Trends of the Year 2021
The second year of the pandemic brought about yet more uncertainty, but there was also plenty of innovation, humour and hope. Here we look back at the creative trends over the past 12 months
The Photography Annual 2021 Winners
Welcome to the winners showcase for this year’s Creative Review Photography Annual, where we celebrate the world of photography in all its forms – personal work, advertising, editorial, student/grad work and more. Shown here are our winners and honourable mentions for this year, selected by an expert panel of judges
Good Reads
CR’s pick of the most interesting magazines around today
The CR Archive
All subscribers have full access to the Creative Review print archive, featuring over 40 years of the magazine. Here’s some highlights of what you can discover there
Brand Profiles
Creative Review interviews the leaders behind brands that have creative thinking at their core
Seven ages of a creative
We talk to creatives aged 19 to 87 about their experiences in the creative industry, their hopes and dreams, the changes they have witnessed, and what developments they hope may come in the future
Belief
We explore how design and creativity can influence people’s beliefs and how creative thinking is being used to challenge presumptions or misunderstandings
A new campaign spells out the reality of the sewage crisis
AMV BBDO’s campaign for COPI shines a light on sewage spills in UK waterways with the help of a faecal-inspired font
Adam Morse on his journey to directing
Since losing his sight at the age of 19, the filmmaker has gone on to write and direct his first feature film, shoot a Super Bowl ad for Google, and set up a non-profit to help the next generation of disabled creative talent
Creativity Sucks! podcast returns with an episode on humour
We ease you gently into the fourth series of Creative Review’s podcast with a discussion on humour in advertising, looking at what works and what doesn’t
How accessible wayfinding is going beyond the visual
Speaking to experts in architecture and design, CR looks into how accessible wayfinding has improved by subtly tapping into other senses, and what it needs to do to be truly inclusive
The Monthly Interview: Glenn Kitson
In the first of a new interview series, Anna Higgs talks to Glenn Kitson about combining a career as an ad director with being a ‘meme lord’, and his strategies to stay centred and fresh in a world which can often just want more of the same
Loewe’s brand film finally explains how to pronounce its name
Aubrey Plaza stars in a spelling bee contest through the ages as part of a new short from Loewe, which addresses the long-standing confusion over how to pronounce the fashion brand’s name
What happened to NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens experienced a gold rush a couple of years ago, before mainstream interest waned and the market went into decline. Artist Robert Alice, who has edited an extensive new book on NFTs, talks to us about one of the most elusive, and divisive, web3 developments
Dawn Baillie’s famous movie posters go on display
The Anatomy of a Movie Poster exhibition brings together the award-winning designer’s portfolio of posters for films including The Silence of the Lambs, Little Miss Sunshine, and The Grand Budapest Hotel
Why brand language matters
Opening Line founder Zosia Swidlicka discusses why the world of brand language remains so misunderstood, and how it inspired her to create her new publication Between the Lines
Tracing the influence of prolific art director Alexey Brodovitch
An exhibition and accompanying monograph sheds light on the work of the photographer, designer and art director, who transformed the pages of Harper’s Bazaar over nearly a quarter of a century
From advertising to Hollywood and back again
It’s easy to assume that making the leap into movies is the holy grail for those in advertising, but the path between the two industries is far from one way
How to bring online fandom into the real world
Shifting online success into the real world requires a delicate balance of staying authentic to the digital community while allowing space for others to join, says Paul Tynan, creative director at I-Am