July 2026 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during July 2026.
Winners of the 2026 V&A Illustration Awards
The goal of the biennial, free-to-enter V&A Illustration Awards is to honour achievement in the industry. It was founded in 1972 and honours both the work of UK-based illustrators and artworks created for the UK market by artists worldwide.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Design in Motion Festival 2027 opens submissions
Motion designers, animators, and digital artists from all over the world are encouraged to submit their work by the July 19 deadline for the 2027 edition of Design in Motion Festival (also known as Demo), the largest motion design festival in the world.
Find out more in Creative Review.
KFC gets tender in new campaign
KFC’s new commercial feels delightfully minimalist in contrast to the intensity of its three Believe advertisements, in which the company imagines an increasingly fervent, cult-like reaction from chicken lovers.
Find out more in Creative Review.
South Kensington’s culture quarter gets new identity
In addition to demonstrating how AI-powered audience research is starting to change branding practice, a new identity for South Kensington seeks to reimagine one of London’s most well-known museum districts as a cultural neighbourhood distinguished by curiosity rather than just tradition.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Best new typefaces for July
July and August are sometimes referred to as the “silly season” in mainstream journalism since there isn’t much important news to cover when Parliament isn’t in session. However, despite the current heat, the field of typography is quite different, with fresh advancements happening at a rapid speed.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Care France campaign links rising temperatures to domestic violence
An alarming message was conveyed by a number of digital billboards placed throughout Paris during the city’s most recent heatwave: as temperatures rose, so did the obvious indications of violence against women.
The Degree of Violence campaign, which used real-time weather data to turn outdoor advertising screens into a harsh depiction of the hidden repercussions of excessive heat, was developed by independent French agency Belle for the humanitarian organization Care France and ran from July 7–14.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Mist, mirrors and the faintly absurd
The Arnolfini Arts Centre in Bristol is now hosting Polly Braden’s new photographic exhibition, Against the Tide, which takes a different approach. By giving the locals some creative power, she hoped to genuinely understand British beach towns.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Anthony Burrill brings Joy! Pure Joy! to Liverpool
This summer, renowned graphic designer Anthony Burrill will visit Liverpool with Joy, showcasing his unique style of upbeat typography! His first solo display in the city, Pure Joy!, is a new exhibition at independent design company Dorothy.
Find out more in Creative Review.
What Andy Burnham’s first cabinet means for the Creative Industries
Burnham, the first former Culture Secretary to hold the position of Prime Minister, has a thorough awareness of the economic and social significance of the industry. In order to promote national renewal, his government would move swiftly, cooperate more transparently, and restructure the state apparatus, according to his first speech outside No. 10.
The decision to keep Lisa Nandy as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport may have had the biggest early impact on the industry. Having supervised the creation of the Sector Plan, it is beneficial to have continuity in the department that will enhance its implementation. Online safety, digital foundations, information resilience, and skills will all be part of the expanded digital mandate of the redesigned DCMS.
Find out more in Creative UK.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
June 2026 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during June 2026.
Norton Museum of Art rebrand
Since 1941, the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach has served as both a gallery and a community space. While visitors may arrive to view works such as those by John Singer Sargent, they often stay for Friday evening events, walks in the gardens, or lunch at the museum restaurant. The museum integrates art with daily life, rather than keeping them separate.
Find out more in Creative Boom
Dogs Trust adopts a “dog’s eye view”
London-based branding agency The Clearing has once again partnered with Dogs Trust, the UK’s leading dog charity, to refresh its visual identity. After rebranding the charity from The National Canine Defence League (NCDL) in 2003 and delivering a major update in 2020, the agency has now implemented a simpler yet equally impactful brand refresh.
Find out more in Creative Review
Nike goes all in on World Cup film
The advertisement, which was produced by Wieden+Kennedy and directed by Dan Streit, opens on a movie set with a grumpy director griping about Kylian Mbappé’s “theatrics” while other big-name actors wait for things to get better. The players protest against the annoying delay by sprinting across the movie lot with the ball.
