D&AD New Blood Quickfire, short-form versions of traditional New Blood briefs, is well underway. These briefs are set over 6-week periods with accompanying short courses, to offer more flexible opportunities for emerging talent to impress industry leaders during the pandemic, learn new skills and expand their portfolios while job opportunities are increasingly difficult to access. The second brief has been released, set by Chivas Regal. The task for prospective creatives is to bring the brand to a younger market with a social media campaign and show that there’s more to Scotch Whisky than just being on the rocks. The campaign must not alienate the brand’s loyal cohort of whisky drinkers.
New Blood Quickfire, formerly known as New Blood Shots, was launched in October 2020 to soften the blow that Covid has created by reducing levels of employment. More talented young people are searching for jobs and, in turn, ways to stand out. D&AD has collaborated with leading brands, agencies and organisations to offer emerging creatives a way to showcase their skills and land a paid commission or employment. The first brief, set in December by publisher HarperCollins and the C.S Lewis Company, asked creatives to rebrand The Chronicles of Narnia for a modern audience.
Paul Drake, foundations director at D&AD, commented, “As the coronavirus causes ongoing disruption to the creative industries, upcoming talents are struggling to network with and learn from creative practitioners at a time when they need it most. New Blood has always been in place to help connect creative education and the industry at large, a gap that has only widened in the past year. Quickfire allows aspiring creatives another platform to showcase their skills, stand out and impress industry leaders, as well as get a taste of working on a live brief.”
Martin Jaskolowski, global marketing at Chivas Regal, added, “As we enter a new year, engaging the next generation of consumers is an essential part of Chivas Regal’s growth and development. D&AD has always been a powerful organisation through which to engage with emerging creative thinkers. Collaborating with the New Blood team through a Quickfire brief feels like the perfect fit, and we can’t wait to see the exciting creative talent that this challenge will inspire.”
Entries are now open to any new and emerging creatives aged 18 or over without significant experience in a paid creative role, with the deadline for submissions being March 4 2021. Find more information on eligibility, how to enter and links to download the brief on the D&AD website.
