New Blood Pencil-winning work

Emotive causes, higher purpose and Snapchat featured highly in projects this year. Whilst the latter may come as no surprise, the former proves that the wider industry trend towards connecting brands with consumers on an emotional level has struck a chord with graduates. In addition, the power of ‘creativity for good’ continues to be a strong motivator with many campaigns focusing on world-changing creative ideas, resulting in four White Pencil wins across four different briefs.

Andy Sandoz, D&AD president and creative partner Havas Worldwide commented, “Our two Black Pencil winners are incredibly emotive pieces of narrative. ‘Bottles of Squash’ shows us a raw and honest time of life where the simplicity of execution belies the depth of craft that is going on. ‘Retro Serif’ wins its Pencil for the story of the censorship of language. Creating a typeface that makes a positive impact on the world is an incredibly difficult brief and they delivered a beautiful piece of work.”

Naresh Ramchandani, partner, Pentagram Design added, “The New Blood Awards represent hope and idealism, showing older creatives how new creatives can do it better and showing us that there’s a new generation coming up who are more able to change the world.”

An impressive 24 young creatives were the recipients of a Yellow Pencil this year, with two receiving the ultimate accolade, a Black Pencil. The full Pencil statistics are:

• Two Black
  
• Four White
  
• 24 Yellow
  
• 58 Graphite
  
• 111 Wood

The New Blood Awards are a platform for students and other new creatives to test their limits on real briefs, set by real clients. No other programme offers such a comprehensive test, or a more accurate representation of the challenges that await on the other side. Brand representatives and industry experts decide what work wins a coveted New Blood Pencil and the bar every year is extremely high.

Paul Drake, D&AD foundation director commented, “D&AD New blood is all about inspiring the next generation, which is where our ‘Win One, Teach One’ mantra really comes to life. Winning a New Blood pencil is a huge turning point in a young creative's career, not only are they recognised for being the best at what they do, but they get access to a wealth of contacts and advice from professional award Pencil winners and industry experts alike.”

This year’s brands and briefs

• Adobe: Remix the Adobe Creative Cloud Identity for future creators
  
• Amnesty/WPP: Break barriers between young adults and Amnesty International
  
• Crimewatch/BBC: Design a digital solution to enhance Crimewatch beyond broadcast
  
• D&AD: Fortune favours the brave
  
• Dazed: Declare independence in 15 seconds
  
• Design Bridge: Break new ground in beauty branding
  
• Desperados: Unleash urbanites’ party spirit with an unforgettable experience
  
• Dr. Martens: Celebrate Dr. Martens’ unique brand using radio’s unique platform
  
• Ford: Team up with Ford to mobilise city-wide change
  
• John Lewis: Create a window into the brand
  
• Monotype: Use the power of typography to activate your cause
  
• Nationwide: Focus nationwide’s service for the next generation
  
• Newsworks: Champion the written word in print and on screen
  
• Shutterstock: Capture dramatic narrative in everyday reality
  
• The Telegraph: Inspire a digital audience to think again about The Telegraph
  
• TOMS: Engage a new audience with the ‘Purchase With Purpose’ movement
  
• WWF: Activate a global conservation community

Black Pencil Winners

Dazed - Bottles of Squash - winner: James Wuds
“Truly excellent stand out piece of work. Funny, poignant, cool and accomplished, proud to have on Dazed.” - Jonny Kanagasooriam, creative strategy director, Dazed Media

Monotype - Retro Serif - winner: Polina Hohonova, college: Chelsea College of Arts
“Powerful. Political. Poignant. Rarely does a piece of work have the potential to inspire change and have such a profound impact on culture and society.” - Craig Oldham, creative director and founder, Office of Craig Oldham

White Pencil Winners

Amnesty International/WPP - Every Minute Matters - winners: Laurens Grainger, Matt Kennedy, college: School of Communication Arts 2.0

Ford - Ford Fu - winners: Chloe Lam, Ryan Ho, college: Falmouth University

Monotype - Better Together - winner: Kegan Greenfield, college: Chelsea College of Arts

WWF - Human Filter - winners: Elisa Beretta, Rosita Rotondo, Alessandro Prestia, Massimo Mazzucca, Giulia D'agosta, college: Fondazione Accademia di Comunicazione

Selection of Yellow Pencil Winners

Adobe - Turning Brand Identity Into User Experience - winner: Julia Baulin, college: Westerdals Oslo School of Arts Communication and Technology

Amnesty International/WPP – Profuckation - winners: Batara Bayu Soedarwanto, Kevin Wijaya,
colleges: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Loughborough University, Miami Ad School San Francisco

Monotype - Protecting Pubs Campaign - winner: Neil Bennison, college: University of Central Lancashire

Nationwide - Nationwide's YouTube Stock Exchange - winners: Ryan Leckie, Hana Ovčina, Aditya Sunilkumar, Lukas Bruhn, college: University of South Wales

WWF - Game On - winner: Simon Eden, college: Portsmouth University

To see all the winners please click here.