Find out more in Creative Review
Ghanaian movie posters
Fantasy Football, a new exhibition by A Store Like 94 and Oof, honours renowned football players with the colourful style of Ghanaian hand-painted movie posters.
Eight artists—Bright Obeng, C A Wisely, Daniel, Heavy J, Magasco, Nii Bi Ashitey, Salvation, and Stoger—who are all practitioners of a unique artistic tradition that emerged during Ghana’s mobile cinema boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s are featured in the exhibition, which runs at The Art House in east London until July 8.
Find out more in Creative Review
Happy Mondays’ greatest album is now a giant pill
London Records is reissuing Happy Mondays’ Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches in August, giving fans the chance to purchase not only the record but also a unique design object: a huge pill that comes with a credit card, acid blotter graphics, a rave whistle, and a faux MDMA purity-testing kit.
Find out more in Creative Review
Nature-themed charity exhibition
Although Haron King-Chai isn’t a cowgirl, she loves the great outdoors and has organised a sizable group of other children’s illustrators to host Nature, an art exhibition that will help children and the environment.
The exhibition will place from June 9 to June 14 at The Gallery at The Playroom in North London. Rob Biddulph, who broke the Guinness World Record for the largest online art class with his popular #DrawWithRob series, Rebecca Cobb, Tor Freeman, and Marta Altes are just a few of the amazing 50 illustrators whose works will be included. For the complete list, scroll right down.
Find out more in Creative Boom
World’s first Museum of Youth Culture
Do you recall your youth? We would like to accompany you to the Museum of Youth Culture (MOYC), which will open to the public on June 20. Going out and having fun was your first priority when you were younger and unencumbered by the boring trappings of adulthood.
Find out more in Creative Review
Women’s Aid ad highlights domestic abuse
The Other Kick Off, a new campaign aimed at highlighting the link between big football tournaments and domestic abuse, was released by Women’s Aid in collaboration with creative agency Elvis prior to England’s opening match against Croatia in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
This new project has a similar aim to the charity’s earlier He’s Coming Home campaign for the 2022 World Cup: emphasising how domestic abuse against women dramatically increases in the hours following England matches, regardless of the result.
Find out more in Creative Review
Your creative eye is the most valuable thing in the studio
Over the past 18 months, something has changed. I’ve been using my platform to promote the creative industries since 2009, and throughout that time, I’ve always understood that creating the thing was the most difficult aspect. Even if you had a great concept over coffee, it would take hours, expertise, and money to turn it into a final image, film, or functional layout. Production was the barrier.
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:
May 2026 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during May 2026.
LEO, the men’s hair loss brand that ditches the gloss
In the field of men’s hair loss, branding has always taken a glossy approach. It frequently features flawless teeth, gym bros, and cautious, clinical messaging that skirts the topic as if it’s something to be embarrassed of.
Established by the same family that founded Farjo-Saks, one of the most reputable hair restoration brands in the UK, LEO blends decades of medical knowledge with a modern, approachable methodology. However, because it was going into a competitive market, it had to stand out rather than just make a lot of noise.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
The best new typefaces for May 2026
In terms of the world, a large portion of 2026 has felt like we are perched on a brink. However, the world continues to turn as type designers continue to do what they have always done, which is to improve people’s lives one character at a time. A 500-year-old Bible, a Times Square billboard, a twig in a Swiss woodland, and a plate of Spanish biscuits are just a few examples of the pleasing variety of May’s new releases.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Strongbow leans into its Britishness
The new Strongbow ad, titled Refreshing the Nation, comes at a moment when British identity is in crisis and being pulled in many different directions at once. In response, filmmaker Glenn Kitson uses well-known symbols of British culture in the main movie, such as seagulls, bars, and the weather, all of which are accompanied by the iconic song “Fit But Don’t You Know It” by The Streets.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Design that delivers
Only when design is accountable for its effects can it transform culture, alter behaviour, and lessen harm. Few fields make this more evident than packaging and brand messaging, when every material selection, aesthetic choice, and tactical action has practical ramifications.
