March 2025 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during March 2025.
Humane Society International UK has become Humane World for Animals
More than just a name change, Humane Society International UK has changed its name to Humane World for Animals. In addition to bringing the organisation into line with its international peers, this new brand embodies its bold, transnational goal of putting an end to all forms of animal abuse.
The redesign is a daring step forward for the animal welfare cause, backed by creative firm Nexus Studios and a star-studded campaign including pop diva Sia, directed by Johnny Kelly.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Nostalgic fun for iced tea brand HALFDAY
Being the preferred brand in a market crowded with kombuchas, seltzers, and elixirs laced with adaptogens, where health-conscious consumers are growing more picky about what they buy, is no small task. However, sticking out was precisely the intention for HALFDAY, a ready-to-drink iced tea brand that seeks to strike a balance between nostalgic flavour and contemporary wellbeing.
The responsibility of redesigning HALFDAY’s visual identity and brand universe fell to Earthling Studio. With a strong dose of maverick fun, carefree escapism, and nostalgia for the 1990s, they gave it a daring new style.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
LinkedIn’s playful new campaign encourages Gen Z to find their next job
That nagging notion that perhaps a change is in order is something we’ve all experienced. Young professionals today are more prone than ever to look into new opportunities, whether it’s the allure of flexible scheduling, the prospect of professional advancement, or the pull of a more purpose-driven work.
This concept is emphasised in LinkedIn’s most recent campaign, Got Itchy Feet?, which takes the phrase literally to offer a light-hearted yet perceptive look at career conundrums.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
AI isn’t the ‘creative cure-all’ that some hoped
Video game companies are putting caution before change, according to the recently released Unity Gaming Report, which was unveiled today at GDC 2025. As the research notes, “AI hasn’t quite been the creative cure-all that some hoped,” suggesting that the time for generative AI to be the panacea for all of the industry’s issues is not yet here.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
Longbottom & Cos playfully proper rebrand
Longbottom & Co., a notable brand in the tomato juice market, has established a solid reputation for quality over the years. It has long been renowned for its dedication to using freshly pressed tomatoes and all-natural, pronounceable ingredients.
However, the issue was that its visual identity evoked a generic, own-brand aesthetic rather than reflecting its premium position. Derek&Eric, a creative agency, responded by reimagining the brand and creating a new personality for Longbottom & Co. that combines British heritage with a contemporary, fun twist.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Different Leaf evolves from cannabis magazine to creative platform
Different Leaf has been a reliable source for intelligent, superior editorial on cannabis since its launch in 2019. Established by seasoned publisher Michael Kusek, the publication established a new benchmark for examining cannabis in relation to wellness, travel, cuisine, and culture.
However, in an effort to change how cannabis is viewed and incorporated into the creative industries, Different Leaf is now changing course and relaunching as a cultural platform.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
All Flows Festival returns to Milton Keynes
Are you feeling down after February? Now, here’s something to anticipate. The atmosphere of a room filled with creative energy is really amazing. when inspiration strikes when you least expect it and thoughts flow freely.
That’s exactly what’s in store for you at All Flows 2025, the small-scale creative industries festival that’s quickly emerging as the most talked-about event for the design industry in the UK.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Use Design To Design Change
Branding is an operating system for organisations, not only a visual identity. James Hurst’s book Use Design To Design Change, which questions traditional branding narratives and offers a practical toolkit for creating brands with purpose, is based on this idea.
Hurst builds on his initial set of workshop exercises with this second edition, incorporating strategic insights, real-world experiences, and a critical viewpoint on how brands function in a constantly shifting environment.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
February 2025 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during February 2025.
Cadbury’s ‘Made to Share’ campaign
‘Made to Share’, Cadbury’s most recent integrated campaign, has once again caught the spirit of daily kindness. The chocolate company has unveiled limited-edition Dairy Milk bars that honour the little but significant actions that unite people, created in partnership with its international creative firm VCCP and using packaging created by Bulletproof.
The iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk packaging has been whimsically redesigned as the campaign’s centrepiece. These limited-edition bars use clever chunk distinctions to recognise the various roles people play in daily scenarios, giving a humorous tribute to the way we naturally share chocolate with friends and family.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Illustrators North launches in Northern Ireland
It may be a lonely life, as anyone who has pursued a solo career knows. It’s easy to become caught up in your own little world, even if you love what you do. Ashwin Chacko and Clive McFarland believe that this is particularly true for illustrators.
