ATTIK's Co-Founders Win Association of Colleges Gold Award

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Jun 15, 2010, 12:56 ET

LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Business partners Simon Needham and James Sommerville of global creative agency ATTIK (www.attik.com) have notched up another top honour: the prestigious Association of Colleges (AoC) Gold Award. The pair was nominated by Kirklees College, West Yorkshire, for their ongoing contributions to design.

The AoC Charitable Trust presents the Gold Awards to a select number of former College students each year in recognition of the vital role of further education in their careers, and their continuing achievements in their chosen fields. Other winners of this year's AoC Gold Awards include BAFTA award-winning actor Colin Firth, businesswoman and star of BBC television's "Dragons' Den" Deborah Meaden, executive director and chief economist at the Bank of England Spencer Dale, Paralympic cyclist, swimmer and disability sport ambassador Sarah Storey, police superintendent and 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games team member Leroy Logan, and global filmmaker and adventurer Emma Brumpton. Along with the other honorees, James accepted the award on his and Simon's behalf today in a ceremony at the House of Commons.

Simon and James, whose enduring creative partnership began at Kirklees College, studied the National Diploma in Typography, Photography and Graphic Composition from 1984 to 1986 at the Batley School of Art, now part of the College. In 1987, they received a 2,000 pound Sterling grant from the Prince's Trust Business Programme and joined forces to launch their design studio. They now run the renowned global creative agency, with offices in London, Leeds, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

"For both of us, attending College was difficult," said James. "Beyond taking classes and performing our studies, it required us to believe in ideas and prospects that were well beyond our real-world experiences, up to that point."

"Participation in academia definitely legitimized the pursuit of our beliefs," Simon added, "allowing us to meet under the best of circumstances, and united us in the goal of achieving success."

Today, ATTIK helps some of the world's most forward-thinking companies engage and build meaningful connections with their customers. Their clients include Coca-Cola, adidas, Sony, Lexus, Scion, Virgin and Heineken UK. In 2004, James and Simon were invited to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace in recognition of ATTIK's contributions to design.

James is well known on the design and business lecture circuit internationally, and is an active member of The Prince's Trust Enterprises, acting as an adviser and serving as a high-profile ambassador for the Trust, while also leading ATTIK's practice in Europe.

Simon, who is now mainly based on America's West Coast, has led the agency's expansion into multiple disciplines within the communications industry, from strategic brand planning and film direction to print, broadcast and web design, picking up many international advertising industry honors along the way.

The Association of Colleges' Chief Executive, Martin Doel, said: "The AoC Gold Awards draw attention to the superb work done by both students and their Colleges across a variety of sectors and prove that, no matter what your aspirations, further education can make a significant contribution to your future success. I'd like to extend my congratulations to Simon and James, who demonstrate just how far students can go when their talent and ambition is both recognised and nurtured."

For further information on the Association of Colleges and the AoC Gold Awards, please visit www.aoc.co.uk.

About ATTIK

ATTIK (www.attik.com) is a global creative agency focused on developing integrated advertising, digital and branded experiences. Specifically, the agency's expertise in strategic planning, design, advertising, production, client service and research has driven extraordinary success across most consumer product and service categories. Articulating corporate brand strategy and designing creative solutions for advertising, below-the-line and online media, ATTIK ensures target audiences are vitally connected to client brands. For inquiries, please call Ric Peralta ([email protected]) at +1-415-284-2600.

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James Sommerville

https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=40333

Ric Peralta

https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=33059

Simon Needham

https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=42438

SOURCE ATTIK