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The Big Reveal

The Big Reveal

March 6, 2024

A huge applause goes out to everyone who entered their work in the 2024 Photography & Illustration Awards! This year's jury was impressed with the talent they saw in photography, illustration, and motion, especially the new, fresh talent who subm ...

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Zulu Alpha Kilo's Hot & Toxic

Zulu Alpha Kilo's Hot & Toxic

March 6, 2024

Dan Cummings and Vic Bath, the Zulu Alpha Kilo team behind the 2021 and 2022 Applied Arts Advertising Award winning campaign Tough Turban, worked on this new campaign along with their New York office. The Hot and Toxic campaign is a million dollar ad ...

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Luxury Is For Losers

Luxury Is For Losers

February 29, 2024

By Aria Novosedlik Americans seek luxury goods more during times of greater income inequality. And the lower their income, the more they'll spend.  In a recent Vox article, it was pointed out that Americans with a household income of less than ...

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Target made lemonade out of lemons

Target made lemonade out of lemons

February 27, 2024

In the fast-paced arena of advertising, timing is everything. When a Super Bowl ad by vacation rental company VRBO sparked controversy for its use of a traditional Newfoundland and Labrador folk song in what many perceived as a derogatory manner, the ...

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TAKING THE PULSE with Sandrine Some

TAKING THE PULSE with Sandrine Some

February 9, 2024

Meet Sandrine Some, the Creative Strategist behind the 2022 Advertising Award-winning campaign - the People’s Museum of North Korea - for HanVoice. It earned Sandrine her first Applied Arts Award – a  Young Blood Intergraded campai ...

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Dressed For Virtual Success

Dressed For Virtual Success

February 1, 2024

  Dressx customer @keiabeia wearing the digital drop by metaverse artist @awacazo by Aria Novosedlik   A year ago, a company called DressX crossed my radar after appearing in a video by one of YouTube’s bigger creators, Safiya ...

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Taking the Pulse with a 2023 Ad Young Blood winner

Taking the Pulse with a 2023 Ad Young Blood winner

February 1, 2024

Chenice Piercy may be one of our Applied Arts Young Blood winners, but she is not new to the Awards circuit. Chenice has been winning Awards since she dreamed of making it big while learning her craft at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. SheR ...

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TAKING THE PULSE with Young Blood winner John Naboye

TAKING THE PULSE with Young Blood winner John Naboye

February 1, 2024

Imagine being a young designer and landing a place on the DDB design team, creating a mega design project aimed at, of all things, the Design Industry. This was where designer John Naboye, found himself in 2022. The project? Designing "Defy" the RGD& ...

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TAKING THE PULSE with Marly Dichter and Shirley Xu Wang

TAKING THE PULSE with Marly Dichter and Shirley Xu Wang

January 18, 2024

This award-winning Young Blood creative duo, Marly Dichter and Shirley Xu Wang have history. Both are graduates of Miami Ad School; together, they earned a Student award in 2020 for their Nike Minus print ad. Moreover, they were part of the team behi ...

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Neil Harris

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Neil Harris

January 12, 2024

Shining the spotlight on the Winter 2023 cover artist, photographer Neil Harris, a student of the Photography program at Centre De Formation Professionnelle De Lachine. Read on to learn more about his creative process, inspiration and how winning an ...

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From Matchbooks To Masterworks

From Matchbooks To Masterworks

January 4, 2024

By Will Novosedlik Prague tourist transit pass, ©Pavel Fuksa 2023. These geometric forms are very reminiscent of Ladislav Sutnar’s designs for children’s building blocks (below) from 100 years ago.     Twenty year ...

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Are you wondering what others are billing?

Are you wondering what others are billing?

December 14, 2023

Here is the resource you need. Do you want to know the data on the future of work, DEI measures, salary transparency and more? Have a look at the new 2022/2023 Creative Earners report. The report is a valuable salary negotiation tool for visual commu ...

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TAKING THE PULSE with Allegra Wiesenfeld & Reid Plaxton

TAKING THE PULSE with Allegra Wiesenfeld & Reid Plaxton

December 13, 2023

2023 Applied Arts Advertising Awards Multiple award-winning campaign Major Debt led by Allegra Wiesenfeld & Reid Plaxton for client Student Debt Crisis Centre. The multi-category Applied Arts Advertising Awards-winning No Fixed Address creativ ...

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The Happy Antithesis Of Operational Efficiency

The Happy Antithesis Of Operational Efficiency

December 7, 2023

By Will Novosedlik   Graphic design is sometimes referred to as a problem-solving discipline. The business model is simple: a client comes to you with a message that needs to be communicated in as compelling and convincing a way as possible. Y ...

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New Work from Full Punch

New Work from Full Punch

December 5, 2023

Vancouver-based design agency Full Punch shared their recent rebrand for their Edmonton Alberta client Autograph. The work marks the first piece from Full Punch’s Edmonton office.  Full Punch worked with client Alberta’s EDGAR Dev ...

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Announcing the 2024 Applied Arts Awards Call For Entry

Announcing the 2024 Applied Arts Awards Call For Entry

November 22, 2023

Detail of 2023 Applied Arts Photography Awards winner Félix-Renaud 's his piece Saturated, Conceptual Photography category. The 2024 Awards season is here! Make 2024 your time to stand in the sun and celebrate the amazing work you created ove ...