They understand how isolated it may be because they are authors and illustrators too. In order to create a vibrant professional community of illustrators in Northern Ireland, they founded Illustrators North.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Christie’s first AI art auction provokes fierce debate
Auction houses have already begun experimenting with AI art. ‘Autonomous AI artist’ Botto earned $351,600 at Sotheby’s last year. However, Christie’s choice to have a whole AI art auction this month is drawing a lot of criticism.
It is scarcely unexpected that there is dispute. In addition to the concern that AI would eliminate jobs for artists, many of the most well-known AI picture generators of today were trained on copyrighted content without authorisation. AI art isn’t always stealing, though. For those who oppose image generation, is this the proper battle?
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
The V&A unveils new brand
The V&A has introduced a bold new visual identity for its employer brand, created by design firm Wonderhood, in an effort to draw in and keep diverse talent. The museum is using this new approach as it deals with a changing job market following the epidemic, which has changed how people perceive work, especially in the creative industries.
With a large collection of art, design, and performance, the V&A is one of the best museums in the world, having been founded in 1852. Though the museum has been there for more than 173 years, it has also been burdened with labels of being “posh,” “traditional,” and “outdated.”
Find out more in Creative Boom.
McDonald’s launches ‘Order Like Stormzy’ campaign
As part of a new campaign created by Leo Burnett UK and Red Consultancy, McDonald’s has opened a high-profile partnership with British music legend Stormzy, urging fans to “Order like Stormzy.”
Stormzy’s signature McDonald’s order, which consists of nine McNuggets, fries, Sprite, an Oreo McFlurry, and BBQ sauce, is the centrepiece of the promotion, giving fans a taste of his favourite meal.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Sienna Martz unveils arts installation
As part of the ‘Of Wonders, Wild and New’ exhibition, which was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, a bright portal of colour and texture has blossomed within the Royal Botanical Gardens. With A Portal Blooms in the Cradle of Night, an immersive artwork that encourages sustainability and allows visitors to enter a realm where reality and magic collide, fibre artist Sienna Martz has realised her goal.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Why are so many brands ditching their logo?
The recent See You in the Morning ad by Kellogg has generated a lot of discussion about whether it was a brilliant idea or a brand disaster. It’s the former for me. It radiates confidence by reducing the brand promise to its most basic components: its recognisable script wordmark and a catchphrase that dominates the morning.
Find out more in Creative Bloq
Why brand audits are important
As a designer or agency, conducting a brand audit is common procedure when you take on a new client. This has nothing to do with accounting, despite the name. It’s ideal to think of it as a brand “health check,” which helps you and the client understand the brand’s present position, perception, and areas for improvement.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Trainline’s ‘Bums on Board’ campaign encourages Brits to take the train
Bums on Board, the newest campaign from Trainline’s sustainability program I Came by Train, is a humorous yet effective effort to get more British citizens to take the train instead of driving at least one trip.
Bums on Board is attempting to demonstrate that combating climate change can be as easy as sitting down, with comedian and actor Asim Chaudhry providing his voice to the campaign’s humorous call to action.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
January 2025 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during January 2025.
The folklore of Henry Hung Chang is rich in symbolism but has delicate colours
Born in a temple established by his grandparents, Henry Hung Chang grew up in Taiwan. He claims, “As a closed-off queer child, I was both perplexed and captivated.” He tells us that although he found many aspects of his rigidly religious upbringing challenging, he was enthralled with the folktales found in many East Asian folk faiths, including his family’s. These legendary tales from his early years would serve as a major source of inspiration for him as a painter and artist years later.
Find out more in It’s Nice That.
Microsoft’s outrageous Google website imitation branded a ‘new low’
It is said that imitation is the purest form of flattery, which may be why Dell opted to completely abandon Apple’s ‘Pro’ and ‘Pro Max’ branding schemes for its own laptops this week. Microsoft has now presented an even more egregious instance of what we may kindly refer to as “borrowing.”
The business has come under fire for mimicking the look of another reasonably well-known search engine on the Bing search results page. If you search for “Google” on Bing, you can mistakenly believe that you have truly left the latter website. Unfortunately, it appears that you are still heavily using Bing.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
Art Vinyl names Record Cover Artwork of the Year
At the Hari in Belgravia, London, Art Vinyl announced the winner of the 20th greatest Art Vinyl Award, which is the yearly art prize for the year’s greatest record cover design.
‘Love Heart Cheat Code’, the fourth studio album by the Australian jazz/funk band Hiatus Kaiyote, featured artwork by multimedia artist Rajni Perera, located in Toronto, which won first prize. The record was selected from a varied shortlist of 50 recognisable and memorable vinyl cover art pieces from 2024 and was released by Brainfeeder and Ninja Tune.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
It’s official: AI is coming for your job
Concerned about your graphic design job? If not, perhaps you ought to be. because the profession has received dismal news from the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) most recent Future of Jobs Report.
