What can a child’s soft toy teach us about empathy? According to Israeli graphic artist Noma Bar, a lot. Best known for his minimal 2D illustration work and his collaborations with high profile authors, magazines and newspapers, Bar’s latest project has seen him venture out into the world of 3D art – more specifically, art involving stuffed toys. Titled Transitions...
Okocha Obasi’s mission to challenge the status quo
The graphic designer and art director discusses why he thinks university is a scam, feeling othered, and finding joy in his current design role at creative agency Futurimpose...
Taika Waititi takes the reins for Amazon’s Christmas ad
It wouldn’t be the Christmas ad season without a little bit of festive schmaltz, and this year Amazon has delivered the goods with an especially heartfelt spot. Lucky Generals, the agency behind the brand’s holiday campaign since 2017, decided to bring in the big guns to pull off its vision, enlisting the help of Academy Award-winning director, writer and actor...
Entertainment as a means to an end
The director Ebeneza Blanche is behind imaginative shorts and music videos for Little Simz and Skepta. But he wants his audiences to come away informed, not just entertained...
DixonBaxi subverts power imbalances with its GoTyme Bank identity
Branding agency DixonBaxi has partnered with Johannesburg-based Tyme Bank to create branding for a new fintech brand in the Philippines called GoTyme Bank. Designed to help “democratise financial services” in the country, the branding for GoTyme reflects the company’s commitment to openness, accessibility and empowerment. Following extensive market research, the team at DixonBaxi realised that… Source...
On the potential for experiential
Designer and creative technologist Helena Dong is building a career creating fun AR experiences for brands. And she’s only just scratched the surface of what’s possible...
Counter-Print’s new book explores why mascots are “having a bit of a moment”
Monsieur Bibendum, Tony the Tiger, the Jolly Green Giant … the world of branding has a huge cast of characters and more are being added all the time. In Mascot, Counter-Print tries to get to the bottom of our fascination with them. “Interest in the animal as a logo or symbol dates way back in the history of art, past...
On levelling the digital playing field
The Berlin-based 3D artist Harriet Davey reflects on the brand-creator paradigm and why digital futures are only as expansive as the teams making them...
Penny’s Christmas ad offers no escapism from life’s challenges
Penny is building a reputation for creating Christmas ads that come with a dose of emotional devastation, after last year’s ad The Wish tackled some of the regrets and sadness of the pandemic (and picked up a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for Film Craft earlier this year). Audiences will therefore likely brace themselves for what this year brings from...
New Beats ad focuses on the pressures facing footballers
While no mention of the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar is explicitly made in the spot, which is by Uncommon Creative Studio, it’s obvious that this is the event that the players are all gearing up for. The ad brings together four players battling different demons or obstacles: England’s Bukayo Saka, who has been the recipient of online hate;...
How embracing change can lead to a better career
Angela Kirkwood’s punky, vintage-style graphics have found a legion of fans on social media – and the story behind her distinctive style is one of gleeful rule-breaking...
Speed is of the essence for video production success
A telling statistic stood out in the opening keynote for this year’s Adobe MAX: according to David Wadhwani, chief business officer at Adobe, four in five creative professionals find it challenging to keep up with content creation demands. Nowhere is this more evident than video production, where processes and workflows are complex, multiple overlapping variables can shift the goalposts with...