For a long time, packaging has been a significant source of needless waste, and brand messages have influenced the consumer values that motivate it. Although many designers and businesses have advocated for improved methods of delivering goods to customers, the sector is currently facing a more comprehensive reckoning.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Have your views on AI changed?
It seemed inevitable that the discussion about AI in the creative industry would continue. Anxiety predominated a year ago, with many fearing that instruments trained on the work of others would take jobs, identities, and the whole notion of what it meant to manufacture something. After a full year, the situation has become much more complex.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
How brands are advertising AI
Nearly everyone is thinking about artificial intelligence (AI), but the companies bringing this technology to the general public confront a unique difficulty due to the abundance of false information, politics, and noise around it. Lynsey Atkin, creator and partner of the design firm Baby Teeth, says, “On paper, how wonderful to not be shouting into a disengaged void.” However, in practice, this implies that those who are weary of the rhetoric may find it tedious. Although artificial intelligence is incredibly fascinating, the way it is discussed in many forums is simplistic, repetitious, and even aggressive.
Find out more in Creative Review.
CR’s guide to the 2026 UK degree shows
Universities and design schools throughout the nation will be honouring the work of its 2026 alumni in the upcoming months. As always, we have the inside scoop on the dates and locations of these presentations.
These programs continue to be among the greatest ways for CR’s viewers to identify up-and-coming talent in the early stages of their careers. They provide an overview of the concepts, aesthetics, and issues influencing the upcoming generation of creatives, ranging from graphic design to illustration, photography, product design, and more.
Find out more in Creative Review.
What’s the hardest part of being a creative?
You won’t receive much compassion from those outside the creative business if you ever try to explain why your job is challenging. Individuals in what they consider to be “real jobs” will shake their heads and tell you that you’re “not exactly down a mine.” Even if they have a point—we are paid to do what we love—it doesn’t imply that our work doesn’t occasionally suck.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Model-making genius unveils the world’s smallest coffee shop
In Milan’s Brera neighbourhood, a queue is growing outside a building on Corso Garibaldi, and no one inside is especially shocked. The public is pressed up against the glass, straining to get a better look at something in the window: a little Parisian apartment block, no taller than a wine bottle, that discreetly contains a functional coffee maker. Technically, none of this is supposed to be happening yet, but today is the press day for De’Longhi’s “World’s Smallest Coffee Shops” installation. The general public is not invited. The public has not been informed of that.
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:
April 2026 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during April 2026.
Chupa Chups mark the end of a decades-long wrapper struggle
Attempting to open a Chupa Chups is a unique source of annoyance. You are aware of the one. The wrapper will not tear neatly. You end up using your teeth, which is disrespectful. Finally, after a brief but embarrassing struggle, you receive your lollipop. BBH is aware of this universal reality. Chupa Chups is aware. Additionally, they have chosen to honour that struggle rather than act as though it never occurred.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
5 brilliant buys for your creative work life
You will appreciate the concept behind I Can’t Afford This But Maybe She Can if you have ever given a buddy a link to an exquisitely impractical item with the comment, “I need this immediately but have absolutely no reason to own it.” What started out as a mutual passion between illustrator Malika Favre and art director George Wu—cataloging the most amusing and absurd things the design industry had to offer—has subtly grown into one of the greatest curated online stores.
More than 500 carefully chosen items from more than 125 independent manufacturers and businesses are gathered in what they refer to as the “Bazaar,” which includes stationery, tech, fashion, art, home goods, and the occasional magnificent misfit. Everything is chosen with humour, taste, and a healthy disdain for dullness.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Illustrator Shunpei Kamiya on process
Even though Shunpei Kamiya’s photos have a lot of detail, they don’t have a lot of action, and something is usually a little odd. A familiar interior assumes an uncomfortable calm as a lone stranger stays in the street. In the illustrator’s work, ephemeral, ordinary events are captured, but they are reframed with a subtle surrealism that leaves the observer wondering what has changed.