According to the 2025 research, graphic design will be the eleventh fastest-declining employment area over the next five years, with 1,000 firms representing over 14 million people across 55 nations.
Compared to the previous survey, which classified graphic design as a “moderately growing” profession, it represents a significant change. Additionally, there are no rewards for identifying the primary offender.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
From brick to banana
Before smartphones, wearable technology, and scrolling was a hobby, Nokia was the company that created the unbreakable “brick” phone, Snake battles, and personalised ringtones. During a period when technology was still figuring out its role in society, the Finnish business rose to prominence with its futuristic “banana,” which was made famous in The Matrix, sleek silver 8210, and Y2K flip phones.
Nokia shaped personality in addition to producing phones. Mobile phones were an extension of who you were before Samsungs or iPhones became the standard. Nokia made these gadgets appealing—even stylish. It was the first to use technology as a means of self-expression, when the focus was on who you were when you pulled the trigger rather than likes, comments, or shares.
Find out more in It’s Nice That.
Parkinson’s UK gets an overhaul
Parkinson’s UK and London creative agency Red Stone have partnered to give the organisation’s brand a striking new appearance that focuses on addressing the requirements of the modern Parkinson’s community. Since Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world, impacting almost 153,000 people in the UK alone, the charity sought an identity that more accurately reflected its goal of ensuring that everyone with the disease may live better today.
Understanding the lived experiences of the Parkinson’s community served as the foundation for the creative process. Red Stone engaged with more than a thousand people by holding workshops, conducting interviews, and even participating in neighbourhood gatherings.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
HOME Arches: £3.5m artist development hub opens in Manchester
The opening of a new £3.5 million artist development hub along Whitworth Street West, tucked beneath one of Manchester’s busiest railway lines, has significantly boosted the area’s arts and culture industry. HOME Arches, a component of the city’s top arts venue HOME, provides 5,000 hours of free studio, development, and manufacturing space annually in an effort to encourage local artists.
Three historic railway arches have been converted into a hub for the development of creative talent thanks to the initiative, which was partially supported by the government’s Levelling Up fund. Co-working spaces, rehearsal rooms and a specially designed public exhibition area that is visible from the street are all part of the 258 square metre building.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
2024 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during 2024.
January 2024
North Face celebrates 50 years of its parka
The North Face parka was first introduced in 1973 as technical clothing for harsh environments, but it has since evolved into a timeless item of winter apparel.
Read the article in Creative Review.
February 2024
Barbara Kruger’s ‘anti retrospective’
The artist’s latest exhibition at London’s Serpentine Gallery combines new video installations with recreated versions of earlier pieces to disorienting effect.
Anticipating her first solo institutional display in the UK in more than 20 years, Barbara Kruger’s remarks at the Serpentine opening were violently cut short. The offender? Better yet, Kruger’s body of work. Voice samples and clattering sound effects from her installations echoed around the room, competing with everything and everyone else for attention.
Read the article in Creative Review.
March 2024
AI and generative art
Refik Anadol wants to go beyond generative art’s “shiny pixels” and demystify artificial intelligence.
One of the most well-known AI artists today is Refik Anadol, a technologist and artist. Rather than merely following the trend, he has made significant contributions to its advancement.
Find out more from It’s Nice That.
April 2024
Catfluencers square off in Sheba’s latest promo
Eight of the most well-known cats on the internet are competing to be the fastest gravy licker in a competition called The Gravy Race. Even if one in four pet owners have set up a social media profile for their animal companions, regrettably, not all of them will be able to rise to the esteemed position of “petfluencer.”
Read the article in Creative Review.
May 2024
Heinz’s goal is to produce an advertisement in five days by moving “at the speed of culture.”
Since introducing its global platform “It has to be Heinz,” the food company has been able to quickly adapt to local trends and produce its most recent advertisement.
Read the article in Marketing Week.
June 2024
KFC wants us to believe again
Right now, a lot of things—like software businesses, political parties, and sports teams—are vying for our belief. All KFC wants is for you to have faith in chicken.
“Believe in Chicken” parodies the universal reality that it’s difficult to know what to genuinely believe in these days given the crazy environment we live in. According to Martin Rose, ECD at Mother, the agency behind the company’s latest campaign, KFC is aware that chicken is still the one food item on which we can all consistently rely.
Read the full article in Creative Review.
