D&AD New Blood Shift wanted to give young and aspiring creatives, who have no degrees, a canvas to showcase their talent and find their place in the creative industry. Working with D&AD’s identity as a starting point, New Blood Shift took inspiration from its name. It informed a branding system that functioned as a dynamic frame to highlight student work within it. Shift became an opportunity to promote student artwork and helped them to start a creative career.

The program launched in London in its inaugural year. Using a small budget, 2 ads were run in Metro, thousands of flyers printed and disseminated, an email announcement sent and targeted social advertising employed. We relied heavily on outreach, developing partnerships and sharing creative assets with 15 arts organizations and design blogs with relevant networks. Through their social channels and newsletters, we were able to push our content out to a massive audience.

For its first year, the program attracted many aspiring creatives and admitted 18. Seven are now in paid industry placements, three went on to higher education, three produced a short film and one received paid commissions for their work. Throughout its duration, participants were able to have their work exhibited, received free training and were joined by around over 80 industry creatives who engaged with the program in different ways, from mentoring, to teaching, to hosting.