History

Our 2007 showpiece Demolition! was an exhibition of artwork designed to be destroyed, featuring artists from London, Liverpool and Marseilles.  Held in a disused shop in the Albert Dock, Demolition! was run in partnership with Liverpool Biennial and Liverpool John Moores University. The show was a critical and popular success, utilising the high-profile venue to drive audience figures upwards of 1,000 for each integrated performance within the exhibition space. Evidence of Mercy’s ability to successfully sustain a high level of activity without grant funding, Demolition! was produced entirely with support in kind from our partners, and through a variety of slef-directed commercial enterprises; including parties, copywriting and design commissions.

At the tail end of 2007, Mercy also ran a small series of fundraiser events called Help Us to Help You – mopping up our overdraft and getting the ball rolling on a poetry and music collaboration with Wave Machines which would eventually end up spawning our Wave If You’re Really There events.

Our Agency arm started 2007 with a high profile commission for the much-vaunted second Arctic Monkeys album, 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' – director Joe Bramall developing illustrations for the campaign in collaboration with the Liverpool design studio Juno. Mercy would establish itself further as a sought-after music packaging agency when long-time clients The Wombats were signed to major label Warner Music in the summer. 3 singles and a debut album would reach the UK Top 20 before the year was out.

Away from music, we also began a long-term relationship with Manchester's Contact Theatre; developing strand identities and producing marketing print and ephemera for a wide range of performances, workshops, exhibitions and in-house material (right down to the uniforms).