July 2024
The direction of the creative industry and strategies for surviving the next fifteen years
Creative Boom is commemorating its 15th anniversary this month. This is an excellent chance to consider how much has changed for creatives since our inception in 2007. To be honest, though, that pales in comparison to the significant upheaval the sector is expected to undergo in the next fifteen years.
Read the article in Creative Boom.
August 2024
The poetic illustrations by Samar Maakaroun for an Arabic phrase book
“Haraka baraka,” which means “movement is a blessing” in English and is used throughout the Levant and much of the Arabic-speaking world, refers to the advantages of play and activity. The phrase appears in the title of a new book of Arabic proverbs authored by Pentagram partner Samar Maakaroun, who oversaw the book’s design, and SkatePal, an organisation founded in 2013 to promote skateboarding among young people in Palestine.
Find out more in Creative Review.
September 2024
Presenting Tom Strom and his hilarious yet lethal illustrations
Tom Strom is a rising American illustrator with a background in tattoo art whose images will captivate you and maybe give you a little fright. But would life be the same without an occasional dose of danger?
Find out more in Creative Boom.
October 2024
50 typefaces that designers will like in 2025
It’s funny how typography keeps changing every year despite being primarily founded on timeless, fundamental concepts. Most significantly, some of the top font foundries are always creating new types and bringing well-loved oldies back to life.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
November 2024
Pentagram reveals the Guggenheim’s single worldwide identity
Created by Pentagram partner Harry Pearce, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, a bulwark of modern and contemporary art since 1937, has unveiled a unified visual identity. The Guggenheim’s four locations—New York, Venice, Bilbao, and the soon-to-open Abu Dhabi—are all united under the new brand system.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
December 2024
Presenting Pantone’s 2025 Colour of the Year, Mocha Mousse
One of the most closely kept secrets in the creative world is Pantone’s Colour of the Year, which was just formally revealed. We present Mocha Mousse, a “mellow brown infused with a sensorial and comforting warmth” for 2025. This shade will establish the tone for the upcoming year in interior design, fashion, and other fields.
This yearly tradition of choosing a colour that embodies the world’s zeitgeist has been one of the most talked-about occasions in the design calendar for almost 25 years.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
December 2024 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during December 2024.
How to expertly finish creative projects before the joyous holidays
Isn’t it wonderful that Christmas is approaching? Regretfully, creative professionals seldom ever use this phrase. Because even though everyone enjoys holidays, the last few weeks of the year can feel like a tightrope walk. Client requests mount, deadlines approach, and workload management becomes extremely difficult.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Type 00 is unveiled by Jaguar during Miami Art Week.
The response to Jaguar’s new visual identity introduction last month was, to put it mildly, divided. Some were perplexed by the brand’s daring choice to abandon its recognisable “growler” logo and adopt an unabashedly modernist style. For a marque with such a rich history, the change felt bold, possibly even dangerous. Critics questioned whether this redesign would fail to connect with new audiences and alienate supporters.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
The contentious new Six Nations logo
Sports teams’ and competitions’ new logos are frequently the most controversial. After all, and with good reason, sports tend to evoke more intense passion than, say, consumer goods or fashion brands. However, the magnitude of the opposition to the new Six Nations emblem might have taken organisers by surprise.
The “electrifying action” and “vital spark of connection” of the tournament are supposed to be symbolised by the new identity. However, that spark landed on social media, which is a dry tinder, and caught fire, creating a flaming pyre of mockery that now poses a threat to the men’s competition.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
AI might jeopardise up to €22 billion in earnings for producers of music and video
According to a worldwide study assessing the economic impact of AI in the music and audiovisual industries, which was commissioned by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), generative AI will see growth in both industries, but if the global copyright framework does not change, creators’ earnings are expected to decline sharply by 2028.
Find out more in Creative Industry News.
Presenting Pantone’s 2025 Colour of the Year, Mocha Mousse.
One of the most closely kept secrets in the creative world is Pantone’s Colour of the Year, which was just formally revealed. We present Mocha Mousse, a “mellow brown infused with a sensorial and comforting warmth” for 2025. This shade will establish the tone for the upcoming year in interior design, fashion, and other fields.
This yearly tradition of choosing a colour that embodies the world’s zeitgeist has been one of the most talked-about occasions in the design calendar for almost 25 years.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Salesforce’s ambitious plans to implement 1 billion enterprise AI agents in a year
Salesforce introduced Agentforce, which heralds a new era of business-useful autonomous AI-powered agents, during its annual Dreamforce conference in September. The software may open up new avenues for marketing and advertising in addition to operational management and customer service.
