D&AD New Blood 2016 reveals Pencil award winners

D&AD’s New Blood Pencil 2016 winners have been revealed, after being selected from a list of entrants from a total of 58 different countries.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony at Village Underground, London last night, to coincide with the final day of the D&AD New Blood Festival.

To apply, entrants needed to be in full-time or part-time education, recent graduates or under the age of 23.

Black, White, Yellow, Graphic and Wood Pencil winners

Applicants were tasked with designing their projects for a particular brief by various brands, such as Dr. Martens: Celebrate Dr. Martens’ Unique Brand Using Radio’s Unique Platform.

From the entries, the judges chose two overall Black Pencil and four White Pencil Winners. A further 24 young creatives were awarded a Yellow Pencil, with 58 being given a Graphite Pencil and 111 a Wood Pencil.

Paul Drake, D&AD Foundation director says: “D&AD New blood is all about inspiring the next generation, which is where our ‘Win One, Teach One’ mantra really comes to life.”

“Winning a New Blood pencil is a huge turning point in a young creative’s career. Not only are they recognised for being the best at what they do, but they get access to a wealth of contacts and advice from professional award Pencil winners and industry experts alike.”

We’ve rounded up the winning entries below.

Black Pencil winners

James Wuds, Bottles of Squash
Brief by Dazed: Declare Independence in 15 Seconds

James Wuds decided to interpret Dazed’s brief by portraying “the feeling of being a teenager” in a series of short black and white video clips.

The videos capture the moments when you are not yet old enough to get away from your parents but are in the midst of your search for identity. Or as Wuds describes it: ‘fizzy drinks and bottles of squash”.

Jonny Kanagasooriam, creative strategy director, Dazed Media, describes Bottles of Squash as a “truly excellent stand out piece of work. Funny, poignant, cool and accomplished.”

Polina Hohonova, Retro Serif
Brief by Monotype: Use the Power of Typography to Activate Your Cause

Retro Serif seeks to revive a lost Russian language. Hohonova has used letters such as I, Ѳ and Ѣ that were abolished by the Communist Party after the Russian Revolution in 1917, due to their association with “High Russia” and the now defunct Tsarist regime.

Reviving these characters is a protest against the prescribed dictatorship of the language.

Craig Oldham, creative director & founder of Office of Craig Oldham, says: “Rarely does a piece of work have the potential to inspire change and have such a profound impact on culture and society.”

White Pencil winners

Laurens Grainger and Matt Kennedy, Every Minute Matters
Brief by Amnesty International/WPP: Break Barriers Between Young Adults and Amnesty International

These students from School of Communication Arts 2.0 have come up with a campaign for Amnesty International that allows young adults – who only call home every two weeks on average – to donate their wasted monthly phone minutes to refugees who, without a credited SIM card, are unable to call home at all.

Every Minute Matters would allow these minutes to be transferred onto an Amnesty International SIM card, which would then be distributed at refugee camps around the world.

Chloe Lam and Ryan Ho, Ford Fu
Brief by Ford: Team Up With Ford To Mobilise City-Wide Change

In response to Ford’s brief, the two Falmouth University students targeted Shanghai’s ageing population, which make up over a third of the city’s overall population.

Using Ford’s InfoCycle and E-Boke technology, with one click Ford Fu tokens send a GPS check-in to an older person’s loved one, while two clicks calls a taxi and a third alerts emergency services.

Kegan Greenfield, Better Together
Brief by Monotype: Use the Power of Typography to Activate Your Cause

The Chelsea College Art students have given a simple, modern update to the Moon Type that was designed by William Moon for visually impaired people back in 1845.

The new version – Moon Two – is a hybrid of the original typeface and Roman script. It aims to bridge the gap for children with normal sight and those who are visually impaired, who are often required to choose either visual language or a tactile alternate during the early stages of education.

Elisa Beretta, Rosita Rotondo, Alessandro, Prestia, Massimo Mazzucca and Giulia D’agosta, Human Filter
Brief by WWF: Activate A Global Conservation Community

Students from the Academy of Communication Foundation in Milan, Italy are hoping to tackle air pollution with their project for WWF.

Their proposal is simple – by washing clothes with a photocatalytic water solution, people are able absorb the same amount of nitric oxide produced by a car every day.

A WWF organised marathon that aims to spread the message could turn every runner who participates into a “human filter”.

See the full list of winners here.