Willow walker
A beautiful special edition set of bottles tells the story of Johnnie Walker’s first trip to China
Vinnie’s pump action
Cinema’s favourite footballer-turned-on-screen- hardman explains how to do hands-only CPR
Client of the year: Google
Our 2011 Client of the Year was the band Arcade Fire. Our reasoning was that they had been responsible for commissioning some of the most forward-thinking work of the year. Our choice this year is a much larger organisation, but our reasons are similar
Ad agency of the year: Bartle Bogle Hegarty
As always there were some strong contenders for The Annual’s Ad Agency of the Year
Design studio of the year: No overall winner
This was a year in which a lot of design studios had one or two standout projects but no one clear candidate emerged for our Design Studio of the Year.
January
January’s best work includes Thunderbid stamps, the most amazing beat box video ever, a calendar of endangered species, and the future of Mexico City
February
February’s best work includes an app designed to stop time-wasting in meetings, Darth Vader using the force, and 10,000 unique digital prints
March
March’s best work includes a new quarterly men’s magazine, a title sequence made on the beach, and Google’s phonetic advertising
A partial history. British Design 1948-2012
Design history never quite knows what to do with graphics, a fact, says Rick Poynor, made all too obvious by the V&A’s Olympic tie-in show, British Design 1948-2012: Innovation in the Modern Age
Visitor attraction
While digital technology may represent a threat to the high street, it might also hold the key to enticing visitors back to built environments
A hard won serenity
A recent crop of posters from the Greater London Authority marks the return of intelligent design on the tube network
The further adventures of the book
The iPad opened up possibilities for more inventive visual storytelling, but few publishers have taken advantage. And even those who have still believe that print has a few tricks left up its sleeve
Creative Review’s Annual Awards 2025 are officially open for entries
One of the most respected and trusted awards for the advertising and design industries are back for 2025. Run, don’t walk to get your entries in before the Early Bird Deadline on 25 October
How to scale your design business
Growth is a dream for many businesses, but it comes with challenges. Daisy Crowder, brand and marketing director at design recruitment agency Craft, offers advice on how to navigate the change and keep staff on side
Cultivating community with Ganni
The Danish luxury fashion label has spearheaded the characterful evolution of Scandi style. Here, chief brand officer Priya Matadeen discusses its approach to collabs, the pressures of being a responsible brand, and how Ganni Girls grew from a hashtag to a badge of belonging
Why are brands apologising so much right now?
Brands are saying sorry at a more rapid rate than ever. CR’s advertising columnist Ben Kay delves into why sorry is no longer the hardest word and whether this is an effective strategy for winning audiences
How Guinness embraced social
By loosening its approach to advertising, and engaging with its audience directly, the drinks brand has transformed with the times and won a whole new set of fans
Tracing Banksy’s art history remixes
Kelly Grovier’s new book charts the artist’s persistent dialogue with classic and contemporary art
How Lego creates meaningful brand experiences
We speak to Lego’s VP of global brand development Alero Akuya about the brand’s rare ability to straddle the physical and virtual worlds with ease – whether through its immersive new art exhibition in Paris or collaborations with Epic Games and Nike
Matt Willey brings a human touch to Kaos titles
The Pentagram partner has created the titles for the acclaimed new Netflix show, which reimagines the Greek myths in a contemporary setting
A visual history of movie posters
A new book from Reel Art Press collates the first comprehensive history of film posters. We explore why they remain an underappreciated area of cultural design
The Monthly Interview: Rob Lowe, aka Supermundane
Mark Sinclair talks to the artist and designer about his new book, Lost Ordinary Magic, and the importance of recognising the power of simplicity and the everyday wonders that surround us
Unravelling adland’s obsession with 90s nostalgia
We explore how the 90s, an era the UK looks favourably upon for its thriving culture, are continually inspiring a stagnated creative industry
Building the visual world of Fontaines DC
The band’s surreal new album visuals explore a darker, more grotesque side of romance. We speak to the creative team behind the campaign about challenging the visual tropes of rock music