Creativity in Food and Drink
Just in time for the holiday season, CR talks to the creatives – including bakers, illustrators and photographers – who are adding a dash of flavour to the weird and wonderful world of food and drink
How i-D influenced fashion photography
As the iconic magazine turns 40, we examine how i-D’s embrace of subculture and the everyday reverberated across the fashion photography landscape
Behind the scenes of 2020 phenomenon Fall Guys
Lead game designer Joe Walsh discusses the creative process behind hit multiplayer game Fall Guys, including its origins in the world of madcap game shows and why clever design is key to its success
Observations of a portfolio reviewer
After a turbulent year, many creatives are in the process of refreshing their portfolios. But where to start? Here, Clare McNally of McNally Unlimited shares what she has learned from the many, many portfolio reviews she has done online
What defines studio culture now?
The hotly anticipated follow-up to Unit Editions’ 2009 book, Studio Culture, features insights from the likes of OK-RM and Peepshow about how to start, run and evolve a design studio today
Introducing CR’s Creative Effectiveness Award
We have added a Creative Effectiveness category to our Annual Awards for 2021, to acknowledge the enormous benefits that creativity brings to business
Latest from CR
Ben & Jerry’s: Peace, love and ice cream
Ben & Jerry’s global social mission officer Dave Rapaport talks to Anna Burzlaff, head of cultural insights and strategy agency Truth, about the brand’s approach to activism, and what it takes to make credible change in the world today
Can creativity save restaurants from Covid-19?
Hospitality has been hit hard by the pandemic, but in the midst of increased restrictions restaurateurs are finding creative ways to reach hungry punters at home. Here, we delve into how restaurant brands are adapting to the new normal
Xinmei Liu’s images are inspired by old Chinese propaganda posters
With commissions from the New York Times and Medium, Xinmei Liu enjoys combining nostalgia with satire to create surreal and surprising illustrations
Getting to know Tony’s Chocolonely
The Tony’s Chocolonely brand started as a way to change the cocoa industry. Here, we get an insight into its visual branding and what being a responsible chocolate brand means
How I Got Here: Brian Rea
Modern Love illustrator Brian Rea recounts a childhood filled with stories, shares the struggles of embracing his style and tells CR why words have gained a new importance for him later in his career
The BakeKing’s hyperrealistic cake creations
Ben Cullen has built up a cult following for his mesmerising illusion cakes, which have appeared everywhere from Slowthai’s recent music video to Jurgen Klopp’s birthday party. He talks about how his career journey took him from graphic design to tattooing to cake artistry
Oxford Circus’s tube signs are now PlayStation-themed
TfL’s hallowed roundel has been transformed into the iconic PlayStation symbols, as part of a stunt to celebrate the launch of Sony’s latest console
Teenagers dress for proms that never happened in Alys Tomlinson’s Lost Summer
The photographer’s portraits of teenagers, taken after the cancellation of milestone events such as proms and graduations, emphasise the impact of 2020’s summer lockdown
Can an algorithm unpick gender bias in storytelling?
A new illustrated book of classic fairytales uses technology to illuminate gender bias by reversing the gender of the characters and narratives
Irvine Welsh on creativity and cancel culture
The author explores the rise of cancel culture in new documentary Offended by Irvine Welsh, where he discusses the threat that the phenomenon poses to the creative industries and why he thinks Trainspotting wouldn’t be published today
Stanley Donwood takes uplifting new artworks to the streets
The artist and long-time Radiohead collaborator has left his “depressing flyposters” behind in favour of new artworks designed to spread joy in ten cities across the UK
The theatrics of Lucy Prebble
Following the release of her explosive phone-hack series I Hate Suzie, Lucy Prebble talks about her belief that every story benefits from a little drama, and how an ongoing infatuation with tech inspired her to write for video games
Logos are losing their taches for Movember
Julius Pringles and Colonel Sanders have both been subjected to a shave to celebrate the month-long Movember challenge
Sunil Gupta on 45 years of making pictures
As a new exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery in London brings together over four decades of his work, we speak to photographer Sunil Gupta about how his work straddles the world of activism, documentary and art
Life through an iPhone lens
Ghanaian visual artist Prince Gyasi creates striking, vivid imagery photographed with an iPhone. CR talks to him about his unconventional practice and how it helps local children get an education
Inside the surreal world of Hiro Murai
Hiro Murai’s dream-like vision has produced unforgettable imagery for artists including Childish Gambino and FKA twigs. Here, the filmmaker discusses the joys of collaboration, exploring the realm of television with the series Atlanta, and why This is America is an anomaly in music videos
Has game advertising gone soft?
