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
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
The Annual 2021: Meet the Judges
We’ve invited over 30 judges from across the worlds of design, marketing and advertising to judge our Annual 2021 awards. Read all about who will be viewing your work here
The D&AD Annual goes digital
D&AD has launched its first digital-only Annual – a showcase of all the winning work from its 2020 awards. The website is free to view and will prove an invaluable resource for those in the design and ad industries
Feast your eyes on the complete works of Dieter Rams
Phaidon has collected together every single product ever designed by Rams, in a hefty catalogue made in close collaboration with the designer himself
How design helped Clue build an inclusive period-tracking app
CR speaks with Clue founder Ida Tin and senior art director Marta Pucci to find out what makes for a successful femtech app, and how design and creativity has helped them create a safe space for intimate data
Reshaping the face of tech with Catty Taylor
Through her inclusive tech collective Digi-Gxl and the Institute of Digital Fashion — a URL × IRL initiative shaking up the fashion industry — artist Catty Taylor is pushing the social and cultural boundaries of technology
Creative Review Annual 2021 is open for entries!
Our showcase of world-changing creativity is open for entries now – with a deadline of December 11. Find out all the details of how, why and where to enter here
Beazley Designs of the Year 2020 reflects on a pre-pandemic world
In a departure from its usual format, the Design Museum’s Designs of the Year show takes visitors on a chronological journey from early 2019 up to January of this year – when the full scale of the coronavirus crisis was just beginning to emerge
Why Japan is the home of good design
A new book from Thames & Hudson explores how the uniquely Japanese take on design produced a wave of post-war design classics – including icons such as the Kikkoman sauce bottle and the butterfly stool
Creative collective Urge aims to help organisations fight climate change
Urge brings together creatives including Harry Pearce, Dougal Wilson, Sophie Thomas, John Grant, and Patrick Burgoyne to help organisations “stop fiddling in the margins” when it comes to climate change
Why brands should embrace second hand
Richard Hurren, vice president of European retail at Levi’s, discusses the brand’s new concept store, which focuses heavily on recycled and repaired goods, and explains why companies should be making more sustainable decisions around their products
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