Find out more in The Drum.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
November 2024 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during November 2024.
The makers of Blade Runner 2049 are suing Elon Musk and Tesla
Tesla’s use of purportedly AI graphics for its Robotaxi event won’t be known for its creative value in the annals of AI art, but it might serve as a test case for copyright concerns. The production company that created Blade Runner 2049, Alcon Entertainment, is suing Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), Tesla, and Elon Musk for the images.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
Change how we age
Age UK is advocating for change in a culture that places a higher value on antiques and old paintings than on its elderly populace. Let’s Change How We Age, the charity’s most recent campaign, was introduced earlier this month with the goal of igniting a national dialogue on ageing and the urgent need to change the way we view the elderly.
The comprehensive campaign, which was developed by Neverland and supported by media partner MG OMD, includes influencer partnerships, TV, VOD, movies, social media, and OOH placements.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Homemade stop-motion by the family A Christmas movie is released on streaming services worldwide
The full-length film Steal The Naughty List, which features Kevin Sorbo as the voice actor for Hercules, will be available on major streaming services worldwide on November 15. Although it sounds like a high-end Hollywood production, a Mississippi homeschooling family actually built it.
Nathan VonMinden, an aerospace engineer, led the project. He transformed the family home’s upper floor into a professional animation studio, where he collaborated with his wife Meleice and their adolescent kids.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Pentagram reveals the Guggenheim’s single worldwide identity
Created by Pentagram partner Harry Pearce, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, a bulwark of modern and contemporary art since 1937, has unveiled a unified visual identity. The Guggenheim’s four locations—New York, Venice, Bilbao, and the soon-to-open Abu Dhabi—are all united under the new brand system.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Jiří Příhoda: Crafting spaces that defy expectations
One of the most well-known modern Czech artists is Jiří Příhoda, who pioneered a method that combines state-of-the-art technology and art historical heritage through video pieces and installations that all somehow celebrate the potential of space.
As evidenced by a number of recent pieces at the 2024 Signal Festival in Prague, he has long pushed the limits of object and building by investigating the principles of perspective and geometric proportions.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
‘Granny scambaiter’ Daisy, an AI, joins the battle against phone scammers
You cannot deny that artificial intelligence has its uses, regardless of your position on the topic. Imagine having a dream about an elderly woman with AI skills who can outsmart con artists. 02’s most recent project does just that.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Four photographers, both in front of and behind the lens, are contributing fresh viewpoints
Once controlled by a limited viewpoint, photography is currently experiencing a significant transformation. Leading this shift is the 70:15:40 Project UK, a joint effort by MPB, Peerspace, The Royal Photographic Society, SheClicks, and UK Black Female Photographers (UKBFTOG), which promotes inclusivity and diversity in the field of photography and videography.
Find out more in It’s Nice That.
Reducing the bulk and increasing the inventiveness with Joanna Blémont
Young painters like Joanna Blémont and her “silent watercolours” are needed because the world seems to be noisy and troubled right now. Her pictures’ tone and subject matter compel us to pause, inhale, and look into the peaceful worlds she evokes.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Five children’s illustrators who are a touch mysterious
Children’s publishers frequently seek mystery, atmosphere, and just the right amount of dread, but kids are aware when they’re being pandered to. Naïve artistic styles, adorable characters, and cosy environments will always be part of the category.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
October 2024 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during October 2024.
“Splintered societies” to “nouveau nihilism”: Research finds global trends for brands
Ipsos’s annual poll of 50,000 individuals in 50 different markets lists the fractured nature of globalisation, the significance of nostagia, and Gen Z’s focus in living for today as areas for companies to keep an eye on.
Find out more in Marketing Week.
Beyoncé and Levi’s recreate the iconic Laundrette commercial
The brand’s latest ad pays homage to the Nick Kamen commercial from 1985. It’s doubtful that Beyoncé or Levi’s, which is referenced in the song “Levi’s Jeans,” imagined they would be partnering on a brand six months after the release of her country album Cowboy Carter earlier this year.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Amazon’s Prime Video ad tier reaches 19 million people in the UK each month
One year after Amazon revealed it was adding advertisements to the streaming service, Prime Video’s ad-supported tier currently averages 19 million monthly users in the UK.
The statistic indicates the typical monthly number of users who might view an advertisement on the platform. Amazon has never before disclosed to the public the number of consumers its advertisements reach.
Find out more in Marketing Week.
How to set oneself apart in a crowded market as a creative
Making an impression is more important than ever in the creative profession today. Since many designers, artists, and other creatives are currently struggling, let’s face it.
