouf, and Jane Campion expressed their deep concern for Ai Wei Wei’s detainment and called on the Chinese Government to free Ai WeiWei or give him a fair and open trial.

On Thursday 23 June news reached Australia that Ai Wei Wei had been released from jail and placed under house arrest. The protest went ahead as planned– in a symbol designed to mark the artist communities dismay with the treatment of artists in China today. The protest was covered by The Thousands, Radio National, Reuters, FBi, Pedestrian and the ABC.

For the full press release read here. Image 1: Fountain of Light by Ai Wei Wei 2007; image 3: Ai Wei Wei being released from prison in China June 23 2011.

The historic Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa has been welcoming visitors since 1895 and will soon play host to some celebrity guests. As part of an experiential campaign by Play Communication, high-profile Fashion Designers in Sydney, will be invited to visit the bathhouse as part of premium spa holiday. Guests that are predicted to travel to the region include Fleur Wood, Akira Isogawa, Gail Elliot and Colette Dinnigan.