Since 1980, the New Blood Awards has championed, educated and inspired creatives from all walks of life as they enter the workforce. At a time when the creative sector and global economy continue to feel the effects of the pandemic, D&AD are committed to continuing to offer aspiring creatives the opportunity to develop their skills as they face significant challenges entering the industry. Set by world renowned brands such as Netflix, Penguin, and Disney, and spanning disciplines such as UX/UI, animation, advertising, typography and PR, this year’s 18 briefs are designed to provide aspiring creatives with experience working on client briefs. Entrants will also have the chance to showcase their work and have it judged by leading industry figures, alongside the chance of winning a prestigious Pencil, a place in the D&AD New Blood Academy, and being featured in the iconic D&AD Annual.

From a campaign engaging UK audiences with non-English language Netflix originals, to encouraging open conversations about mental health with Walkers, this year’s briefs invite emerging talent to mobilise 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.

D&AD is dedicated to nurturing the talent pipeline while the industry undergoes seismic changes as a result of the pandemic. 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 22 March 2022. Revealed during summer 2022, the winners will receive a prestigious New Blood Pencil, alongside a place in the D&AD New Blood Academy. New this year, D&AD is partnering with leading visual communications platform 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 to day 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. Across the year, dedicated content will be released 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, commented: “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 fulfil their creative potential.”

Rebecca Wright, D&AD president, commented: “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.”

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.