Beyond the picture, there is a sense of uncertainty. Kamiya, like many independent illustrators, is negotiating a field that offers little assurance of stability. One of the key obstacles is still maintaining a steady flow of employment, especially in Japan, where he is based.
Find out more in Creative Review.
The women who rewrote creative leadership
Even though Shunpei Kamiya’s photos have a lot of detail, they don’t have a lot of action, and something is usually a little odd. A familiar interior assumes an uncomfortable calm as a lone stranger stays in the street. In the illustrator’s work, ephemeral, ordinary events are captured, but they are reframed with a subtle surrealism that leaves the observer wondering what has changed.
Beyond the picture, there is a sense of uncertainty. Kamiya, like many independent illustrators, is negotiating a field that offers little assurance of stability. One of the key obstacles is still maintaining a steady flow of employment, especially in Japan, where he is based.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Asics reframes race day
Sports brand Asics has partnered with Design Bridge and Partners Amsterdam on an out-of-home campaign in Paris, Milan, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and London to commemorate its sponsorship of four of Europe’s largest marathons.
With the goal of “reframing achievement as the mindset that carries runners to the finish line,” the campaign marks a new phase for the brand as it seeks to maintain its growth in the running sector. The piece honours the small moments that characterise training and race day.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Couchella for Coachella
Six abstract, vividly coloured characters burst onto the set to the rhythmic accompaniment of All Good Folks’ Breakdance. One is a blob, the other a worm. A green squiggle, an orange penguin, and a pair of trousers with a questionable nose are all there.
“Most of them just came while sculpting the plasticine, sort of improvising different shapes and figuring out where the eyes could go,” says Alistair. “Some of them came from doodling in a sketchbook.” “It was a really natural method of operation. When I was sculpting, I just proceeded with whatever thought came to me at the time.”
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Why are Gen Alpha buying records they could stream for free?
The same phenomenon has been observed by everyone I know who has teenage children. These children are requesting record players because they have never experienced a world without YouTube or Spotify.
This isn’t sentimentality. You can’t have nostalgia for something you’ve never done. There’s another thing going on, and it’s important for anyone who works in manufacturing.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
March 2026 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during March 2026.
The art of visual commentary
Designer Tomato Košir creates work for a range of commercial and editorial clients. Most of the time he’s involved in “constructing comprehensive visual identity systems” for various brands and organisations, and then teaching students to do the same without “inducing existential crises”. The other side to his practice involves visual commentary, typically in the form of mag covers and editorial illustrations on timely, newsworthy topics.
Find out more in Creative Review.
A century of French sign painting
The most recent book from Letterform Archive Books, the San Francisco museum and nonprofit education center’s brand, may be right for you if you’ve ever paused to admire a faded shopfront or imagined the arc of a gilded serif.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Yorkshire Tea’s new campaign
There are times in life when the positive things are necessary. Something a little more thoughtful than the typical bag-dunked-in-a-mug method. A little something extra. You may call it a Yorkshire Gold.
The new Yorkshire Tea campaign by Lucky Generals is based on such concept. Additionally, it is carried out with the warmth, humour, and working-class knowledge you would expect from a company that is essentially a national institution. (And the best tea, in my humble opinion! If I may say that!
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Barkhouse hotel
There is tension at the core of every creative brief. Making it “premium but accessible” or “bold but timeless” are typical examples. However, the tension was more tangible in Crown Creative’s work on Barkhouse, a brand-new, opulent dog hotel and daycare on Manhattan’s West 25th Street. Create something that appeals to affluent New Yorkers and feels authentically designed for their dog pals.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Turning experiments into commissions
Linda Merad, a freelance illustrator, appreciates the freedom that comes with working outside of a conventional studio setting, even if it requires embracing some unpredictability. Regarding her career as a freelancer, she says, “This status suits my profession.”
Find out more in Creative Review.
Primark spoofs high fashion
With a new integrated campaign that replaces the high street with high spectacle, Primark is stepping up the drama for spring. Shockingly Chic, designed by VCCP, sets the retailer’s most recent assortment in a high-end, haute couture setting, with models perched atop skyscrapers, draped over horses, and hanging from helicopters. There is a twist, though.
