Latest news with #KenRobertson
Irish Times
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Kneecap's provocative poster campaign very much on-brand
The posters that appeared in London the day before Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, aka Mo Chara's appearance in court on terrorism-related charges, were very much on-brand. Using the green, white and orange of the Tricolour, giant letters spell out 'More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara'. Strategically located near Westminster magistrates court, the three posters include a supersized 96-sheet and two 48-sheet billboards and are set to remain for two weeks. Also last Tuesday night, the same visual was projected on to three London buildings: Camden's Electric Ballroom, the location of the Kneecap performance last November that triggered the police investigation, as well as County Hall at Southbank and The Strand in central London. READ MORE The visual, says Ken Robertson, 'reclaims the language of historic exclusion as a message of solidarity, resistance, and cultural pride'. Irish immigrants to London in the 1950s and 1960s reported seeing 'No blacks, no dogs, no Irish' signs in boarding-house windows and it's a phrase that lives in the memory, thick with racism and bigotry. Robertson's agency, The Tenth Man, created the campaign and its instinctive alignment with the group's public image comes from a history of collaboration that goes back to 2018, long before the rap trio's fame exploded beyond Belfast. That was the year the agency was established in Dublin by Robertson and fellow advertising creative Richard Seabrooke. From the start it set up an annual list to pick out 20 'culture makers' doing interesting, meaningful and impactful work. That's how Kneecap came on its radar. In the past seven years the agency has collaborated with the Irish language rappers on music videos and political campaigns. Probably its most provocative – and headline grabbing – idea for Kneecap before this billboard campaign was for the Sundance Film Festival last year. The trio – Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí, real name JJ Ó Dochartaigh and Móglaí Bap, real name Naoise Ó Cairealláin – arrived at the festival where its Irish language film Kneecap was premiering in a replica RUC Land Rover. According to Robertson it is a movie prop, sourced for the stunt from an American film studio. [ Kneecap should be commended rather than condemned Opens in new window ] It's not hard to imagine that whatever modest outlay it took to get it to the festival was recouped multiple times over in the media exposure it helped the rappers from Northern Ireland win in the US and back home. The Tenth Man funded the London billboards because 'it views this campaign not just as solidarity, but as a defence of cultural freedom in a time of rising political censorship'. It floated several ideas past Dan Lambert, Kneecap's manager and this was chosen as the most impactful. Before setting up the agency, Robertson spent 18 years at Paddy Power, the gambling giant now part of Flutter Entertainment. He was its first marketing executive in 1999 – given the title of head of mischief – and he went on to create numerous provocative and controversial campaigns often in immediate reaction to events in the news or popular culture. It's a dubious distinction – which he would be the first to admit – but he created the UK's most complained about advertisement with the 2015 campaign that featured Paralympian Oscar Pistorius then on trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. It offered punters their money back if he was cleared (he wasn't). Looking back at his work at Paddy Power, Robertson acknowledges that some of the campaigns 'haven't aged well' though he says the brand was the 'ultimate category challenger' with a target of mostly young men. The brief was to connect with them, often saying the things they thought but wouldn't say out loud. 'Am I 100 per cent proud of all the work [I did there]? No. What I did learn though is that there is a dotted line from that to Kneecap; to having the bravery to create a campaign that's provocative, that is going to land in the right place. It is always going to rub some people up the wrong way.' A knock-on benefit for The Tenth Man of creating such attention-grabbing messaging must also be the exposure it brings to the agency, which last year expanded into the UK with a London office. Its own logo is underneath the band's balaclava-inspired logo on the posters. The office in Spittalfields now employs six people while the Dublin office has grown to 60. The agency, he says, appeals to clients who value cultural relevance and want to communicate with a younger demographic. The brands it has done work for include Guinness, Rockshore, Jameson and Stella McCartney. 'We are known for our disruptive creative work across music, fashion and youth culture; we've built a reputation for backing artists who push against the grain.' [ Kneecap case: 'A woman pointed to a sniggering Móglaí Bap as the magistrate asked if anyone knew an Irish interpreter' Opens in new window ] A recent new business win is Three Ireland as the telecom's 'lead partner for creative channel marketing' (Boys and Girls is the company's brand agency). Concert goers who saw Kneecap last Thursday in Dublin's Fairview Park will also have seen the More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara visual. It was on pop-up billboards at the stage. So could it become part of the band's merchandise, for example on T-shirts? Why not, says Robertson, 'if someone wants to do it, please do. The message is there to be taken and amplified'. By the weekend Kneecap were still in the news with questions being asked in the UK as to whether the BBC would or should televise the rappers' upcoming Glastonbury set. The broadcaster then issued a statement saying filming will go ahead although its editorial guidelines, which among other things prohibit 'unjustifiably offensive language', must be adhered to. As to whether a publicity stunt similar to the London billboards is in the works for Glastonbury – it is after all a large audience – Robertson says nothing is planned, although an 'as yet' seems to hang in the air.
Global News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Canada election 2025: Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies is a federal riding located in British Columbia and is a new riding in the 2025 Canadian election. Voters will decide who will represent Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies in British Columbia during the upcoming Canadian election on April 28, 2025. Visit this page on election night for a complete breakdown of up to the minute results. Candidates Conservative: Mel Arnold (Incumbent) Liberal: Ken Robertson NDP: Phaedra Idzan Green: Owen Madden People's Party: John Michael Henry
Trade Arabia
17-04-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
AJEX named ‘Last-Mile Provider of the Year'
AJEX Logistics Services, a leading Middle East-based specialist in express distribution and shipping solutions, was named 'Last-Mile Provider of the Year' at the Logistics and Transport KSA Awards 2025. The award ceremony, which brought together the Kingdom's top logistics players, took place at the Voco, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The award was accepted on behalf of AJEX by Chief E-Commerce Officer, Ken Robertson, and Director of E-Commerce Operations in Saudi Arabia, Vladimir Rulevoy. This latest recognition underscores the rapid rise of AJEX in the logistics sector and its growing role in shaping the future of last-mile delivery in the kingdom. Since launching operations in 2021, AJEX has built a strong reputation for fast, reliable, and innovative customer-focused solutions—attributes which have become essential in today's fast-growing eCommerce-driven economy, the company said. 'We are delighted to be recognized at the Logistics and Transport KSA Awards 2025 as the leading last-mile provider in Saudi Arabia,' said Ken Robertson, Chief E-Commerce Officer at AJEX. 'At AJEX, we pride ourselves on our customer-centric and tech-driven approach, which continues to fuel our success. Today, we are proud to lead the market, setting new benchmarks for speed, reliability, and innovation in the last-mile sector.' With operations spanning the kingdom and beyond, AJEX offers a full suite of last mile services tailored to the needs of both B2C and B2B clients. B2C solutions include eCommerce Express, eCommerce Same Day, and eCommerce Reverse Pick-up, while B2B solutions include parcel and palletized road services to FTL and industrial solutions. Backed by a robust logistics infrastructure — comprising over 1,000 vehicles, 60+ facilities, seven transportation hubs, and a workforce of more than 1,800 team members, AJEX has a high-performance network designed to ensure the reliable and timely delivery of critical shipments across urban and remote areas in support of Vision 2030 goals. - TradeArabia News Service
