Williams Murray Hamm

Founded in 1997,[1] Williams Murray Hamm was acquired in 2006 by Loewy Group, a business that was subsequently acquired by Writtle Holdings in 2011.[2] Chairman & Founder, Richard Williams and Creative Partner, Garrick Hamm both remain on the board of directors.[3] Founding Partner, Richard Murray died in 2010.[4] Wybe Magermans[5] was appointed to the board in 2016 and became the agency's Managing Director in 2019.

WMH's work in Fast-moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) packaging for GSK's Horlicks,[6] Hovis,[7] McVitie's Jaffa Cakes[8] and Sainsbury's SO organics[9][10] and Sainsbury's Basics[11][12] led to the business being named Design Agency of the Year by Marketing Magazine in 2002 and 2004.[13]

WMH has won DBA Design Effectiveness Awards for its work on Here Organics, Sainsbury's SO organic,[14][15] Wild Brew (which also won a D&AD yellow pencil),[16][17] while Hovis and Clipper Teas won the DBA Design Effectiveness Grand Prix in 2002 and 2004 respectively.[18][19]

Notable WMH clients have included 2003's redesign of the Barclays Bank identity,[20] 2004's relaunch for Fortnum & Mason,[21] via a brand book and repackaging exercise. The company has maintained an eight-year relationship with Syngenta, the Swiss agrochemicals business.[22] Other WMH clients include Beazley Group,[23] Brummells of London,[24] Way to Blue[25] and Jamie Oliver's store Recipease venture,[26] Burger delivery start-up Chosen Bun,[27] Magic Me,[28] JuiceBurst (Purity Soft Drinks),[29] Syngenta,[30] charity Ella's Home,[31] and globally for Carlsberg[32] and Castrol.[33]

More recent work includes the launch of Waitrose & Partners Free From range of foods, creation of completely new container shipping company, Ocean Network Express (ONE), brand positioning and identity redesign for USA based food producer Lamb Weston;[34] and brand world creation for Pernod Ricard's leading boutique single malt whisky, Aberlour.

In 2015, the agency was awarded the top prize at The Drum's inaugural Dream Awards[35] and gold at the Fresh Awards[36] for its packaging design for UK erotica brand Coco de Mer.[37] Additionally, WMH won gold in the body category at the celebrated Pentawards[38] for its work with beauty brand Prismologie.[39]

2016 saw WMH's return to win gold at the Design Effectiveness Awards (Design Business Association) for their interactive brand design work with JuiceBurst (Purity Soft Drinks).[40] The award-winning continued for its brand identity and packaging work for Coco de Mer winning the coveted D&AD Yellow Pencil Award,[41] the Drum Design Award,[42] Design Week Award (Package Design Category)[43] and Creative Review Annual where it was awarded 'Best in Book: Design'.[44]

In 2017, WMH started a new division that specialises in implementing large packaging roll-out and major cross-media campaigns. WMHAdaptive works for clients such as Waitrose, Castrol and Network Rail.

• WMH updated The Little Book of Don'ts in Brand Design in 2004
• Richard Murray wrote Churnmore A True Taste of Brand Management in 2007
• The three partners delivered Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, a celebration of the company's ten years in business in 2009
• To celebrate its 20th anniversary, WMH published Blood, Sweat & Ideas. A retrospective of the agency's work over the past two decades.

• Williams Murray Hamm website