D&AD releases free annual showcase and trend analysis to inspire and stimulate industry

D&AD, the globally renowned non-profit which represents the pinnacle of creative excellence, has released its highly sought after Annual available for free as part of its ongoing commitment to nurturing creativity across different communities.

The organisation is sharing full access to the D&AD Annual – a summary of the insights, strategies and campaigns that powered the best creative work at the D&AD Awards 2024 – and the D&AD Trend Report which explores the themes from the Annual and how they might shape the future.

The D&AD Annual goes ‘behind the work’ of this year’s award-winning creative campaigns across 32 categories and provides exclusive insider insights from the people who brought them to life. Judged by over 300 world-leading designers, advertising executives and skilled creatives, the D&AD Awards represent one of the annual high points of the creative calendar with all winners presented with a prestigious D&AD Pencil.

From how conspiracy theory tactics were co-opted to make skincare brand CeraVe go viral, to how Channel 4 worked with multiple directors to portray vignettes of British life and Apple found inspiration in the transparency of glass to inform the design of their Vision OS, the D&AD Annual shines a light on all the 2024 shortlisted and winning work.

As part of the Annual, D&AD Voices also invites perspectives on major themes represented in the winning work; from the lucrative rise of women’s football penned by journalist and broadcaster Zing Tsjeng and an exploration of how to brand a cultural institution by Art Review’s Louise Benson, to unpacking the new generation of magazines with MagCulture, and climate advertising with Creatives for Climate. The D&AD Annual is available online here: D&AD Annual 2024. With thanks to D&AD’s creative partners Studio Dumbar responsible for the Annual design.

Supporting this is the 2024 D&AD Trend Report. With hundreds of the world’s leading designers, advertising experts and creatives casting their eye over a record number of over 12,000 entries from 78 countries, the report, created with The Thought Partnership, examines the stand-out themes from this year’s D&AD Pencil-winners. It distills the catalogue of insights gathered from the jury rooms, as well as the impact of wider cultural and societal shifts in the world at large.

This year’s report identifies six major trends for creatives to embrace – Fandoms: Nurturing the Niche, The Human Toolkit, Localised Impact, Elevating the Everyday, Type Against Homogeny and Textural Evolution. The full D&AD Trend Report is available online here.

Says Dara Lynch, CEO, D&AD: “Right at the heart of our mission to nurture creativity is our ambition to empower and mentor emerging talent, and this is absolutely why we make our sought-after D&AD Annual and D&AD Trend Report available online for free. We want to inform and inspire the next generation of creatives – we know they have incredible potential, and we believe that the insights provided by the D&AD Annual and the D&AD Trend Report can act as a catalyst to unlock this potential across communities and categories. We are proud to celebrate creativity today and every day because, ultimately, creativity can power competitive advantage for businesses of all sizes and sectors.

“Regardless of background, training or circumstance, D&AD is here to support creatives from every corner of the world navigate their career. Our archive, learning programmes, masterclasses, and, most importantly, generous community of established and emerging talent are here to help the next generation realise their creative ambitions.”