Even for those who have been in business for decades, it might be difficult to earn enough commissions to cover expenses in the face of a slowing economy, declining client budgets, heightened competition, and the impending threat of artificial intelligence.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Lloyds introduces a new advertising campaign and a redesign
Under the direction of Wolff Olins and working with the bank’s internal staff, the British bank Lloyds has released a freshly revamped app that integrates its enhanced brand identity.
The app upgrade is the first product to utilise the new identification system, even though it has been in place for a few months.
Find out more in Creative Review.
How to choose the ideal music for the visual identity of your brand
Your brand’s identity is no longer limited to visual components alone in the dynamic realm of digital content development. In 2024, creating a unified and memorable brand presence now heavily relies on the audio experience.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Introducing SOOT, a visual-first filing system that creates order out of chaos
SOOT organises design files into a visual map based on colours, textures, and even visual moods, as opposed to names or dates.
Find out more in It’s Nice That.
How&How’s rebellious identity for a divinely delectable brand is Punk Not Junk
You would be appalled (though probably not too surprised) to learn that a lot of sugar, E-numbers, animal gelatine, palm oil, and occasionally even talcum powder are among the contents in many children’s treats. If only there was a way to help sweet-toothed kids without feeling guilty.
The newest hero of How&How’s branding efforts is Wild Thingz (formerly Just Wholefoods). With a focus on its goal—to develop a candy brand that kids would love and parents wouldn’t feel guilty about—it presented its new appearance today.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
This artist’s fluid pixel art animations had me spellbound
The unique animations of YUDHO are difficult to explain. He creates drawings by hand using tiny strokes, drawing inspiration from the long history of pixel art. He then animates the compositions to produce images that appear to include streams of streaming particles of substance.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
50 typefaces that designers will like in 2025
It’s funny how typography keeps changing every year despite being primarily founded on timeless, fundamental concepts. Most significantly, some of the top font foundries are always creating new types and bringing well-loved oldies back to life.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
In Stockholm, The Great Exhibition opens the only office roller coaster in the world
The Frontal Lobe, the only indoor office roller coaster in the world, has been unveiled by The Great Exhibition, a recently renamed creative company in Stockholm.
The track, which is 60 meters long, weaves through the company’s bright Liljeholmen workstation, passing past the kitchen and storage rooms, producing an unexpected encounter that is meant to leave a lasting impression.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Gen Z is featured in Channel 4’s graphic new ad just in time for Halloween
The in-house agency of Channel 4, 4Creative, is preparing a gory feast to promote Generation Z, a darkly humorous horror series by Ben Wheatley, just when you thought Halloween couldn’t get any spookier.
The drama, which is set in the made-up, dead-end hamlet of Dambury, rewrites the classic zombie apocalypse such that only the Boomers, not the young, become the flesh-hungry zombies.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
September 2024 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during September 2024.
M&S is confident enough in the fashion turnaround to launch a “curated” clothes store
It has been verified that Marks & Spencer is getting ready to open a new type of store: a stand-alone branch that will sell a “curated” selection of its beauty, menswear, and womenswear lines.
M&S intends to adopt a “test and learn” strategy at the store, which will be a single unit situated in London’s Battersea Power Station. The store will just bear the Marks & Spencer name.
Find out more in Marketing Week.
Lego announces record earnings as its collaboration approach grows
Lego, a retailer of toys, attributes its record profits to its “diverse portfolio” and “continuous strategic investments.”
Lego’s net profit increased by 16% to DKK 6bn (£680m) in the first half of 2024, with revenue rising by 13% to DKK 31bn (£3.5bn). The company claims to have “significantly outpaced” the larger toy industry. Operating profit reached a record DKK 8.1bn (£919m) with a 26% growth.
Find out more in Marketing Week.
Pre-film trailers are disrupted by Specsavers through a series of accidents
The Should’ve campaign from Specsavers has undergone numerous changes in the last twenty years, ranging from poorly positioned billboards to an abandoned van left stranded on a bollard. Now that the campaign is being carried out on movie screens, the company is picturing all the accidents that might occur if employees of Cineworld Cinemas neglected to have their eyes examined at Specsavers.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Matt Willey gives Kaos titles a human touch
In the eight-part television series Kaos, which stars Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, Janet McTeer as Hera, and David Thewlis as Hades, the well-known figures from Greek mythology live among people.
The show’s production company, Sister, and Matt Willey collaborated on the names, which purposefully steer clear of any conventionally classical allusions and instead represent the show’s modern context.
Find out more in Creative Review.