Find out more in Creative Review.
The best new fonts for March
So far, March has been a painful month. The Middle East crisis is throwing a long shadow over an already uneasy global mood, energy bills are rising, and markets are shaking. Talking about typefaces may seem trivial at times like these. In reality, though, I would contend otherwise.
During times of instability, intelligent, long-lasting, and authentically crafted design is more important than ever. Additionally, the typographic releases this month present a strong argument in favour of that viewpoint.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Sprite unveils refreshing new identity
Driven by a desire to reaffirm its connections with the cultural spaces it has “always belonged to,” Sprite has teamed up with London-based creative agency for people on a new global identity. This upgrade is a slight modification of Sprite’s visual style, making it more punchy and appropriate for the current market rather than a full rebrand.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Why this new ice-cream brand only makes sense after dark
There is a specific type of brief that comes packed. Not in the sense of being difficult or complex, but rather in the sense that the work literally tells you what it needs to be because the revelation is so clear and unexpected. Snooz seems to have been one of those.
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 2026 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during February 2026.
Spark 2026
February in Barcelona is more than just the weather, though it certainly helps. This year, the focus is on Spark 2026, Integrated Systems Europe’s new creative exhibition that brings together producers of Netflix and game designers, as well as experts in virtual production and the creators of Tomorrowland.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
A more discreet approach to AI wearables
CES may seem a bit intimidating to those who are not part of the regular tech crowd. Demos turn into spectacles, screens pile on top of one another, and new gadgets that promise to be quicker, smarter, and more intelligent every year are introduced.
After the dust settles, it’s a little simpler to see past the ostentatious futurism and concentrate on well-made, functional things.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
New report warns generative AI is already costing creators their jobs
A major new study that calls for immediate action on generative AI and creators’ rights was co-launched today by the Association of Illustrators (AOI) and four prominent creator-led organisations.
Is it called Brave New World? One of the most comprehensive studies to date on how uncontrolled AI is changing creative work in the UK—and not in a positive way—is Justice for Creators in the Age of GenAI.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Inside Adobe’s Creative Collective
Are you tired of talking about AI? I’m not shocked because a lot of it seems like folks yelling into thin air. One group maintains that robots will replace humans in the workforce. The majority of us are caught in the middle, attempting to find out how to use these technologies without losing our heads (or our livelihoods), while another says AI will liberate us all.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
What Aardman’s latest big move teaches us about creative survival
You’ll frequently see a fingerprint in the plasticine if you look closely at Wallace, the cheese-loving, tech-building Yorkshireman who, along with his quiet, patient dog Gromit, became the breakthrough hero of Bristol’s Aardman Animations. One frame at a time, human fingers have sculpted his face into tiny bumps and imperfections. These fingerprints might be some of the most watched in British film history. Additionally, they will go on a full orchestra tour of the United Kingdom in 2026.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
UK government reveals expanded finance package to help creative businesses scale
As part of a larger initiative to unlock growth capital throughout the industry, the UK government has announced a significant financial push to assist creative enterprises in scaling.
The measures, which were unveiled in conjunction with The Big Creative UK Investment Summit in London, are a component of the government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan and represent an increased role for the British Business Bank in supporting creative businesses.
Find out more in PocketGamer.
What Olympics branding teaches us about emotional design
The opening of each Olympic Games is the same. Everybody has a different view about the logo. We don’t like it. Then we put up with it. We then discuss it. We talk about symbolism, colour, typography, and whether something is bold enough, too odd, or not odd enough. The Games then begin. All of that suddenly doesn’t matter.
Launch films or guidelines are not included into brands designed for international athletic events. The upset, the injury, the comeback, the picture finish, the unexpected victory, the tears—these are the moments we can’t unsee.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Koto builds characterful retro-futurist world
A thorough brand evolution for MachineX, the decentralised exchange establishing itself at the center of the so-called Machine Economy, has been revealed by global creative studio Koto. If you think it sounds like complicated Web3 lingo, that’s exactly what Koto set out to do.
