The London-based studio’s founder and creative director, Tan Gillies, reflects on five years of pushing against the agency machine, and the freedom that comes with staying small...
Gradwatch 2026: Harry Murray, London College of Communication
For the vast majority of people, university is an opportunity to hone their skills and expand their knowledge of their chosen subject. While that is true of Harry Murray, who recently graduated from London College of Communication with first class honours in photojournalism and documentary photography, he is also that rare example of someone who started their degree with a...
Big Issue marks 35th anniversary with city-wide protest art show
The weekly British street paper Big Issue turns 35 this year, and to mark the occasion they’re putting on a show. Presented by creative studio Grow Up in collaboration with Uncle, Paste Present Future is a visual history of protest and street art bringing together 35 contemporary artists. Taking place throughout London, the project features some big hitters from the...
Advertising’s new era of weird
Advertising has never shied away from the strange, but today’s campaigns are pushing it to new extremes. As audiences become harder to surprise, CR speaks to the agencies keeping the unhinged grounded in something meaningful...
Gradwatch 2026: Katelyn Lee, Parsons School of Design
Conceptually, graphic designer Katelyn Lee says much of her work is inspired by technology and her relationship to it, often finding herself fascinated by how embedded digital culture has become in everyday life. “Beyond that, what I crave most in response to my work is relatability: for people to engage with it and feel seen and understood, playful and a...
Gradwatch 2026: Charlie Scott, Falmouth University
Graphic design is an increasingly broad discipline, and this is something that Charlie Scott, who has recently graduated in the subject at Falmouth University, particularly enjoys. “It’s increasingly harder to define; it’s unbound by medium, and can look endlessly different,” he explains. “This keeps it exciting, and you never know what topic you’ll be doing next. “Studying design… Source...
The story behind the new French football identity
Last month, the French Football Federation unveiled a sharpened identity for its national teams. We talk to the studio about how they approached the update...
Grow’s debut ads aim to challenge perceptions of therapy
This week, US-based mental health platform Grow Therapy is launching its first-ever national brand campaign. Developed in collaboration with independent agency KDSP (formed by Wieden+Kennedy alumni Brock Kirby, Jeff Dryer, Scott Sullivan and Mollie Partesotti), it looks to challenge public discourse around mental health; specifically: what it is, who needs help with it, and where to find that help. Source...
McDonald’s brings Xbox game food to its real-world menu
McDonald’s has built on its Side Missions platform, teaming up with Xbox and a roster of major gaming franchises including World of Warcraft, Fallout, Halo: Campaign Evolved and Candy Crush for a limited-time menu and 360 campaign. The 60-second hero film, created with Leo UK, opens with a scene from Halo: Campaign Evolved, where two marines detour from their mission...
Why speed can be a creative liability
With the world moving faster and faster, it is perhaps only natural that businesses want their teams to be speedier than ever too. But for creatives, this can often make the work worse...
Gradwatch 2026: Lily Truelove & Lucy Whiskens, Manchester School of Art
At this year’s New Designers showcase in London, Manchester School of Art graduates Lily Truelove and Lucy Whiskens shared the Creative Review Award for their markedly different interpretations of a 2026 FIFA World Cup brief set by Studio Blackburn. Both of their projects are rooted in research, experimentation and a willingness to look beyond the obvious. For Truelove… Source...
Gradwatch 2026: Bea Dalley, London College of Fashion
For photographer Bea Dalley, making images allows her to “freeze moments” and turn them into something more tangible, and is a way to explore ideas that feel true to her. “I’m able to show the viewer the world the way I see things. I have always lived in my imagination and romanticised things I see as if they were in...