Drawing blanks: does a book’s cover really need to have anything on it?
It seems that nothing stirs the designer’s mind like designing a cover for a book about … nothing. Or something
Visual language and healthcare
While the packaging of medical products can be a life and death affair, Jeremy Owen suggests that designers can play a role beyond the purely functional
Paul Smith on photography, creativity and Instagram
Speaking at an Instagram event in London on Monday, designer Paul Smith discussed his love of photography, his relationship with art and music and why he likes to post pictures on the social media site…
How brands should use Instagram
Speaking at an Instagram event in London yesterday, photographer Adrienne Pitts, Instagram creative strategist Alistair Cotterill and Jade Harwood of knitwear brand Wool and the Gang shared their tips for using the platform, offering advice for brands and creatives on hashtags, comments and content…
Music Videos of the Month
It’s been a grand old month for music videos, and we have some gems to share with you here, opening with a space age adventure from director Saman Kesh for Kygo’s Stole The Show…
A new marque for Glenlivet
SomeOne has worked with illustrator and craftsman Christopher Wormell to create a new symbol for Glenlivet whisky, replacing the brand’s thistle marque with a linocut depicting the river that flows through its estate.
Creative coding: the making of Hackaball
Hackaball is a responsive ball for children that can be programmed to make games, teaching basic coding and computer skills. Created by digital agency Made by Many, it started out as a studio assignment and has since raised over $200,000 on Kickstarter. We spoke to Made by Many’s Rachel Mercer and Richard Ling about the product and process of developing it.
Ads of the Week
We have some great work to share with you this week, for Orbis Access, Desperados, Moyee coffee, Specsavers, Think! and Kids Company. First up though is this Cold War-inspired short film from Taco Bell…
Nick Cave’s Sick Bag Song
Artist and musician Nick Cave’s latest book offers a visual document of a 22-city tour of North America, scrawled on the back of airline sick bags. Designed by Pentagram’s Angus Hyland and published by Canongate, it’s a fascinating collection of doodles, lyrics, thoughts and verse…
Richard Ayoade and TomSka on YouTube and filmmaking
Speaking at Ad Week Europe in London yesterday, director Richard Ayoade, YouTube filmmaker Thomas Ridgewell (TomSka) and Dave Bedwood, creative director at M&C Saatchi, discussed how platforms like YouTube are changing filmmaking, how online content differs to traditional media and what the ad industry can learn from online video.
A new kind of play centre by Marvin Gaye Chetwynd
Life with small children can get repetitive. One of the most common repeats is the soft play centre, which seems to have an identikit, brightly coloured look wherever you go. But now there’s a new kind of play centre in town: The Idol, created for the Abbey Leisure Centre in Barking, London is designed by the artist Marvin Gaye Chetwynd and sports a strikingly different style…
Do we need more humour in advertising?
In a conversation with Ogilvy Group UK vice chairman Rory Sutherland at Ad Week Europe today, comedian Jimmy Carr said British advertising was in danger of becoming boring, with clients and creatives too worried about offending audiences.
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