The first Shift Studio D&AD Shift with Google, the mentorship programme for Shift graduates, has chosen its winners. 15 of the programme’s London and New York alumni were selected and paid to work on a guided brief set by Disney, mentored by Chloe Templeman and fellow creatives from Design Bridge.
Disney asked Shifters to engage young, diverse and socially conscious consumers with National Geographic. Participants worked in teams to develop a fresh creative idea that would speak directly to Gen-Z audiences and included a 12-month roll-out plan.
Colby Pelfrey, Ebika Pinneh and Jael Umerah-Makelemi were the winning team of Shifters. Their idea, Unbox Your World, aimed to make exploration more attainable for Gen Zers – by providing “phygital” tools to create a new wave of “globe steppers” who are empowered to capture their world.
Shift Studio and Shift Campus were introduced this year as extensions of D&AD Shift with Google, which aims to uncover, support and ultimately help secure jobs for creative talent who are self-made and non-university educated. The two programs provide more opportunities for emerging talent to hone their skills, establish a network and develop their portfolios. Meanwhile, this year’s in-person Shift London night school is now open for entries until 20 2022.
Shift Studio enables D&AD Shift night school alumni to continue to develop their skills and portfolio through a paid stint to respond to a live client brief. The program brings together established Shifters with more recent alumni to work with senior creatives and leading global brands such as Disney, Google, giffgaff and Here Design. If a brand partner chooses to take a creative idea forward, there will be either a paid placement or the global brand will buy the IP out for commercial use. The program also enables brands to tap into fresh talent and new creative perspectives, lived experiences and authentic approaches to help tackle business and societal challenges.
Colby Pelfrey, Shift New York Alum 2019 and Disney brief winner, commented, “Studio pulled me out of my comfort zone and challenged me creatively in ways that felt productive toward my future goals. The team at Shift were always there to help, but I felt in total control. I got to drive the car, they gave me the keys and the gas.”
Shift Campus is a new free digital training platform and is aimed at a wide audience from school leavers to career changers. The four-week program allows learners to access at their own pace and the digital portal opens up the Shift curriculum globally. The curriculum provides information about the creative industries and the roles available, allows emerging talent to gain a deeper understanding of pathways into employment and provides an opportunity to connect with a like-minded community of learners. Participants will receive certification on completion of the course and the programme will end with a global showcase to engage potential employers. Shift Campus is running as a beta version from today, with full public roll-out in July. Find information at Shift Campus online.
Paul Drake, foundations director at D&AD, commented, “The creative industry must adapt quickly if it’s to remain representative of the themes and discussions that currently permeate society. Not to mention the fact that we all rely on creative thinkers to imagine the future we want. It’s only by having a more diverse and inclusive industry that we will contribute to meaningful progress, which is why we’re making a significant effort by expanding our Shift activities in partnership with Google.”
Dan Germain, executive creative director EMEA, Google, added, “I love this partnership. We are continuously inspired by the incredible projects and the diverse creative talent we meet. We’re very proud to support the night school and play a part in cultivating connections and sharing knowledge which can truly impact the careers of the Shifters, and through them, the creative industry as a whole.”
Chloe Templeman, Shift Studio executive creative director & Design Bridge creative director, stated, “I’ve been working with Shift for the last 7 years, and every year I am blown away by the raw talent that comes through the programme. We wanted to enable more amazing collaboration between alumni and continue to change the face of the industry by bringing the freshest talent together to make a first of its kind Studio.
The Studio has shown that the passion, work ethic and great creative ideas from the night school continue to burn bright in our alumni. I loved every minute, and I truly learned as much from them as I hope they did from me as Studio ECD. The Studio proves that you don’t need a degree, you just need a chance and someone to back you, and I’m excited to see where the next brief takes us.” Templeman has donated her fee from Shift Studio towards starting a tech fund for Shifters.
The digital learning platform launches alongside this year’s D&AD Shift with Google free programme in London which is open to applications from aspiring creatives without traditional, university-level qualifications. In 2021, more than 18 agencies, 30+ industry instructors and 21 mentors participated and contributed to the programme. As a result, 67% of the graduates from the Shift programme went on to secure placements and jobs at leading creative companies such as Droga5, The Mill, McCann and Design Bridge.
Successful applicants will gain a place in the night school running from July to October 2022. Applicants will get the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects that reflect the latest trends and topics of the industry, brought together in a final showcase of creative work in November 2022. Applications are now being accepted and will be open until May 20 2022. Find everything you need to know at Shift with Google London.
