GREGGS launch Christmas charity single in aid of Help for Heroes

Watch it on YouTube!

Pre-order it from 7digital from 12 December

Download it from a range of websites from 18 December

It’s just 99p per download, with at least 68p going to Help For Heroes

http://youtu.be/64jp6H_tHug

Greggs are releasing a Christmas charity hit in aid of Help for Heroes.

The single is called ‘Not the Christmas Number 1’ and it’s a celebration of all the little things that make Christmas special.

• Crowd-sourced lyrics - The lyrics were crowd-sourced by hundreds of Greggs Facebook fans and Twitter followers.

• Festive Jake - The project has a unique figurehead and ringmaster in the shape of a Greggs Festive Bake! He is a jolly little chap and his name is Festive Jake. He is rapidly becoming a Twitter celebrity.

Read the story of the whole project - how it came about and who has been involved - in Festive Jake’s blog.

• The band - The song was written and performed by up-and-coming indie band, ‘Silvers’.

Everyone involved has contributed their time and skills for free - or not for profit. This project brought together an amazing collection of creative talent - united in their desire to create something amazing for such a good cause. Greggs would like to thank everyone involved...

The single was recorded at Britannia Row Studios, previously used by iconic bands such as Pink Floyd.

Metropolis mastered the final track to make it sound fantastic on all different kinds of speakers.

The project was conceived, managed and brought to life by digital agency STEEL.

The lyrics were the inspiration for a giant festive mural which became the centre-piece of the video for Not the Christmas Number 1.

• Illustration - The mural was designed and realised by Oli Fape and friends. He’s a Hand-letterer/ Typographer and Illustrator.

• The music video - The video was shot in time lapse and the illustration team painted the mural in the background of the video shoot throughout the day - with various scenes being played out in front of them - including live action sections for the chorus of the song. Time-lapse photography was provided by Regenology, using used 2 time-lapse cameras (DSLRs) and 2 video cameras. The video was constructed from 25,000 still photographs.

The video was shot at Holborn Studios.

• Band of Brothers - Members of the Band of Brothers and Band of Sisters, service men and women who have been helped by Help for Heroes since 9/11, joined Greggs staff, the band and lots more eager volunteers to make the music video.

Video editing was by Pantechnicon.

Colour grading of the final video was by Irresistible.

Digital distribution and promotion is by Believe Digital.

Ken McMeikan, Greggs Chief Executive, said...

“There are so many people for whom Christmas can be a difficult time, with loved ones, family and friends absent.

We have many employees and customers who have relatives and friends serving in the armed forces and we wanted to do something a bit special for them, but in a fun way, involving our 300,000 Facebook fans and Twitter followers.

This single by indie band Silvers is quirky, very different and whilst we certainly don’t have any expectations of getting to Number one, hence the title of our song, we do hope to raise as much money as we can for Help for Heroes.”

Bryn Parry, CEO and co-founder of Help for Heroes, said...

“We are delighted to be involved in this exciting, festive project. The money Greggs raise is needed, it is being used and it is hugely appreciated; sadly, we need a great deal more. You are part of something very British and wonderful and I would like to say thank you for this and every other fund-raising event that it inspires.”

Mark Lanchbery, Band of Brothers, said...

“It’s so important to have companies such as Greggs supporting Help for Heroes and raising awareness. It’s also really nice for us to know that injured soldiers are being thought of - and that what we do is appreciated.

Every penny raised for Help for Heroes goes directly to help people like us - and we can see where the money is being spent - and that’s on really practical stuff such as wheelchairs, rehab centres and all the equipment we need to get better as quickly as possible. And it all gets spent - nothing is left in the bank.”

For more information, please call Robbie or Claire in the Greggs Press Officeon 0161 236 2277 or email Robbie.platt@eurorscg.com andclaire.boyd@eurorscg.com

or

For more information about Help for Heroes, please contact the Press Office on 01725 514 276 or email prcomms@helpforheroes.org.uk

Notes to Editors

ABOUT GREGGS:

• Greggs is the UK’s leading bakery retailer with more than 1,540 shops nationwide and serving over six million customers a week in Britain

• Expert bakers for more than 70 years, Greggs specialise in daily fresh shop-made sandwiches on Greggs own baked bread, and savouries baked off fresh in the shop ovens throughout the day, including the iconic Greggs sausage roll

• These lines are complemented by a wide range of muffins, cupcakes and other confectionery, and a wide range of take home bread and rolls

• Greggs has ten regional bakeries around the UK, supplying fresh bakery food to its shops in that region

• For more information about Greggs, visit www.greggs.co.uk, or follow them on Facebook.

• Anyone interested in working for Greggs can apply at www.greggsfamily.co.uk

Notes to Editors

ABOUT HELP FOR HEROES:

• Thanks to the fantastic British Public, Help for Heroes (H4H) has raised over £117m since its launch in October 2007

• All over the country, people are baking cakes, shaving heads, parachuting, walking, hiking, cycling and much more to raise money for our heroes

• H4H does not seek to criticise or be political. Our goal is to assist and work closely with the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force to provide support where it is most needed

• To date, all monies raised for H4H have spent or allocated on the direct, practical support of our Servicemen and women who are wounded, injured or have become sick while in the service of our country, to include support and assistance to their families when appropriate. For information on how we spend your money, visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk/how_we_spend.html

• H4H has funded a variety of projects including the £8m Rehabilitation Complex at Headley Court, a new £3.5m treatment centre for Combat Stress, £1m for adaptive adventure training through the Battle Back programme and the creation of a £6m Quick Reaction Fund to support individuals in need

• In February 2010, H4H announced its key role in the creation of five regional Personnel Recovery Centres (PRCs), which provide, in partnership with the MOD, The Royal British Legion and other Service charities, on-going training and support for the wounded after Headley Court. Locations of the PRCs are Edinburgh, Colchester, Catterick, Tidworth and Plymouth

Notes to Editors

ABOUT H4H TRADING:

• Help for Heroes Trading retails a wide range of branded merchandise to help offset the running costs of the Charity

• Every hoodie, mug and calendar sold ensures as much as possible from donations goes to fund direct, practical support for our wounded servicemen and women

• Emma Parry is Managing Director of Help for Heroes Trading

Notes to Editors

HELP FOR HEROES FACTS:

• The most money collected in a single day is £1,521,659.93 on 20th October 2008

• The average age of employees at Help for Heroes is 34

• Over 25,000 fundraising events took place since the beginning of the charity, with approximately 500 registering each week

• Our mascot, Hero Bear, participates in challenges such as the parachute jump, The Big Battlefield Bike Ride and the Kilimanjaro Trek!

• Celebrities such as Billy Connolly, the England Cricket Team, Princes William and Harry, Al Murray wear our H4H wristbands

• 91% of H4H staff participates in fundraising events or challenges to raise money for the wounded

• Since the formation of Battle Back in 2008, a total of 12 athletes represented Great Britain in two winter and five summer Paralympic games

Notes to Editors

About STEEL:

• STEEL is an integrated digital marketing agency specialising in digital planning and strategy, eCRM, web and mobile development, social media and display creative. STEEL’s mantra is ‘smart digital thinking’ and we work from the basis that consumers see brands not channels. STEEL facilitates engaging two-way communication between consumers and their clients. STEEL’s current client list includes Debenhams, TalkTalk, BBC Worldwide and Greggs the Bakers.