Description: Apollo Blinds is the UK's largest retail blind store chain, with over 75 stores throughout Britain and Ireland.
Opportunities: Franchises available in all areas of the UK and Ireland.

Business Type: Franchise.
Minimum Investment: £14,900.
Financing Assistance: Yes, through a third party.
Training Provided: Yes.
Home-based: Yes.
BFA Full Member: Yes.

Request Information From This Franchise Add this franchise to your request list and continue browsing.

BAFTA duo delight Apollo Blinds with new DVD

December 1, 2006

Britain’s biggest blind store chain has turned to one of the UK’s most innovative animation teams to produce its new promotional DVD. Apollo Blinds brought in Berger & Wyse because it was impressed with the team’s animations for TV programme sequences such as BBC1’s Hustle. The BAFTA nominated duo have brought to life Apollo Blinds’ new corporate branding to show just how much the light and shapes in a room are influenced by window blinds. “We knew we wanted something visually stunning and engaging, but the end product has surpassed all our expectations,” said Patrick Harrison, general manager at Apollo. Apollo Blinds has more than 85 franchised stores across the UK and Ireland.

Britain’s biggest blind store chain has turned to one of the UK’s most innovative animation teams to produce its new promotional DVD. Apollo Blinds brought in Berger & Wyse because it was impressed with the team’s animations for TV programme sequences such as BBC1’s Hustle.

The BAFTA nominated team, who also have a weekly cartoon in The Guardian, have brought to life Apollo Blinds’ new corporate branding to show just how much the light and shapes in a room are influenced by window blinds.

Apollo Blinds is rolling out the new DVD, called Light-shapes, to all its franchisees so it can be played in their showrooms. It will also be used on Apollo Blinds’ stands at events around the UK to generate more new business and enquiries from potential franchisees.

The company’s general manager, Patrick Harrison, said that using animators of the calibre of Berger & Wyse demonstrated the company’s commitment to strengthening its market leading position for providing inspiring ideas that are expertly delivered. “The DVD has been developed to show just how much a room can change through the functionality of a window blind,” he said. “Having seen examples of Berger & Wyse’s work, we quickly came to the conclusion that animation was the best way to show this, especially as light and shape can change so noticeably.”

Joe Berger from Berger & Wyse explained that they took Apollo Blinds’ still photos as the starting point, and then used animation to create a sense of volume and space, as well as forming the transition between one photograph and another. “As the photograph fades, the only thing left is the shape created by the light through the blinds and the window,” said Joe. "That sense of space was important in the music, too," adds Pascal Wyse, who worked on the sound with musicians Christopher Branch and Tom Haines.

Patrick Harrison said he is delighted with the feedback from everyone, especially franchisees, who think that this is a great representation of what the new look Apollo Blinds is aiming to achieve. “We knew we wanted something visually stunning and engaging, but the end product has surpassed all our expectations,” he added.

Apollo Blinds has more than 85 franchised stores across the UK and Ireland.