Find out more in Creative Review.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
January 2026 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during January 2026.
The 2025 Trends of the Year from Creative Review
This is the Creative Review 2025 roundup, which includes their favourite movie posters, book covers, adverts, album covers, magazine covers, games, and music videos of the year, as well as an analysis of the trends in branding, advertising, artificial intelligence, social media, and photography.
Find out more in Creative Review.
Mindful Chef unveils brand refresh
The UK’s top-tier healthy recipe box service, Mindful Chef, presented a brand makeover developed in collaboration with independent branding and design firm Mother Design.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
From questionable McRibs to Quaker fibs
Mark Ritson enters 2026 with strong opinions about how absurd brand naming conventions are. His counsel? If you believe you’ll get away with it, embrace the chaos.
Find out more in The Drum.
Norwex unveils first-ever rebrand
Known for its chemical-free cleaning cloths, Norwex is a direct-selling company with aspirations to broaden its product line beyond home care to include skincare and personal care, all the while honing its sustainability credentials.
In order to get ready for this big change in course, the family-run company inevitably underwent its first complete rebranding in its thirty-year history under the leadership of London-based consultant The Workroom.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines launches ‘Hybrid AI’ campaign
The campaign, which was created in association with Blunt House and produced under the direction of nmatic.ai, seeks to set Fred apart. Olsen in a cutthroat cruise market by emphasising the emotional experience of sailing with the brand, which is less concrete than locations or amenities.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
How a childhood movie obsession turned into a career
While everyone enjoys films like Jurassic Park and Toy Story and the captivating art of vintage Disney animation, not everyone pursues this passion as a career. Pat Imrie began as a freelance 3D generalist and worked in film and high-end visual effects for more than ten years before turning his boyhood passion for the greatest ’90s films into a 17-year career throughout the creative sectors.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
Gü unveils a global rebrand
Purchasing a package of Gü is more than just dessert for many British households. The brand’s recognisable ramekins are now among the most frequently used items in UK kitchens; they may be used as paint pots, candle holders, snack bowls, and more. Few food brands generate that degree of love, and even fewer are able to claim that type of afterlife.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
The Big Creative UK Investment Summit
Steph McGovern will host the historic Big Creative UK Investment Summit, which will highlight the remarkable investment possibilities found in the UK’s creative industry. The Summit, which will take place on February 17, 2026, at King’s Place in London, will expand on the success of the previous year’s sold-out event, which included a showcase of more than sixty innovative companies, live investor pitching, and an extensive schedule of keynote addresses and panel discussions.
Find out more in Creative UK.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
December 2025 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during December 2025.
The Royal Albert Hall gets a modern rebirth
The renowned Royal Albert Hall in London has introduced a stylish new brand design that honours the performers, patrons, and employees that have contributed to its 154-year history. The revitalised brand is a shining example of accessible, flexible design created for the future. It is modern, vibrant, and new.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
Black Friday is a global price trap
In the 1950s, every officer dreaded the Friday following Thanksgiving. After the holiday weekend, suburban consumers poured into downtown. These throngs were joined by hostile spectators who came to see the yearly Army-Navy football game. The weather was terrible. The traffic came to a complete stop. In a very Philly “hey screeeeeeew you” manner, tempers erupted. Shoplifting increased. There was a lot of petty crime. Additionally, the Philadelphia Police Department’s long-suffering policemen were compelled to work gruelling 12-hour shifts with no chance of leave.
Find out more in The Drum.
Pantone crowns ‘Cloud Dancer’ as its Colour of the Year 2026
Cloud Dancer, or PANTONE 11-4201 if you prefer the formal name, has been named Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2026. It’s a delicate, airy white that seeks to feel more like a pause than a colour. It can be the ideal remedy for the depressing atmosphere of the moment. Alternatively, it can be Pantone observing the room and realising that we’re all a little burned out from the current world events.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Barbican announces first UK solo exhibition by Liam Young
Artist, director, and BAFTA-nominated producer Liam Young will make his UK solo debut next summer, according to the Barbican’s flagship 2026 Immersive exhibition announcement. From May 21 to September 6, 2026, the Barbican Centre will host the exhibition In Other Worlds, which promises an ambitious, cinematic journey into speculative futures impacted by rising technologies and climate realities.