A UK watchdog accuses Google of exploiting its market dominance to obtain an unfair advantage
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has accused Google of engaging in anti-competitive activity in the open-display ad tech sector in the UK.
Google’s “self-preference” and market domination, according to the watchdog, might be detrimental to thousands of UK publishers and advertisers.
It implies that Google puts rivals at a competitive disadvantage and keeps them from “competing on a level playing field.”
Find out more in Marketing Week.
According to studies, brands are “never more important in B2B marketing”
Based on a Dentsu investigation into B2B purchase decisions, brand has “never been more important” in B2B marketing.
The paper claims that this is the result of growing criticism of the usefulness of lead generating. “Demand generation/driving and converting leads” was placed third on the importance scale by B2B marketers in 2021. However, this is now only the ninth most significant.
Find out more in Marketing Week.
Ads for junk food are banned; marketers claim this will make companies “think smarter.”
There have long been regulations limiting the promotion of foods rich in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS). The government said yesterday, September 12, that HFSS food advertising would be restricted on television and online starting next year.
Trade associations for the industry, such as ISBA and the Advertising Association, have praised the clarity this would bring.
Find out more in Marketing Week.
Presenting Tom Strom and his hilarious yet lethal illustrations
Tom Strom is a rising American illustrator with a background in tattoo art whose images will captivate you and maybe give you a little fright. But would life be the same without an occasional dose of danger?
Find out more in Creative Boom.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
August 2024 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during August 2024.
Adidas increases its marketing budget by 15% as “brand momentum” returns
In the second quarter that ended on June 30, the sportswear giant increased its marketing spend by 15% to €707 million (£596 million). This increase was partly attributable to funding for its latest brand campaign, “You Got This,” which coincided with the Men’s Euros and Copa América competitions this summer.
Find out more in Marketing Week.
Commercial radio is still gaining listeners’ attention
40.5 million adults over the age of 15 tuned into a commercial network each week this quarter, up from 39.1 million a year ago, indicating that UK radio listeners are shifting to commercial radio.
For the 12 weeks ending June 23, 2024, commercial radio accounted for 55% of all listening hours, according to Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR). At the same time in 2023, this was higher than 54.2% in Q1 and 54.5% in Q2.
Find out more in Marketing Week.
The poetic illustrations by Samar Maakaroun for an Arabic phrase book
“Haraka baraka,” which means “movement is a blessing” in English and is used throughout the Levant and much of the Arabic-speaking world, refers to the advantages of play and activity. The phrase appears in the title of a new book of Arabic proverbs authored by Pentagram partner Samar Maakaroun, who oversaw the book’s design, and SkatePal, an organisation founded in 2013 to promote skateboarding among young people in Palestine.
Find out more in Creative Review.
For Apple, Simon Landrein depicts a summer of sports
The pliable images by Simon Landrein are providing a surprising overview of several important sports, several of which will be featured in the 2024 Olympic Games.
The Paris-based cartoonist and animator, who is well-known for his colourful and daring work, has produced 23 posters for Apple’s Made on iPad campaign, which is a reimagining of the company’s classic Shot on iPhone series. The posters are on show in Paris and Marseille.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Tools and apps for mindfulness that can help creatives de-stress this summer
There’s an app for everything, be it anxiety about the upcoming summer or tension related to packing for the holidays. This August, these well chosen mindfulness applications can truly assist you in de-stressing, becoming more aware of the moment, and turning off your phone appropriately.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Retailers are using “murky” loyalty pricing strategies, according to consumer advocacy
Consumer advocacy group Which? claims that during its investigation into retailer loyalty programs, it discovered evidence of “concerning membership pricing practices.” The majority of these “dubious” activities involved deals that weren’t “as good as they appeared.”
Retailers are using exclusive member pricing as a popular promotional tool for their loyalty members. The strategy is utilised by numerous big supermarkets, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons, in addition to other businesses like Boots and Superdrug. In the supermarket industry, loyalty pricing is presently being examined by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Find out more in Marketing Week.
Over the last ten years, global ad spending has more than doubled
This year, global advertising spending is expected to rise by 10.5% to $1.07 trillion (£820 billion), the first time it will surpass $1 trillion.
WARC’s global advertising expenditure estimate for 2024–2025 has updated its forecasts, indicating that spending on advertising will increase by 7.2% in 2025 and then by an additional 7% in 2026.
Find out more in Marketing Week.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
July 2024 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during July 2024.
Nike ramps up innovation
Nike downgraded its 2025 projection due to lower-than-expected fourth quarter sales, and the company is now attempting to “aggressively” regain its inventive edge.
