Celebrating 50 years of looking forward

D&AD/50 Birthday Dinner

To celebrate D&AD's 50th Anniversary, the D&AD/50 Birthday Dinner will take place in London in September. The evening will be an exclusive ceremony, highlighting the lives and talents that have shaped the creative industries, and celebrating the brands and businesses behind the most iconic design and advertising of the past five decades. The 50th Black Pencils will be announced and awarded, and the Yellow Pencil Winners will be honoured at the event. Tickets will be available following the Yellow Pencil Announcements in April.

D&AD Yellow Pencil Announcements 2012

The Yellow Pencil Announcements will take place on 19 April. Judging for the Awards is between 16-19 April, and press are invited to interview the judges during their deliberations.

The annual presentation of the Yellow Pencils is different for 2012. Press, nominees and judges will be invited to a theatre-style presentation. The event will be delivered by the jury foremen, including John Hegarty, David Droga, John O'Keeffe, Graham Fink, Bob Gill, Marina Willer, Morag Myerscough, Bob Greenberg and a host of other creatives. For the first time ever, the foremen will discuss highlights from the nominated work, before announcing the winners.

The presentation will take place in London's IMAX theatre. A press area will allow the Yellow Announcements to be sent out live. Black Pencil judging will be conducted by the jury Foremen on 20 April, during which the Yellow Pencil winning work will be scrutinised for consideration for what many believe to be the creative industry's most coveted prize.

Judges will be available for interview throughout judging week. Press accreditation can be acquired via the contact below. A select number of tickets will be made available to the public.

New Blood and the D&AD Student Awards Ceremony

D&AD's festival of new talent, New Blood, will take over Old Spitalfields market between 26-28 June. Over 100 of D&AD's top university courses will showcase the work of their best students, all vying for the attention of D&AD's members and industry's leading creative professionals. For the first time, the exhibition will feature virtually on the D&AD website for a global audience and this year's Festival extends the programme from around the world, from the UK to China.

The D&AD Student Awards Ceremony will be an exclusive event at New Blood on 26 June.

The Annual

This year's D&AD Annual will feature 50 bespoke dust jackets created by the likes of David Bailey, Bob Gill, Paul Smith, Nick Park, Alex Taylor, Peter Saville and Neville Brody, who will contribute new artwork to celebrate D&AD/50. The book is published by Taschen, will be curated by D&AD president Rosie Arnold and designed by Michael Johnson.

The White Pencil

The White Pencil is the first new Award D&AD has ever introduced. The award is for a creative idea that changes the world for the better.

In its first year, the White Pencil brief is a collaboration between D&AD and non-profit Peace One Day and is set for an idea that promotes the United Nations' International day of peace, 21 September. The White Pencil will be presented in November to the work that best executes the brief.

The documentary

D&AD's 50th is the inspiration behind Sky Atlantic's new one-hour documentary on the history of British advertising. Produced by RSA and featuring interviews with Dick Powell, Bob Brooks, John Hegarty, Ridley Scott and many others, the documentary references the impact of D&AD on British culture, and the influence design and advertising has had on our lives.

Ad Men will be broadcast at 9pm on Monday 26 March to coincide with the season premiere of the fifth series of Mad Men.

Go to www.dandad.org for more information.

The juries