Announcing The Start 2022 Winners!

We run our annual entry programme to bring a new wave of talent to DB London.

Open to anyone at the start of their creative career, it’s incredibly important to us that the programme is inclusive and accessible to emerging talent from all backgrounds, and we love the passion, original thinking and diverse perspectives that each new generation brings.

This year, once again, we proudly partnered with The Guardian newspaper and asked entrants to choose a headline or article from the 2022 New Year’s Day edition of the publication and to select a brand from a list we provided to create a compelling and creative response, focussed around how ‘creativity can ignite change in 2023’. And we were blown away by the incredible and inspirational submissions we received from all who entered this year.

Our judging panel consisted of Group Chairman Tim Perkins, ECD Claire Robertshaw, LCD Sam Cutler and CD Yvonne Eng-Hall. We were also joined by special guest Roberto De Felice, Marketing Director UK&I atJacobs Douwe Egberts, to help us decide on the final winners, who also had this to say:

“I found being part of ‘The Start’ a great way to interact and be inspired by new creative approaches. I think it’s an engaging and approachable way to support and develop great potential design talent for the future.”

Picking the final winners was not easy - but we got there in the end! Now, onto the work - drumroll, please!

 

First place goes to ‘Second Chances’ by Emily Morgan

 

Emily was inspired by an article decrying the impact of the global trade in waste imports, whereby hundreds of containers of household waste are sent overseas to countries with lax environmental regulations. This sparked Emily’s idea to raise awareness of fast-fashion waste, by promoting the more sustainable practice of recycling and purchasing second-hand clothes via Depop. 

Emily’s campaign involved Depop pop-up shops, based in the same shipping containers within which so much of the waste is transported – taking the negative concept of what these containers represent, and turning it on its head to connect them with the redemptive act of giving their pre-loved clothing cargo a ‘Second Chance’. Her campaign was marketed via social media, printed posters, and smart labelling – all utilising cohesive and distinctive graphics, communicating an activistic mentality, rooted in an innocent aesthetic.

“This has archetypal consistency and shows strategic ability. Emily has really thought about distinctive assets and how to bring them to life across the different touchpoints; the stitch and coat hanger are clever and distinctive. I can definitely see people buying into this.” 

Roberto De Felice

 

Second place goes to ‘The UnOrdinary’ by Nojus Kersys

 

Inspired by the terrible impact the beauty industry has on our natural ecosystems. Nojus wanted to educate and raise awareness of the problem by breaking the mould of The Ordinary’s brand identity, managing to look sleek as well as being disruptive and provocative.

"Nojus shows raw talent and a willingness to break the mould. They show understanding and experiential thinking through graphic design. It’s a provocative idea to take to the client and one they could take further. The solution plays on the brand’s identity; clear and simple with a strong link to the story."

 

And third place goes to 'Protecting You and Protecting the Planet' by Lily Hyatt 

 

Lily also took on the climate crisis with her impressive project which looked at how Durex could keep up with consumer demand for brands to do better for the planet by leveraging a brand partnership with the WWF.

“Lily’s response is strategic, and her effective copywriting and sense of humour were visually presented in a mature and smart way. She also understands the brand equity with clever and subtle use of the lozenge logo mark.” 

A huge congratulations to our winners and a massive thank you to everyone who has invested time and effort into their amazing applications. We loved looking through every single one and are in awe of the creativity.

And keep your eyes peeled for next year’s brief, which will be communicated in early 2023…