The brand identity for D&AD 2016, designed by London creative studio, The Beautiful Meme, is a glimpse of the work to come. The social campaign is the first of the striking creative work that will be released ahead of the D&AD Festival in April. The Beautiful Meme has designed the entire identity for the festival, from a fully fledged digital campaign to the on-site environmental – all to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Tom Sharp, creative director, The Beautiful Meme promised, “Expect surrealist imagery. Gnomic statements. Thoughts about the nature of chasing perfection. Jokes about monkeys. Poetry. General tricksterism really. All exploring why creativity matters.”
The agency has been shortlisted for Campaign Big Awards, won Design Week Awards and were judged the Best Small Agency Brand in the 2015 UK Agency Awards.
Sharp’s vision is to make the studio the best in the world by “never being boring. That means odd collaborations, experiments – both failed and successful – by having artists and scientists living with us, by delivering the design and advertising we create for brands and by allowing for chaos.” At the core of the studio is a belief in Tricksterism, which Sharp describes as, “simultaneously taking everything too seriously and not very seriously at all. Inviting Eris in. Trusting in chaos. Then crafting the ideas obsessively. At their best our collaborations conjure all of this up.” [from interview with Miss Kiki Salon]
D&AD president and Havas London executive creative director, Andy Sandoz, commented, “I admire The Beautiful Meme’s work for the way they use both striking visual and striking words to great effect. Their work also shows a lot of heart and a lot of punk, that’s the spirit I wanted for the festival.
“The brief I gave them for the festival is to carry the conversation beyond the jury rooms and into the main public areas. To capture and share the human energy and passion that is inspired by a building full of the greatest design and advertising work in the world. Open up what we mean when we say Nothing Matters More.”
Sharp added, “We’ve been thinking about all the different voices that will be at the festival. The judges, the visitors, the brands, the speakers and the people showing work. Everyone has a different opinion on why nothing matters more than creativity. We think the debates, as much as the agreements are what makes D&AD such a powerful organisation. Our work throughout the festival mirrors the maelstrom of opinions that D&AD instigates.”
This is the first time that D&AD has held an event of this kind – a three-day festival with headline talks from Sir Paul Smith and Sir Martin Sorrell as well as talks and panels hosted by over 150 from the world’s top tier in design and advertising. The Festival will take place at the Old Truman Brewery in London from the April 20-22 2016. A three-day pass will cost £185 (£92.50 members/ £55 students) and will enable an all-access pass to all main and fringe events.
Want to go? Buy tickets here.
