We speak to Channel 4 about how it is providing more creative career opportunities across the UK’s regions, plus why an increasing number of brands are setting their sights beyond the London bubble...
Gradwatch 2022: Marina Garcia Salcedo, Nottingham Trent University
“I think I’ve always enjoyed packaging, even before university,” says Nottingham Trent University graduate, Marina Garcia Salcedo. This much is evident from her portfolio, which features a range of bright, colourful projects that lean heavily into the world of packaging. There’s Gutted, a probiotic beer brand that features chunky type and geometric shapes; Mush, a mushroom coffee brand with a…...
Leibniz unveils a tasty new look
Founded in 1889 by Hermann Bahlsen, German family enterprise Bahlsen is one of Europe’s most successful confectionary companies. Arguably its most famous brand is Leibniz, which is instantly recognisable thanks to its teeth-shaped design and the ‘Leibniz Butterkeks’ typeface imprinted on the biscuit. While perceptions of Leibniz today are steeped in history, brand agency Auge Design was tasked… Source...
Gradwatch 2022: Ying Zeng, London College of Communication
Originally from China, Ying Zeng’s introduction to animation, while studying at Jiangnan University in Jiangsu Province, wasn’t exactly what she’d expected when she embarked on a creative career. “I didn’t have the luxury of freedom to experiment with themes or techniques,” she tells CR. “Students were told to follow instructions and do tedious daily practice on standard industry software… Source...
Inside the VFX talent crisis
The VFX industry has been hit by talent shortages, leaving crews under-resourced and over-stretched. We speak to four facilities – DNEG, Coffee & TV, Framestore and Cheat – about what’s led to the recruitment issues in the UK and what can be done to remedy them...
Why businesses should be led by designers
The pandemic forced digital transformation upon many companies sooner than planned, but digital-first experiences and brand interactions are undoubtedly here to stay. Consensus is growing that design deserves a seat at the top table of global business as we shape how the brands of the future look and behave. In a blog post explaining his choice to invest in collaborative...
Why does the creative industry have so few mothers at the top?
We discuss how parenthood affects people’s relationships with their creative identities, and explore the new mindset the industry could adapt to close the career gap for mums...
New Carlsberg campaign takes us on a “three-decade pub crawl”
Carlsberg has sponsored Liverpool FC for 30 years this season, making the partnership the longest-running in the Premier League. To mark the occasion, the Danish beer brand has launched a new multi-channel campaign, dubbed Forever Fans and helmed by by The Network, a global network comprised of independent agencies. A film directed by Danish director Tore Frandsen is at the...
Gradwatch 2022: Niall Hodson, London College of Fashion
“I think there’s nothing better than a good story, and I believe that everyone’s got a story to tell,” says Niall Hodson. “I’m a real hater of being on my phone all the time and I like writing things down and listening to people’s tales – usually they’ll have a great phrase or something, and they always seem to resonate...
Gradwatch 2022: Eden Poole, Winchester School of Art
“I’ve always struggled with the idea of having a ‘style’: I just wanted to be able to create what I wanted to create in that moment in time,” says Winchester School of Art grad Eden Poole. She needn’t have worried, however, having emerged from her Graphic Arts course with a distinctive but hugely versatile style of motion graphics that ranges...
Harriet Noble tackles health and human nature in her sunny illustrations
Harriet Noble’s illustration practice is rooted, like most creatives, in those formative childhood years. Her use of paper in particular stems from her days creating shoebox buildings and furniture out of paper and card, which have translated into her leggy characters and layered scenes that are often constructed from paper today. Noble came from a fine art background but found...
Does the creative industry have an age problem?
Older creatives have bags of experience and the ability to crack a brief like a walnut. So why aren’t studios and agencies hiring and keeping hold of more of them?...