SA and Joe Public feature in D&AD Annual rankings
As a country South Africa ranks 24th and the Middle East, 20th. In the agency rankings Joe Public United ranks 72. Havas Middle Easy ranks 67 and Ogilvy Africa is in 90th position.
Full rankings can be accessed here.
Free online resource
The 60th D&AD Annual is a free-to-access, digital deep-dive into the key themes and creative processes explored via Award-winning work in 2022.
As part of D&AD’s mission to stimulate creative learning as a lifelong process integral to creative practice and increase its accessibility to wider audiences, the D&AD Annual serves as the ultimate source for education and inspiration for both emerging and seasoned talent from all backgrounds.
“We are all constantly learning throughout our careers – it’s a lifelong process integral to creative practice, to innovation and to the development of our disciplines,” says Rebecca Wright, D&AD president.
“One of the most valuable sources of learning is from our peers which is why the D&AD Annual is both important and compelling,” adds Wright.
Whether you’re an aspiring creative or established practitioner, this is the ultimate benchmark for creative excellence, and a place to keep returning for inspiration and insights. It is a brilliant, beautiful and dynamic learning tool and the Still Learning Live event day is a fitting day for its launch,” Wright adds.
The launch of this year’s Annual coincides with “Still Learning Live”, a one-day, in-person talks and networking event hosted by D&AD President Rebecca Wright.
Unpacking creative excellence
More than a compilation of Award-winning work, the D&AD Annual aims to unpack how creative excellence is achieved and explore the cultural context in which Award-winning work has been created, by inviting acclaimed industry experts to offer their views and opinions around issues touched on by Pencil winners in 2022.
Across a series of 10 editorial pieces, renowned creative thinkers with diverse expertise address topics ranging from pushing back against a homogenised design aesthetic, and the evolution of fashion film; to broader cultural issues, such as race and photography; privacy in a world of sharing and surveillance; how social media has distorted young women’s sense of self, and more. A full list of these 10 Voices pieces can be found in the notes to editors.
Series of interviews
The Annual also includes a series of interviews with the creative teams behind Pencil-winning work, with designers, producers, strategists and more sharing the secrets behind how it was made, and why it embodies creative excellence.
Highlights include conversations with Andy Gent, the animation talent behind the characterful puppets that populate Wes Anderson’s fantasy worlds; director Danielle Rizkallah, walking readers through McCann Paris’ clever navigation of cultural taboos around women’s bodies, in which a Lebanese baker demonstrates the steps of a breast self-exam through kneading and pressing dough; and Arnaud Bresson, director at DIVISION, disclosing how Kanye West briefed his video team for the music video of Heaven and Hell.
A special addition to this year’s Annual is a collection of recollections written by previous Presidents in celebration of the organisation’s 60th anniversary. The Book of Presidents – a reinterpretation of the 2012 edition in celebration of D&AD’s 50th anniversary – features words from remarkable D&AD figures in the last decade, such as Laura Jordan Bambach, Neville Brody, Naresh Ramchandani and D&AD’s current President, Rebecca Wright.
Donal Keenan, awards director at D&AD, comments: “This year has been an outstanding one for global creativity, with a record-breaking number of applicants in 2022 and a total of five Black Pencils awarded to projects that have astounded us with their unique creative approaches.
“The digital Annual is the most effective way for D&AD to further celebrate and stimulate learning from Award-winning work, making it accessible to as broad and diverse a creative community as possible”.
The Annual is free to access to all and is now available to view via the D&AD website.