During a conference call with investors yesterday (June 27), Nike president and CEO John Donahoe stated, “We’re sharpening our focus on sport, accelerating our pace and scaling of newness and innovation, driving bigger, bolder storytelling, and elevating the entire marketplace to fuel brand distinction and be in the path of the consumer.”
Read the full article in Marketing Week
Cookies are dying for a reason
Our industry has been talking about cookies’ extinction for the past four years, almost ever pausing to consider if they were ever a decent concept in the first place.
If you work as a generalist marketer or as a CMO, you most likely know enough about “the death of the cookie” to want to inform your digital or media teams about it.
Nevertheless, the Conscious Advertising Network is advising against it as the industry gets back after an exciting week in Cannes.
Read the full article in Marketing Week
Penguin Books 2024 Cover Design Award
The popular Cover Design Award, in which aspiring illustrators and designers recreate the covers of best-selling Penguin books, has announced its winners, according to Penguin Books. This year, the judges reviewed over 1,800 submissions and selected one winner in each of the three categories (children’s, adult fiction, and adult nonfiction), along with awards for second and third place.
Read the full article in Creative Boom
What the advertising and marketing sectors want from the Labour Party
Here is a recap of what Labour promised to accomplish in its manifesto and what business wants the incoming government to focus on first, following Sir Keir Starmer’s overwhelming victory over the opposition party overnight.
Labour has pledged to “create good jobs and accelerate growth” in the film, music, gaming, and other creative industries as part of its broader industrial strategy. This is included in its creative industries sector plan.
Read the full article in Marketing Week
Discover the Top Creative Companies of 2024
Have you ever wondered which creative businesses have the finest work environments? How many companies are endorsing flexible work schedules, substantial holiday pay, and ample parental leave? Which groups are developing fresh talent and offering motivating, encouraging leadership roles?
The Top Creative Companies award winners are revealed today by If You Could, our sister firm. It features 25 businesses that have surpassed the threshold to become a top creative workplace, with the goal of recognising enterprises that offer motivating, encouraging, and exceptional work environments.
Read the full article in It’s Nice That
According to a survey, there is a pronounced generational gap in attitudes towards inclusion
A increasing gap between generational and gendered perspectives on diversity and inclusion is highlighted by the findings of new study from Clear Channel UK, which indicates that Gen Z would like to see better representation and accessibility in advertising.
The study found that 42% of Gen Z thinks that people of colour and ethnicity are significantly under-represented in advertising, with disabilities at 40%, plus-size models at 36%, older age groups at 30%, neurodivergent individuals at 30%, and LGBTQ+ groups at 27% also holding this opinion.
Find out more in Marketing Week
The direction of the creative industry and strategies for surviving the next fifteen years
Creative Boom is commemorating its 15th anniversary this month. This is an excellent chance to consider how much has changed for creatives since our inception in 2007. To be honest, though, that pales in comparison to the significant upheaval the sector is expected to undergo in the next fifteen years.
Read the article in Creative Boom
Pret A Manger scraps free coffee subscription
Pret A Manger is updating its loyalty program and doing away with the five free coffees per day deal. The firm claims that it is “time to rethink” this promotion.
Club Pret members already pay £30 per month to receive 20% off anything else in-store in addition to five complimentary drinks made by baristas each day. For a £10 monthly subscription, users will receive 50% off up to five drinks made by baristas starting in September.
Read the article in Marketing Week
Marketing Week Awards 2024 Brand of the Year shortlist revealed
Marks & Spencer, McDonald’s, Octopus Energy, Lucky Saint, and Greggs have all made the shortlist for the 2024 Marketing Week Awards Brand of the Year.
These five brands were selected from a lengthy list compiled by the editorial team of Marketing Week. The jury of more than sixty top marketing leaders then ranked the list.
Find out more in Marketing Week
Co-op launches new brand platform
Co-op is the largest cooperative firm in the UK because it is a member-led company that divides everything among its five million members, including decisions and earnings. Although it is mostly recognised as a supermarket, Co-op also manages more than 800 funeral homes, supplies other retailers, and has a wholesale company called Nisa Retail.
Full story in Creative Review
Cadbury uses AI to let you star in one of its classic ads
Cadbury has now unveiled a new Gen-AI powered tool that allows you to have your face appear on one of their iconic posters, if you’ve always wanted to be the hero of your own advertisement. This year, My Cadbury Era is a free online game to commemorate the company’s 200th anniversary. The ad is once again being launched by its agency, VCCP London.
Find out more in Creative Boom
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including: