Below is reprinted from The Creative Review UK Blog:In order to provide imagery for the divider pages of this year’s D&AD Annual, Fabrica (who are designing the Annual this year) invited creatives around the world to take a picture featuring a D&AD flag. The flags were sent out in a pack giving detailed instructions on the brief and how to submit images, the best of which are featured in the 2007 D&AD Annual, out on 4 September. Former D&AD President and founder of CDT Design, Mike Dempsey, however, used his opportunity to point out that perhaps this wasn’t the most environmentally sound exercise they could have come up with…Dempsey’s response (above) is titled “D&AD’s contribution to the concerns of our planet”. It then goes on to question the point of producing a lavish pack that was sent to 500 D&AD members around the world “asking them to ’show off’ for no useful reason at all. Is this a responsible thing for D&AD to do at this moment in time?” he asks.His image, unsurprisingly, was not one of those chosen to feature in the final Annual (although to D&AD’s credit, they did include it among a selection of images sent to journalists). However, two other somewhat cheeky contributions did make it in.Dave King from M&C Saatchi in Australia seems to be implying that a D&AD Award is not quite as important to him as those from Cannes in his image.While another former D&AD President, Michael Johnson of Johnson Banks, came up with this less-than-reverent idea (Photographer, Richard Maxted):Others, however, took on the brief in a spirit perhaps closer to what was intended…Such as Rosie Arnold from BBH. Photographer, Jonathan Kitchen:And This Is Real Art’s Paul Belford:And Quentin Newark of Atelier Works:Other contributors included Steve Royle of The Chase Photographer, Paul Thompson:The Glue Society. Photographer, Sam Hibbard:The Designers Republic:Margaret Calvert:Ruth Bellotti of Publicis Mojo:Lance Wyman. Photographer, Jonathan Posnett:Clemenger BBDO. Photographer, Matt Hoyle:Stephen Bell, Adam Ellis, Wendy Lewis and Joel Pearce of CPB:Eike Koenig of The Hort:And Rune Høgsberg / Bleed :The D&AD Annual is published on 4 September. It is only available to members, click here for details----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I don't know if I'm unimpressed with these entries because I've been spoiled by seeing so much untapped creativity on the web... or because I've been in the advertising art direction business for 20 years+. But if this is the best that 'creatives' can do with this assignment, it's no wonder so many people I know have stopped looking at the annual D&AD books.
