D&AD Announces Briefs New Blood Awards 2017

This year’s brief line up for New Blood Awards 2017 has just been released. What does this mean? It means that the next generation of creative disruptors can now sharpen their pencils, roll up their sleeves and start tackling the real-world briefs to showcase their talent.

For 2017, D&AD’s partners are a mix of returning favourites like John Lewis, Nationwide and BBC as well as some exciting new faces with Amazon, The National Autistic Society and Squarespace signing up this year. Collaborating with the Arjowiggins brief will be Facebook, Instagram and Sony Music, whilst board game fans can cut their teeth on the Hasbro brief in collaboration with Big Potato Games. (See the full list of briefs here).

Each brief has been designed to set a unique challenge and all are supported by a great range of learning resources and industry insight. This year’s topics range from the real-world tangibility of paper to the possibilities of big data, food and drink, music and movies, finance to festivals, things to play and places to stay, education and causes to fight for.

All the briefs have been designed in collaboration with industry experts to both reflect the real current business challenges faced by modern brands and develop the creative skills most sought after by industry, ensuring that these “ones to watch” of tomorrow are ready for the challenge.

Whether it’s through launching new services or reinventing established brands, inventing crazes or revitalising causes, taking events to the world or bringing purpose to events, the New Blood of 2017 will be storytelling, shifting perceptions, standing out and shaping the future with passion.

Paul Drake, D&AD Foundation Director commented: “We need new exciting talent in this industry, and year after year we are blown away by the professionalism, ambition and skill of the work that is entered into the New Blood Awards. Answering tough, real-world briefs set by globally-renowned partners, these students show the full breadth of talent that will be entering the industry in the next few years.” 

“As always the 2017 New Blood Awards are designed to be both challenging and demanding. This year they feature a mix of topical ideas and craft-based briefs, encouraging creatives to hone their skills, test their abilities and show why those already in industry need to be looking over their shoulder.”

Open to any young creative aged 23 or under, in addition to current students and those within two years of graduation, the New Blood Awards offer tomorrow’s creative superstars a chance to tackle real briefs, set by real clients and judged by top industry creatives.

The 2017 Brief Partners:

●      Adobe

●      Amazon

●      Arjowiggins in collaboration with Facebook, Instagram and Sony Music

●      BBC

●      Crowne Plaza

●      Desperados

●      Hasbro in collaboration with Big Potato Games

●      John Lewis

●      Monotype

●      MUBI

●      Nationwide

●      Pearson

●      Respect for Animals

●      Squarespace

●      The British Army

●      The National Autistic Society

What some of this year’s returning New Blood Awards Brief Partners said about the experience: 

“What we enjoy most about setting a D&AD New Blood brief is getting to see the passion come through and the magical things these students can create with our products.”

- Emma Bryson, Digital Media Marketing Manager, Adobe

“Working with D&AD New Blood we gain creative insight. I enjoy the wealth of creative talent and the incredible quality of the presentations.”

- Ana Saenz-Castellano, Manager Creative, Brand Creative, John Lewis

“What I enjoy the most about New Blood is the breadth of creativity and original thinking. As a brand, setting a New Blood brief is a fantastic way to gain insight into this demographic and also to hear their ideas, importantly in their tone of voice.”

- Timothy Cryer, Design Lead, Nationwide

The full briefs are available for download from www.dandad.org/new-blood-awards. New creatives will have until 22 March 2017 to submit their entries, with the winners announced at the Awards Ceremony in early July 2017. Winning work will be selected by a panel of judges and awarded a Wood, Graphite, Yellow, White or Black pencil.

This year’s D&AD New Blood Awards 2017 creative campaign is being designed by The Beautiful Meme, more information on this to follow.

For more information about D&AD New Blood 2017 – including the Awards, Festival and Academy – go to www.dandad.org/newbloodawards