The lines between design, fiction, and futuristic thought have long been blurred by Young’s work. His imagined landscapes and films frequently fall midway between warning and potential, giving audiences a place to address environmental urgency without losing sight of the optimism needed to envision alternatives.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
The top-performing global advertising brands
The companies listed in our top 10 (actually, 13, because of a number of connections in a fiercely competitive industry) represent every facet of the contemporary advertising ecosystem. In addition to well-known international advertisers like Nike, Ikea, and Mondelez, speciality groups like Mercy for Animals and Instituto Melanoma Brasil are at the top of the list because to the impact of their efforts.
Find out more in The Drum.
The Eggnog Riot
You may be surprised to learn that eggnog once sparked a real riot. A true, full-on shouty match, not the light-hearted “oh, things got a bit rowdy last night” kind of thing. Maybe with fists and chairs flying. You can’t help but view the drink differently after hearing that.
With RIOT, their caffeinated, midnight-black reimagining of the joyful classic, Thirst has now leaned directly into that energy. In bottle form, it’s essentially December. The chaos. The glitter. It’s all about “what day is it?”
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Solo living in Seoul
The number of single-occupant households in Korea has been rising as a result of a number of causes, including declining marriage rates, rising real estate costs, flat deposit frauds, a more economically independent generation, and younger generations’ desire for more comfortable living arrangements.
Find out more in It’s Nice That.
About DWH
DWH is an award winning Coventry-based creative design agency offering a full range of services including:
November 2025 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during November 2025.
Illustration finally gets the London showcase it deserves
The illustration community in Britain is poised to receive what it has long deserved: a permanent home, following twenty years of preparation, false starts, and temporary locations. In May 2026, the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration will open in Clerkenwell, London, making it the world’s largest dedicated facility for an art form that permeates our everyday visual environment but is oddly neglected.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Heinz’s souper new tomato soup campaign
With prints of vintage advertisements spanning more than a century, Heinz has produced some incredibly memorable campaigns over the years.
Three watercolour paintings of people lounging in baths are included in the King of Soups’ most recent promotion, which highlights Heinz Tomato Soup. The characters appear to be lounging in a warm bath of tomato soup because these photos were then printed onto ceramic bowls that were filled with soup.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
Ten of the decade’s best designed magazines
It’s Nice That invited the founder of magCulture to personally select ten of the most attractive magazines from the previous ten years in honour of the publication’s tenth anniversary. He also discusses the past, present, and future of the small press sector.
Find out more in It’s Nice That.
New campaign to ‘demystify’ jobs in the creative industries
More young people from working class backgrounds and underrepresented communities outside London are to be encouraged to explore a career in the creative industries as part of a government campaign launching today.
A new report suggests a lack of information, understanding and support is preventing young people from working in creative sectors including film and TV, music, visual arts, advertising and video games.
Find out more in Creative UK.
Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot faces festive wedding chaos
Kevin the Carrot and his fiancée, Katie, are getting married, but their journey to the altar is anything but easy, as demonstrated by Aldi’s most recent Christmas advertisement. A joyful flurry of stag do mayhem is shown in the latest installment.
Find out more in The Drum.
Farrow & Ball bring London’s streets to life
This month, Londoners strolling around Wimbledon, Richmond, Battersea, or Notting Hill might have come upon something pretty unexpected: a hand-painted still life tableau that appears to jump off the wall. The installations are a part of JOY! Collective’s current creative campaign for Farrow & Ball, which launches the brand’s newest 12-color palette.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
What brands can learn from Coca-Cola’s terrible AI Christmas ad
This Christmas, people are making fun of Coca-Cola’s AI advertisement instead of chestnuts. Probably not what the brand was aiming for, the response feels even more intense than it did the previous year. Coca-Cola boasted about how much better this year’s advertisement was, perhaps desperate to make up for last year’s unsuccessful attempt. However, it was met with even louder criticism.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
Ikea chaotically rewrites a Christmas classic
With a playful, contemporary touch, Ikea’s holiday campaign brings back the well-known carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. The firm wants consumers to understand that practicality always triumphs over gimmicks when it comes to gifts, as evidenced by the disorderly parade of birds that piles up on screen. It contends that a carefully selected Ikea staple is far more likely to elicit sincere gratitude than another novelty meant for the back of a cupboard.
