So yesterday morning I received some really fantastic news! At 10:15am an email from the D&AD whooshed into my inbox informing of the following…

Congratulations on being awarded a Pencil for your New Blood Awards entry. You’ve fought and thought your way to the top – very well done.

We’ll reveal which Pencil you’ve won at the New Blood Awards Ceremony in London on 12 July. We hope you can make it. You’ll be emailed an invitation in the next couple of weeks, so save the date.

I immediately dropped everything I was doing and went to their Twitter feed to double check I wasn’t hallucinating, and there it was, a Tweet confirming my success…

…even mentioning my submission ‘Whopper World’ and featuring it on the graphic too!! Super proud with a cherry on top! 🍒

I am still buzzing about this win and will continue to do so for some time. This submission to the D&AD New Blood originally featured as part of my personal ambition to ‘Reboot’ myself as a Graphic Designer, by returning to student life with the goal of finally converting my HND into a BA (Hons).

Like all the projects completed along the pathway towards achieving this long overdue qualification. The hours I put into the design rationale behind this final major project, also helped me to achieve the grades I was aiming for to eventually award me a first class with honours! Double cherry on top! 🍒🍒

The Burger King brief…

The Challenge

Your mission is to create an advertising campaign that drives home the singleminded proposition: BECAUSE FIRE IS BETTER.

Execute the “flame-grilling since 1954” message in a new, relevant way that makes younger, more cynical consumers want flame-grilled burgers, not fried. Get them to buy into, understand, and retain this message, and ultimately give Burger King another try.

Think big. Film, print, out of home, stunt… the touchpoints are up to you, but your campaign needs to get this younger audience talking about flame-grilling. If your idea feels like the stuff of a Buzzfeed headline, then you’re on the right track.

Who is it For?

Your audience will be a tough nut to crack. 18-24 year olds:

  • Don’t watch much TV
  • Are sceptical of marketing claims
  • Don’t visit Burger King restaurants as often as their parents
  • Don’t think Burger King’s especially cool
  • Seek experiences and brands that are real and authentic (they see fast food as fake)
I’m now looking forward to the New Blood Awards Ceremony in London on 12th July to see what colour pencil my project will be awarded. To see my submission ‘Whopper World’ with all the 14 winners from the ‘Burger King’ brief, visit the D&AD website (Winners at the bottom of the page):

Fingers crossed! 🤞 I will also be adding the project to my portfolio very soon along with the full design rationale and development process.

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