Public information people trust
Flood risk, water quality, land use and net zero, explained clearly and accessibly so communities know what to do.
Trusted by
The challenge
Good environmental work is often hard to explain
The science is complex, trust in green claims is low, and attention is short. We help each kind of organisation get past that.
Campaigns that move supporters
Stories that win volunteers, members and funding, and impact reports that funders read to the end.
Proof, not greenwash
Communication that shows the evidence behind your actions and products, and is honest about what is still to do.
“Working with Tommy has brought exceptional results, far beyond our expectations: hundreds of thousands of views, and a real understanding of the project’s complexities. We trust him to work independently with sensitive clients, given his confident and considered approach to relationship management. He offers sound strategic advice and is much more than simply a film-maker, albeit a good one of those!”
Selected work
Projects that changed what people did
Watch the films, then open each project for the challenge, what we made and the results.
A River Set Free
Environment Agency · Natural England · Tweed Forum
Restoring the River Breamish. Bringing together national resilience strategy with on-the-ground partnership action, with 2.5 km of river restored.
132kYouTube views
3.4mImpressions
Project details
The challenge
Part of the £5.4 million EU-funded LIFE Waders project, the restoration of the River Breamish on Northumberland’s Harehope Estate was 15 years in the making. The film had to show why, and how, a project costing nearly £3 million was justified economically, environmentally and socially, to three audiences at once:
- The public: to build support for the policy and inform without lecturing.
- Landowners: whose consent the work depends on, and who needed to trust the partners.
- Private funders: as large schemes rely more on blended finance, to position Tweed Forum as a credible delivery partner for future funding.
What we did
Tommy brought more than 20 years in business and a multidisciplinary environmental degree to the brief: the experience to win the trust of every kind of stakeholder, and to turn complex science into a clear, watchable story.
We filmed the project, managed a team of skilled freelancers and guided the steering group through the story. Few creatives can lead both the big-picture strategy and the detail of great film-making. At Oxbow, we do both.
132,000YouTube views
3.4mImpressions
1,200Engagements
21Pieces of earned coverage
2.5 kmRiver restored
3Partners: two agencies, one charity
Partners: Environment Agency, Natural England, Tweed Forum · Oxbow: strategy, filming and production
Trails on Trial
Specialized · Patagonia
Facilitating a new way of working between UK land managers and the bike-riding public.
120kYouTube views
900+Engagements
Project details
The challenge
Soil Searching is Specialized’s CSR programme, and it is far more than lip service to the people and places that help Specialized exist as a brand. The team is passionate about bringing the joy of mountain biking to more people, whatever bike they ride.
UK mountain biking had reached an inflection point: growing quickly, but with little connection between the big providers of recreational land and the riders actually using it.
What we did
Acting as an independent go-between, we created a programme of media, workshops and talks to bridge that gap.
120kYouTube views
1m+Views across social
900+Engagements
8Film nights
5Round tables
3Outdoor festival awards
1Trail fund raffle
Clients: Specialized (Soil Searching), Patagonia · Oxbow: media, workshops and talks
Restoring the River Till
Tweed Forum
Bringing the worthwhile but little-known work of a few to the many: more than 100,000 views and a surge of interest that keeps building.
105kYouTube views
175kViews across social
Project details
The challenge
Celebrate ten years of a significant environmental restoration programme: build public awareness, highlight achievements to funders and strengthen influence on policy decisions.
What we did
We created the digital media strategy and plan for YouTube and social, and secured earned PR on the back of it.
105kYouTube views
175kViews across social
9×More views than any previous Tweed Forum project
Client: Tweed Forum · Oxbow: digital media strategy, planning and PR
The Slymefoot Slide
Wahoo · Komoot
Helping recreationalists understand river health.
275kViews on social
Award-winningRoute creation
Project details
The challenge
Raise awareness of how technology and apps can take us to new places, teach us new things and reconnect us with the natural world.
