For all those hoping to kick-start a creative career, the D&AD New Blood Award briefs have been released. Show off what you can do by helping the world’s leading brands such as Audible, BBC, Disney, Duolingo, Google Fonts, Netflix, Penguin and Snapchat reach their next goals. The New Blood Awards are open to any new and emerging creatives aged 18 or over without significant experience in a paid creative role. More information on eligibility, how to enter and download the briefs, can be found on the D&AD website.
This year’s eighteen briefs span disciplines such as UX/UI, animation, advertising, typography and PR. They are designed to provide aspiring creatives with experience working on client briefs. Entrants will also have the chance to show their work and have it judged by leading industry figures, and perhaps win a Pencil, a place in the D&AD New Blood Academy, and be featured in the iconic D&AD Annual.
The briefs for a campaign engaging audiences with non-English language Netflix originals or encouraging open conversations about mental health with Walkers invite emerging talent to use their creativity to address commercial challenges, social issues and environmental responsibility. Additional briefs include harnessing animation to evoke empowerment and relatability for Disney Princess, repositioning sexual and reproductive health rights as an opportunity to address the climate crisis with The Case For Her and Project Drawdown, and mobilising Augmented Reality to encourage acts of kindness with Snap.
To ensure the awards are widely accessible, there are no formal education requirements and the eligibility criteria surrounding age for entry was removed in 2019, meaning anyone aged 18 or over without significant paid creative experience can enter and make a start on their creative career.
The briefs can be downloaded now from today via the D&AD website, with entries opening in January and closing on March 22 2022.
The winners will be revealed shortly after and receive a prestigious New Blood Pencil as well as a place in the D&AD New Blood Academy. This year, D&AD is partnering with Canva to offer the D&AD New Blood Toolbox. The collaboration will provide New Blood Awards entrants with access to Canva’s platform where they can make use of premium templates, fonts, videos and features to support their brief responses.
D&AD will also be launching the first ever Augmented Reality brief, in partnership with Snapchat.
Will Scougal, global director creative strategy at Snapchat, commented, “Launching the first ever AR brief with New Blood is a reflection of not only the seismic shift in the way that people use AR day today but of how brands increasingly see it as an essential tool for driving business results. We’re really just at the beginning of exploring craft in AR and there’s already so much for new creatives and brands to get excited about.”
D&AD is also collaborating with advanced website creation platform, Editor X on New Blood: The Portfolios. A brand new awards category that will recognise excellent portfolio websites across a number of disciplines, including advertising, animation, illustration, graphic design, digital. Content will be released during the year to support emerging talent as they create their portfolios, culminating in a call for submissions in Summer 2022, where D&AD and Editor X will select and promote a curated selection of must-see portfolios. To be kept in the loop about this initiative, emerging talent are encouraged to sign up here.
Paul Drake, foundations director at D&AD, stated, “The New Blood Awards have always connected budding creatives with leading brands and practitioners, enabling them to refine their skills and give them a taste of the reality of the industry. This has never been more important, as this cohort faces ongoing disruption and uncertainty as they launch their creative careers. With our new Toolbox and Portfolio initiatives, we hope to deliver further support, learning and inspiration for emerging talent, and empower them to fulfill their creative potential.”
Rebecca Wright, D&AD president, added, “The next generation of creatives are the guardians and future of the industry. They will drive a more equal and sustainable world and it is vital we provide them with the tools, support and networks they need to thrive. Creatives of all levels can learn from and be inspired by the insights and approaches this year’s New Blood cohort will bring. We can’t wait to see what they do.”
