New Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Entering the D&AD New Blood awards have been the busiest, best, and most worrying 3 months of my life. 

They’ve been the busiest; all that I’ve been able to think about is Heinz Ketchup, and via the contact high of cross-brief group members, Durex Condoms for 12 weeks. My shopping trips have become insight-finding missions, and free time is now a synonym for ideating, copywriting voice-overs and award boards.

They've been the best; the kids (adults, but only on a technicality) that I’ve been working with have been responsible for the most rib aching, truly painful fits of laughter I’ve ever experienced. I couldn’t be prouder or more impressed by the work that they’ve put into this, and I think I’m in love with all of them. Oh and I guess it could be good industry exposure, but there’s bigger, friendship-battered fish to fry than that.

And they’ve been the most worrying; wondering if our idea is good enough, breaking the idea down, building it back up, and wondering if that idea is good enough. Rinse and repeat, and then rinse and repeat again.

But the best and most worrying thing of all is that we’ve gotten here after a gruelling 3 months of feeling every possible emotion in the gamut of the human experience. 3 months of D&AD, and Future Lions is due in less than 4 weeks.

Bring it.