The Advertising & Design Club of Canada

In times like these it seems rather parochial – selfish even – to be writing about the future of D&AD. Horrifying events are unfolding in Ukraine and, potentially, elsewhere on our troubled planet. We all do what we can (see elsewhere in the Annual for details of our support for the Ukrainian creative community), but there’s an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness.

And yet….we do need to think about how D&AD can best serve our community as the pandemic begins to recede in the rear view mirror and we are all – individuals, companies and countries alike – obliged to reconfigure our outlook, operations and activities in a brave new world.

As discussed previously, D&AD was successful in adapting to a Covid-imposed reality. Our people did an incredible job in delivering our programs, products and services digitally and remotely. Our partners continued with their generous support. And, perhaps most importantly of all from a financial health point of view, we were able to continue both the Professional and New Blood awards programs without compromising their integrity or standards – thanks very largely to the huge amount of online time given freely by our distinguished jurors. Although believe me, we know it was hard work.

Some good things emerged. D&AD’s focus on career-long learning and the nurturing of young talent came very much to the fore – thanks in large part to the strong influence of our President Rebecca Wright, Dean of Studies at Central Saint Martins. And this emphasis will continue to build.

And video-conferencing has allowed us to begin the process of internationalising our Board of Trustees with the addition of members from the US and Australia – more properly reflecting our commitment to serve the global community.

But goodness, we missed you all. We missed all the brilliant, intangible benefits of meeting and mingling with our peers, of face-to-face discussion and argument, of real experiences in real places, and the excitement and stimulation of travel.

So let’s all return to the way it was in 2019, right? Of course we all know we can’t. The enormity of the climate emergency has been thrown into sharp relief in the last couple of years, and we know that we all have a part to play in addressing the already horrendous implications of what we have done to our only planet. 

D&AD’s mission is to stimulate, celebrate and enable excellence in commercial creativity globally; and to encourage our industry to do the best it can do and be the best it can be. This most definitely means encouraging more sustainable behaviour, both in the clients we serve and our own organisations. (This is, by the way, the most pro-business stance it’s possible to take, for obvious reasons that some people will undoubtedly deliberately misconstrue.)

So a big part of what we need to do from here is to find a path that balances our strong community need for real human interaction with a lower carbon, more climate conscious program. So yes, some form of hybridisation, with real events held locally but made globally available digitally – something we are currently acquiring the technology to deliver in our home in Cheshire Street. It’s a challenge, but one we embrace.

Finally, some thank-yous from me. To all our D&AD people, who have worked brilliantly under enormous pressure to keep D&AD alive and well. To Rebecca, our Board of Trustees and our Advisory Board, for their support, wisdom, wit, time and devotion to the cause. To our senior management team, led by the tireless Dara Lynch, for keeping going in the face of considerable challenges. To our partners, for their continued generosity and commitment to our mission. And finally to all of you, wherever you may be, for sharing our naïve belief that creative excellence creates better outcomes all round, and is worth fighting for.