What we did
We created a new route from scratch through the wild Northumbrian hills, made a short documentary and more than 25 social media assets, and ran a four-day press camp for eight media outlets. The result: 47 pieces of earned coverage, from the sports press to National Geographic Traveller.
47Pieces of earned coverage
25+Social media assets
8Media on a four-day press camp
Clients: Wahoo, Komoot · Oxbow: route design, documentary, social content and press
Reconnecting Wooler Water
Environment Agency
Helping secure a future for Atlantic salmon on the Wooler Water.
10+Charitable trusts engaged
Holding pageWebsite development
Project details
The challenge
Wooler Water holds the last physical barrier anywhere in the vast Tweed catchment that salmon and sea trout simply can’t clear. The project had been running for 15 years and needed fresh impetus.
What we did
We pushed the boundaries, and our client, to tell the story through the prism of Atlantic salmon. With striking illustration and animation, we made complex messages simple and clear, so audiences could understand the threats salmon face.
10+Charitable funding trusts engaged
8Presentations direct to funders
5Stakeholders brought together
Client: Environment Agency · Oxbow: story, illustration and animation
“Tommy has helped us move into a space that our audience cares about: the natural world. We can go to him with vague and ambiguous requests, and we always get a deck back that understands our strategic priorities, and a project that distils them.”
Gallery
Behind the films and campaigns
Stills, screenshots and moments from the field.
What we make
From strategy development to digital campaigns
We listen first, then create.
Campaigns
Public information and behaviour-change campaigns, from strategy to street.
Reports and data
Annual, impact and evidence reports, with charts and maps that make data clear.
Brand identity and strategy
Brands for programmes, partnerships and places that need to be recognised and trusted.
Film and photography
Short films and stills from the field, made with the people who do the work.
Print, signage and interpretation
Brochures, leaflets and printed materials, plus panels, trails and wayfinding for parks, reserves and rivers.
Digital
Websites, interactive tools and social content that people use and share.
“Tommy’s ability to listen carefully and understand the competing priorities in a large, complex organisation like ours is a real asset. He brings dynamism from business and creativity through his storytelling, and he has helped connect us with significant funders through his network.”
Our approach
“A river adapts to its surroundings and climate. So do we.”
An oxbow lake forms when a river cuts through a bend and finds a shorter route. We do the same with complex environmental subjects: find the clear message, and keep the place it came from in view.
Plain, not preachy
We explain the science in everyday words and never lecture.
Evidence first
We lead with what was measured, where and when.
Human scale
We tell stories of real places and the people who care for them.
Honest hope
We show what works without hiding what does not.
Ways to work together
Start small, or bring us the whole programme
Every project gets a fixed-fee proposal with a clear timeline, so budget holders know what they are signing off.
Discovery sprint
Find the message before you spend on media.
£2,500 fixed fee
- Site visits and stakeholder interviews
- Audience and channel review
- One clear message and plan
Most requested
Campaign
From mini campaigns to large, multimedia, long-running campaigns.
from £9,750
- Strategy, creative and production
- Film, print, digital and on-site
- Results report at the end
Report
Annual, impact and evidence reports people read to the end.
from £4,300
- Writing, editing and design
- Charts and maps that make data clear
- Print and accessible digital versions
Ongoing partner
A studio on call for programmes that run for years.
from £2,200 per month
- Agreed monthly hours
- Quarterly reporting
- Priority turnaround
Questions
Before you get in touch
How much does a project cost?
It depends on scope. After a first call we send a fixed-fee proposal, broken down by phase, so you can see exactly where the budget goes. Print, media and venue costs are quoted separately.
How long does a project take?
We agree the timeline in the proposal, phase by phase, and work back from any fixed dates such as a launch, a funding deadline or a season on site.
How do you measure results?
We agree the measures at the start, such as reach, views, cost per action or sign-ups, and track them through the project. You get a results report at the end, including what did not work.
Do you work with public-sector procurement?
Yes. Tell us which framework or process you use and we will shape the proposal to fit it.
Next step
Let’s find the clear course together
Tell us about your project. We will reply to arrange a short call about what you need and what success looks like.