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:
October 2025 News Roundup
Here is our round up of the news stories and industry articles that caught our eye during October 2025.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT push marks a new era
AI is causing rapid change in the planet. So quickly that many people aren’t aware of how drastically life has changed already. Today’s launch of OpenAI’s first extensive brand campaign seems to be the most obvious proof yet that this change is only becoming faster.
The movies, which are available in the US, UK, and Ireland, show the little times when ChatGPT helps, including when someone is trying to figure out a recipe, organise a trip, or finally perform a set of pull-ups. Every narrative is based on actual prompts and presented as though the technology were just another tool in the room. More important than the final product is the silent fulfilment that comes from completing a task.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
The best new typefaces for October 2025
A sense of purpose and ambition is evident in the type releases for October, which has arrived with a confident enthusiasm. Our collection shows how foundries are pushing more boundaries than we’ve seen in a while, from pixel-based projects that celebrate productive constraints to architectural inspirations derived from Danish modernism.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Why brands are going custom with type
A bespoke typeface used to be a luxury good only owned by multinational conglomerates with enormous expenditures. As the kind of gem in the crown of a design system that may take years to construct and cost a small fortune, you could even claim that it was considered excessive.
Consider Cereal from Airbnb or TCCC Unity from Coca-Cola. Although it is undoubtedly noteworthy, most firms that operate outside of that exclusive realm have generally been unable to afford this creative ownership.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Have I missed the boat at 40?
All of these anxieties are all too real, let’s face it. Despite their inventiveness and glitz, the creative industries have traditionally been tightly linked to teenage culture. Social media reinforces this impression by displaying an endless supply of up-and-coming talent at every design festival, gallery exhibition, and awards ceremony.
However, that is not the whole story. This story has a different side that honours perspective, experience, and the assurance that only comes with time.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
Spike Jonze’s movie shows how filmmakers can really use AI
The Tiger, directed by Spike Jonze and starring Gucci, is a remarkable film and branding work. It combines modern topics and a White Lotus-like ambiance with bold brand storytelling and aesthetics, as well as slick photography and excellent acting from an ensemble cast that includes Demi Moore, Ed Norton, and Elliot Page.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
Why talent alone isn’t enough to make it as a concept artist for movies
In the film industry, concept artists do much more than just imagine fanciful animals, technology, settings, and costumes; they are fundamentally storytellers and problem solvers. For this reason, a lot of people in the field believe that success requires more than just artistic talent.
Find out more in Creative Bloq.
What Dolly Parton can teach brands
Dolly Parton offers some very wise counsel. For both individuals and brands. Because brands need to start with a clear understanding of who they are and project from a strong brand foundation if they want long-term success rather than just short-term spikes.
Naturally, the most astute marketers are aware of this. Building long-term growth on precarious foundations or covering up an old brand narrative with flimsy or reactive one-offs is not an option.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
How brands are using illustration
Have you seen the recent rise in the use of illustrations in branding, packaging, and advertising? I most definitely have, and I don’t believe it’s a coincidence from the perspective of a journalist covering the design profession.
Brands are telling me more and more that they’re realising that illustration has advantages over photography. Specifically, the capacity to develop fresh, custom worlds that captivate audiences and convey morals with unmatched clarity.
Find out more in Creative Boom.
A deep dive into the Turner Prize identity 2025
This year, Bradford hosted the Turner Prize, one of the most prestigious contemporary art prizes in the world, for the first time. Therefore, it makes sense that this is also the first time that its identity feels so strongly shaped by its 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: