Few symbols maintain the identical weight within the artistic trade because the D&AD Pencil. It is sharp, iconic, immediately recognisable, and it has been a beacon of excellence since 1962.
This 12 months, that legacy has been reframed for the long run in a brand new marketing campaign and expertise crafted by world model company Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR).
Underneath the rallying cry ‘Drawn to Create’, the brand new identification positions D&AD not simply as a choose of the trade’s greatest work however as a gravitational drive that pulls individuals into the craft, into the neighborhood, and into creativity itself. The marketing campaign is a part of a broader push to unify D&AD’s model ecosystem and future-proof its presence throughout digital and bodily touchpoints.
“This is not simply in regards to the award any extra. It is in regards to the pleasure of making and sharing,” stated Lisa Smith, world govt artistic director at JKR. “D&AD has all the time celebrated the perfect in creativity, however now greater than ever, it is a spot the place individuals come collectively to attach, change concepts, and rejoice the artistic journey as a neighborhood.”
On the centre of the marketing campaign is the easy however potent phrase: Drawn to. It speaks to the magnetic pull that drives artistic minds, not simply towards a purpose however towards a course of, individuals, and function. It is a platform that is each expansive and intimate, permitting area for various tales and expressions underneath a unified message.
To floor the identification in one thing visually ownable, JKR partnered with Studio DRAMA to develop a customized typeface: Pencil Gothic. It is a font rooted within the form language of the D&AD Pencil itself – full with hexagonal types, 30-degree terminals, and chiselled particulars – although, past type, it is also extremely purposeful, constructed for worldwide use and digital flexibility.
“We wished a typeface that felt prefer it had all the time belonged to the model,” stated Chris Nott, artistic director at Studio DRAMA. “Pencil Gothic offers the Pencil its voice.”
This voice extends throughout each touchpoint, from broadcast graphics and backdrops to social content material and movement design. Titles animate into place with precision, and messaging strikes a cautious steadiness between boldness and approachability. The general really feel is assured but by no means closed off, inviting participation.
This 12 months’s D&AD Competition took over London’s Southbank Centre, with the brand new identification dropped at life via immersive graphics, spatial design, and interactive installations. From the outset, the purpose was to create an setting that not solely showcased work but in addition invited individuals to be a part of the artistic power.
“We wished to fairly actually draw individuals into the occasion,” stated Margarita Ianev, type and area director at JKR. “Design performed an enormous function, in fact – however greater than that, it was about constructing experiences that helped individuals join with D&AD in a significant means and go away feeling impressed to be a part of that neighborhood.”
Attendees might discover a two-day exhibition of profitable work, customise their very own clothes at an interactive embroidery station, and even take residence personalised prints from a robotic poster machine. A big-scale 3D Pencil sculpture turned a residing paintings as company and performers added their very own drawings to it over time.
Restricted-edition merch and tactile, high-quality signage added additional layers of interplay all through the area. It was a marketing campaign designed not simply to rejoice creativity however to embody it.
The marketing campaign, launched in April, aimed to construct anticipation for the pageant and encourage world participation, which clearly had the specified impact. This 12 months’s awards noticed a file variety of entries and essentially the most geographically various submission pool within the occasion’s historical past.
“We had been delighted to work with JKR on the artistic marketing campaign and occasion branding,” stated Donal Keenan, awards & pageant director at D&AD. “As a a number of award-winning company, they not solely introduced the artistic thought but in addition marketing campaign design experience.
“We love the artistic. It was partaking and uplifting all through, bringing a way of heat and artistic aptitude to the judging, pageant, and ceremony occasions – all whereas completely complementing the D&AD model.”
Crucially, the brand new identification is not a one-off. It has been designed with longevity in thoughts, extending throughout digital platforms, speaker content material, rankings, and the annual publication. It is a year-round system that permits D&AD to keep up momentum, evolve, and proceed to draw the artistic trade.
It is clear that JKR sought to ship greater than only a design replace. It is extra of a model behaviour that enables D&AD to specific not simply what it celebrates however the way it operates.
It is an method that feels particularly related right now as artistic communities search areas which can be each aspirational and inclusive. It reminds us that whereas the Pencil stands out as the image of accomplishment, the journey is the place the magic actually lives.