With new Sony and Microsoft ad campaigns out, CR explores whether game advertising has lost its edge, and what the future holds for console makers operating in a more complicated market than ever before
Immerse yourself in the world of Accidentally Wes Anderson
The cult Instagram account celebrating real-life Anderson-esque moments has been reimagined in book form – complete with a foreword written by the director himself
Behind the scenes at Spitting Image
Satirical puppet show Spitting Image is back after a 24-year hiatus, and features everyone from President Trump’s tweeting anus to a James Corden-Cats hybrid. Here, we speak to the creatives behind the programme’s unique brand of public service satire
Creative Collaborators: How Burger King’s award-winning work gets made
Continuing our series on creative partnerships, RBI global CMO Fernando Machado and Pancho Cassis, global CCO at agency David, reveal how 5am WhatsApp chats, lawyers and healthy arguments go into Burger King’s award-winning work
Bond Redesigned: Reimagining the classic 007 film poster
Cardiff-based illustrator and graphic designer Matt Needle has spent the last seven months putting his own spin on all 25 of the original posters from the cult James Bond film franchise
Photographer Paul Graham and the Great North Road
Originally published in 1983, Graham’s first photography book A1: The Great North Road is being republished by Mack. Here he reflects on the project nearly 40 years later
Creative Inspiration
Images and ideas to feed your imagination
Advice for Creatives
Expert tips on how to navigate a creative career
The Creative Workplace
How flexible working is changing the creative process
Creativity and Coronavirus
How the creative industries are responding to the pandemic
How I Work: Photographic director Holly Hay
Wallpaper* magazine’s photographic director, Holly Hay, discusses what her day to day looks like and the kind of projects she enjoys working on most
Scarfolk’s dystopian travel guide is a fitting tribute to our turbulent times
Everyone’s favourite Orwellian time warp is hoping to capitalise on the boom in staycations with a printed guide to the area’s ‘outstanding unnatural brutality’
Should food brands look back to look forwards?
BrandOpus associate strategy director Molly Rowan Hamilton delves into the power of nostalgia, and explores the ways food and drinks brands can use it to connect with consumers
Melissa O’Shaughnessy documents the streets of New York in her first book
In a new book published by Aperture, O’Shaughnessy shares seven years worth of images that capture the hustle and bustle of the city
Pentagram gives a stretchy identity to a new craft platform
Astrid Stavro and her team play with physicality and movement in the visual identity for Maker Mile, a new platform celebrating craft around the world
How to build a food brand
From raising funding on Kickstarter to putting “a bit of disco” into the branding, Future Noodles founder Carl Clarke and Otherway’s Jono Holt take CR through the highs and lows of building a food brand
Skimming the surface of Ghana’s Lake Volta
In his new photo book, Boys of Volta, Jeremy Snell trains his lens on the children who work in the world’s largest artificial reservoir in Ghana
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: Haim’s augmented reality album cover
Fans of LA pop rock group Haim were treated to an interactive AR soundscape on Instagram to celebrate the band’s latest release
Research in marketing: why our methods need modernising
While media and marketing has grown ever-more complex in recent decades, many marketing research methods remain stuck in the 1940s. Here, Leonie Annor-Owiredu argues it’s time to move on
Camille Walala envisions a green future for London’s Oxford Street
The artist’s “what-if portrait” of the busy central London road is a far cry from pre-Covid reality, with plants and pedestrians in place of roaring traffic
Freitag wants you to swap your old bags for Black Friday
The retailer is boycotting the Black Friday hysteria with SWAP (Shopping Without Any Payment), a Tinder-inspired campaign that asks its customers to exchange their pre-loved bags with each other in order to get their hands on something ‘new’
Louise Hagger on food photography and storytelling
From her tasteful shots for the Guardian to her irreverent experiments in image-making, Louise Hagger’s food photography is underpinned by memory and emotion. She talks to us about connecting through recipes, secrets of the trade and how Instagram has impacted her practice
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
On Brief: Museum of Happiness x Hannah Jacobs
Our On Brief project pairs creative talent with startups, non-profits and community groups to create scroll-stopping visuals for Facebook and Instagram. Here we take a look at Hannah Jacobs’ collaboration with Museum of Happiness
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: Defected Records’ virtual music festival
The house label surprised dance music fans with a series of live streams – starting with a 12-hour performance broadcast from Ministry of Sound
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: WWF’s Black Friday Twist
The wildlife charity put a new spin on Black Friday sales promotions, with a series of Facebook ads urging consumers to adopt animals which are endangered or at risk
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
On Brief: Help Refugees x Luis Mazon
Our On Brief initiative pairs emerging talent with startups, charities and community groups to create scroll-stopping visuals for Facebook and Instagram. Here we take a look at Luis Mazon’s work for Help Refugees
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: Specsavers, Don’t Lose the Picture
The optician chain used AR to illustrate the effects of common eye conditions in a campaign to promote free eye tests
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Charlotte May on her vibrant still lifes
Our New Talent series highlights visual creatives who are sharing great work on Facebook and Instagram. Here we talk to photographer Charlotte May about her colourful images
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
On Brief: Freddie’s Flowers x Charlotte May
Our On Brief initiative pairs emerging talent with startups, charities and community groups to create scroll-stopping visuals for Facebook and Instagram. Here we take a look at Charlotte May’s work for Freddie’s Flowers
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Oliver Sin on his playful animations
Our New Talent series highlights visual creatives who are sharing great work on Facebook and Instagram. Here we talk to Cheltenham-based animator and former designer Oliver Sin about his work
