Dissecting the brief

Here is the brief we have chosen in full.

Background

It’s not breaking news. The creative industries are competitive. You need to stand out and make your mark. Understanding what sets you apart from the next hungry young creative is key. You’re not alone. Brands and organisations have had to adapt and change to ensure that they stand out in a crowded and much scrutinised marketplace. A seismic shift in the desire for truth and authenticity by consumers has seen many more brands investigate their purpose and express it in order to captivate a loyal following. D&AD’s industry network repeatedly tell us that good companies hire and commission good people. This is your chance to showcase your truth. The 21st Century belongs to the modern-day storyteller. Creative Challenge Share your own personal story. But don’t tell us what you think we want to hear.

Explain who you are, your values, your identity, your purpose… your truth. This is telling, not selling.

1] Know who you are.  2] Communicate it. You should use this opportunity to showcase your creative talent in the execution of your story. Once you know what you want to say, impress us with how you say, show and present it. We understand that your story is a work in progress, it’s still being written. We’re interested in your journey to date, a suggestion of what’s to come. Get people excited about your “To be continued…”.

Considerations

• Write words, take pictures, shoot film

or code - the medium’s up to you.

• This isn’t a CV, it’s a statement of your creative self.

• Don’t be cool. Be genuine and sincere.

• Your story might be about more than one person – maybe you’re in a team or collective – we still want to hear it.

• You might want to consider defining your behaviours and characteristics in order to help build a clear depiction of yourself.

Target Audience

Your story should remain the same regardless of audience. However the way in which you present it should engage those who you want to hear it most – your potential employers and / or commissioners.

Mandatories

• Your idea must be reflective of your

skills and portfolio.

• Your response should make people

want to find out more – include a link

to your online portfolio in your

execution.

Deliverables

Judges will see your main deliverable(s) first, and will then view any supporting material if they wish.

You must refer to the ‘Preparing Your Entries’ document included in your brief pack for full format specs and submission guidance. Work in formats other than those outlined will not be accepted. Main deliverables (mandatory) Present your solution using either a  video (MPEG or MOV, max. 2 mins) or up to eight images (JPEG only). You must also submit a link to your online portfolio when you enter online (you won’t be judged on the content of your portfolio but this will help the jury to see your response in context). Supporting material (optional) This could include executions or mock-ups of your solution, or show your process and the development of your idea. You can submit the following as supporting material: interactive work (websites, widgets, apps, HTML, etc.); physical material (prototypes, mockups, etc.); additional text (PDF, max. 1 A4 page). If your main deliverable is video, you can also submit up to four images (JPEG only). If your main deliverable is images, you can also submit video (MPEG or MOV, max. 1 min).

Deconstruction

The background of this mostly tells of how to make a unique and personal story the no-one else can tell, and quotes 'don’t tell us what you think we want to hear. Explain who you are, your values, your identity, your purpose… your truth. This is telling, not selling.' This is something I find particularly interesting, to tell a story from my perspective is a great opportunity although it may not be an easy one for several reasons, it may not be something I want to tell, but I certainly feel I should. 'Once you know what you want to say, impress us with how you say, show and present it.' this is the factor I really want to get right, a story is something I know I can get right, keeping it honest, relatable and sympathetic. The considerations is something I have already begun to think about, using photographs to give a brief history, or voiceover to tell the story, perhaps cutting between timelines? I imagine there will be a few characteristics to put in, but I depending on the story I tell, I may not show the lighter ones, as if I did, I don't think it would be as effective. I believe I have already found the target audience, as I think they will be the people not only suffering the same story, but opening eyes to what other people go through, perhaps without them realising. We had an idea that the deliverables would be photographs of the real people involved at the time.