The competition, run out of D&AD in London, attracted entries from design and advertising students around the world. The awards - in the form of wood, yellow, white or black 'pencils' - are revered by the advertising industry for their recognition of 'outstanding work that uses the power of creativity to do good in the world'.
The students entered the prestigious global competition as part of their final year Advanced Creative Advertising course, and chose to respond to one of a range of briefs developed by the organisers.
The winning students, Jack Sullivan, Siobhan Bird, Donn Matthew Malate (Microsoft brief); Elizabeth Simpson, John Barrett, Lara Smith (John Lewis brief); Lari Smith, Madeleine Pane (Conqueror brief), travelled to London to collect their awards and stayed on for an intensive two-week 'boot camp'.
According to Siobhan Bird, the opportunity to have face to face time with some of the most inspiring creative professionals from around the world was an experience she will not forget.
“They helped us broaden our perspective on life and recognise the importance of exposing yourself to as many different things as possible,” Bird said.
“We were taught to push our creativity and realise the freedom and boundlessness of our ideas. We worked with other young, like-minded creatives to solve industry briefs and pitch to some of the best London advertising agencies.
“The D&AD New Blood Academy experience was something truly irreplaceable.”
Senior Lecturer and Program Manager Julie Bilby said that D&AD was one of a number of international creative advertising award shows that final year advertising students are encouraged to participate in.
“By responding to these award challenges, students gain exposure to 'real world' briefs, test their skills against other students internationally, and challenge their limits as far as working effectively in teams, meeting deadlines and producing highly finished work,” she said.
“Winning is the icing on the cake, but they all end up with fantastic folio pieces that undoubtedly help them win jobs after they graduate.”
The students’ winning submissions can be viewed here:
Microsoft brief - Stop Viewing. Start Doing.
John Lewis brief - Unearthed
Antalis brief - Yours Faithfully
Story: Karen Phelan
