The CR Annual 2020: celebrating the year’s best creative work
The Creative Review Annual 2020 is open for entries now – deadline November 22. Find out all the details of how, why and where to enter here
Why brands need to be bolder and braver than ever
The world doesn’t want to spend less money; it just wants to spend it better, says Paul Austin, Director and Founding Partner of Made Thought. Here he expounds on how the brands that can deliver bold experiences will be the ones that succeed
John Lewis and Waitrose’ Christmas ad is a fairytale heartwarmer
The retailers’ first joint festive campaign since rebranding last year tells the tale of an excitable (and incredibly cute, obviously) dragon called Edgar
How I Got Here: Gail Anderson
We talk to designer, writer and educator Gail Anderson about the mentors who shaped her career, diversity in the industry and her ever-growing collections of ‘things’
Michel Gondry directs HP’s Christmas ad
The brand’s festive spot offers a modern take on the 12 days of Christmas, and in classic Gondry style, features a host of playful in-camera effects
The art of Max Cooper
We talk to the producer about his AV show and visual album Yearning for the Infinite, and delve into how his background shaped his creative endeavours and why nature is fertile ground for creative experimentation
Latest from CR
The Conversation Issue
The latest issue of Creative Review is all about seeing things in a new light. We’ve brought together artists, designers and even figures in politics for a range of conversations on the pressing issues of today
The Annual 2020
The CR Annual is one of the most respected and trusted awards for the creative industries – we celebrate the best creative work of the year, as well its creators and commissioners
Print is dead heavy
Enjoy six heavyweight print issues a year, including The Annual and The Photography Annual, when you subscribe to CR. Always tip your postman.
Pat Martin on his award-winning series Goldie
Following his win of the prestigious Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2019 last week, the LA-based photographer talks us through healing family relationships and documenting his late mother’s life through photography
How I Got Here: Paper artist Matthew Shlian
For over a decade, Matthew Shlian has been working magic on paper. As he prepares his first monograph, he chats with CR about the influence of science, and how he creates visual illusions with nothing more than clever cuts and folds
In need of some life lessons? This book has 99 of them
Hundred – What You Learn in a Lifetime brings together life wisdom from people of all ages, accompanied with bright and charming illustrations by Valerio Vidali
Boots’ Christmas campaign curates gift lists for even the trickiest of customers
Themed ‘Bootiques’ will be popping up across the UK to help you make the right purchase for your loved one, whether it’s the moody tweenager or the person who loves working out almost as much as they love talking about working out
M&S puts a new spin on the Christmas jumper in its festive ad
Soundtracked by – you guessed it – House of Pain’s classic party starter Jump Around, the spot invites shoppers to ‘go jumpers’ for the festive season
Zao and the addiction to Face Value
CR columnist and AI maestro Perry Nightingale tries out the hugely popular Chinese deepfake app Zao, and after getting over some language barriers is surprisingly excited by what he discovers
Festive home shame? Ikea’s Christmas ad has got you covered
The retailer’s first ever Christmas campaign in the UK and Ireland urges the poor souls taking on hosting duties this year to ‘silence the critics’, which in this case take the form of a series of judgemental figurines
Kate Dawkins on creating respectful memorial experiences
Having worked on a series of events commemorating pivotal moments in both the First and Second World Wars, the BAFTA-winning designer and creative director discusses balancing light and dark on memorial projects
Jaedoo Lee’s digital creations are a refreshing take on the everyday
Adopting a graphic approach to animation and illustration, Jaedoo Lee’s take on editorial commissions are a breath of fresh air
Cephas Williams on 56 Black Men and racial stereotypes
Following the success of his poignant photo series 56 Black Men, the project’s founder Cephas Williams discusses why misconceptions are rife in media and the change we need to see
A conversation about storytelling
Punchdrunk’s Stephen Dobbie and Game of Thrones Production Designer Deborah Riley discuss how great stories get told, and why the boundaries between on-screen and real-life narratives are blurring The ability to spin a good yarn is an essential skill in the creative industries. Whether you’re making a blockbuster ad campaign or a long-running TV series, […]
Fan theories inspire The End of the F***ing World’s new campaign
The cult TV show is back for a second series. To celebrate, Channel 4 has created a printed comic and a set of animations inspired by fan theories on what happened after the end of season one
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: Mark Ronson’s interactive music video
Made for Instagram Stories, the video for Mark Ronson’s track Pieces of Us combines vertical creative with playful stickers and AR effects
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
On Brief: Yes Tribe x Oliver Sin
Our On Brief project pairs emerging creative talent with startups, non-profits and community groups to produce scroll-stopping visuals for Facebook and Instagram. Here we take a look at Oliver Sin’s animations for Yes Tribe
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: Time to Change’s mental health Messenger bot
Talking about mental health can be daunting – but Ogilvy & Mather and Facebook Creative Shop’s Messenger bot for Time to Change aims to make the process a little easier
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: Farfetch, The World Through Fashion
Farfetch created a wealth of Instagram content to promote its new initiative, Farfetch Communities, which allows shoppers to browse curated edits from a global community of creatives, including Adwoa Aboah and Riz Ahmed
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Great Work: KFC’s KFChill
Mother combined mindfulness and gravy in its January campaign for KFC, leading to news headlines and an appearance on a well-known US talk show. We talk to Mother’s ECD Hermeti Balarin and Digital Strategy Director Vairi MacLennan about the project
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
Insights: How to brief for mobile
A good brief is key to creating a successful mobile campaign. But how should brands and agencies approach briefing for mobile? We take a look at three successful campaigns for Libresse, Snickers and M&M’s
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
In partnership with Facebook & Instagram
On Brief: Papier x Thomas Harnett O’Meara
Our On Brief project pairs emerging creative talent with startups to produce scroll-stopping visuals for Facebook and Instagram. Here we take a look at Thomas Harnett O’Meara’s collaboration with stationery brand Papier
