Corporation Pop has been appointed to provide design and digital solutions for two universities and a government initiative.

Manchester Business School, the University of Central Lancaster (UCLan) and the Department of Children, Schools and Families (former Department for Education and Skills) have appointed the Manchester agency to provide three diverse, concept-driven design solutions.

In a four-way pitch, Corporation Pop won the brief to drive corporate interest to UCLan’s Sandbox initiative. Sandbox is a creative, technology-led workshop facility that uses offbeat methods to guarantee 100% participation and help businesses manage change internally. It uses Serious Play, a technique that encourages participants to use Lego to express their thoughts on management structures.

A Lego direct mail piece in the shape of UCLan’s Media Factory building and home to Sandbox, will contain five information leaflets prompting a call to action. Michael Meaney at Sandbox explains: “Sandbox enables businesses to engage, debate and find solutions through a unique combination of interdisciplinary activity, creative technological toolkits and expert facilitation, all under one roof. Corporation Pop really understood the concept, providing a simple and elegant solution. The use of Lego, its relationship to the building and a creative call to action should capture the imagination of potential clients and ultimately get businesses through our doors.”

Corporation Pop has also been selected by Manchester Business School to develop a virtual campus in Second Life. It will represent the school’s departments and facilities, and be used as a learning, teaching and recruitment tool.

The Department of Children, Schools and Families’ Music and Dance Scheme is using Corporation Pop’s design expertise to create an identity, website and promotional materials for an event that celebrates the achievements of the UK’s most talented young dancers and musicians. Excellent! will involve 350 young performers and take place on 15 and 16 July at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Corporation Pop will be working with The Cogency, the arts marketing specialist, to deliver the brief.

Dom Raban, Managing Director at Corporation Pop comments: “The world of education is hugely diverse, which is reflected in the briefs we have been given. We will be working to both educational and commercial objectives, exploiting the full range of opportunities creative design presents.

“We have found that universities and other academic institutions are beginning to realise the enormous potential that virtual worlds offer. This rich communications medium crosses continents, providing a creative means of facilitating communication in a way that would not be possible through web or print. Recent estimates put the number of universities with a virtual presence at over 400.”

Earlier this year Corporation Pop completed a design brief for Manchester Metropolitan University. Creativity drove the execution of a gold and fluoro pink newspaper-style evaluation report for its Arts for Health initiative.

Corporation Pop has created a Second Life for Richard Hawley, which can be found at www.copopclient.co.uk/virtualhawley

For more information on Corporation Pop visit www.copop.co.uk