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Turning the table on Shiran Teitelbaum

Turning the table on Shiran Teitelbaum

November 10, 2023

2023 Applied Arts Advertising Awards juror Shiran Teitelbaum, VP, Creative Director at Deutsch LA, shared a just-in-market advertising campaign for client PetSmart Charities. The Brief: A shelter pet with a completed bio is more likely to get ado ...

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Turning the table on Brian Allen

Turning the table on Brian Allen

November 6, 2023

Advertising campaigns that are clever and unusual surprise and delight us, such is the case with McCann's advertising campaign for Bayer "Roots - Remastered". Brian Allen, Executive Creative Director at McCann West and 2023 Advertising Awards judge s ...

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Turning the table on Alanna Nathanson

Turning the table on Alanna Nathanson

November 3, 2023

Alanna Nathanson, Co-CEO & CCO at G&G Advertising and one of our 2023 Advertising judges, shared a favourite campaign of hers and her G&G team - the “Goose” campaign for .CA by Cira (The Canadian Internet Registration Authorit ...

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New work from No Fixed Address

New work from No Fixed Address

November 1, 2023

No Fixed Address shared their recent chilling campaign for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, The Horse, a must watch for all of us. With the rise of predators targeting children through social platforms, the Canadian Centre for Child Prote ...

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Wunder's new campaign for NSCDA

Wunder's new campaign for NSCDA

October 27, 2023

Stephen Flynn, Creative Director at Wunder, shared their recent campaign for the Nova Scotia Career Development Association (NSCDA) which is now officially in market. In short; NSCDA is encouraging people to become Career Development Professionals ...

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As It Is, As It Was, As It Could Be

As It Is, As It Was, As It Could Be

October 26, 2023

The decommissioned stair tower of the Ontario Place waterslide. | ©Steven Evans By Aria Novosedlik   The Portuguese have a word for it: ‘saudade’.   Derived from the Latin word for solitude, ‘saudade’ r ...

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Turning the table on Dean Lee

Turning the table on Dean Lee

October 19, 2023

Dean Lee, Executive Creative Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo BC, 2023 Applied Arts Advertising Awards juror, along with his creative team, worked on the VANBACK campaign – Recruiting billionaires to bring the NBA back to Vancouver. He describes the m ...

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Turning the table - Ari Elkouby

Turning the table - Ari Elkouby

October 11, 2023

Ari Elkouby, Chief Creative Officer, Wunderman Thompson Canada, juror of this year's Applied Arts Advertising Awards, shares a favourite campaign of his from 2023 featuring Cold Ones a non-alcoholic beer.  Below, Ari discusses the agency's appro ...

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Applied Arts 2023 Advertising Awards Winners Revealed

Applied Arts 2023 Advertising Awards Winners Revealed

October 5, 2023

2022 Applied Arts Advertising Awards winning entry "White Ribbon Uncomposed" by Bensimon Byrne/Narrative /OneMethod, Advertising–Craft Music category. The 2023 Applied Arts Advertising Awards competition has come to a close and what a grea ...

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COMING OUT OF THE CONSERVATIVE CLOSET, GUNS BLAZING

COMING OUT OF THE CONSERVATIVE CLOSET, GUNS BLAZING

September 28, 2023

By Will and Aria Novosedlik Illustration: Will Novosedlik/Midjourney. The American far-right’s conflation of Jesus Christ, the stars and stripes, and automatic weaponry typifies the contradictions that contaminate the core of what passes fo ...

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Vancouver-Based Will shares the goodness

Vancouver-Based Will shares the goodness

September 27, 2023

Vancouver-based agency Will shared their new campaign, "Feeling good feels good", for client Go Solutions, a Canadian brand specializing in premium pet nutrition.   Working with production company Boldly, Will created a series of online vide ...

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Zulu Alpha Kilo's "Unpaid is unfair"

Zulu Alpha Kilo's "Unpaid is unfair"

September 20, 2023

Zulu Alpha Kilo and 19 Humber College students came together to tackle the unacceptable unpaid internships permeating the job market at large.    The campaign resulted in a 2019 internship that sent 19 Humber College Advertising students ...

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Q&A - With Cossette's Creative Lead on their multi-winning spot for nabs

Q&A - With Cossette's Creative Lead on their multi-winning spot for nabs

September 11, 2023

Nicole Ellerton, group creative director at Cossette Toronto shares her and her team's inspiration while effecting positive change in their seven-time multiple category-winning video "This job can break you" for nabs. This is an industry historic ...

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NO NEWS IS BAD NEWS

NO NEWS IS BAD NEWS

August 24, 2023

John Heartfield’s famous 1930s critique of press censorship in Nazi Germany By Will Novosedlik In a recent interview on CBC radio, science fiction writer and digital activist Cory Doctorow defined the internet as “5 giant websites f ...

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Into the Spotlight

Into the Spotlight

August 3, 2023

Applied Arts spoke with Aanvik Singh, a recent graduate from Savannah College of Art and Design's Motion Media and Design program, to share his process for creating projects that create a lasting impression.  Projects like Comotion 2023, Into th ...

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Brandless

Brandless

July 27, 2023

Remember ‘brand x’?  One of the oldest devices in the advertising playbook, it used to be the perennial stand-in for ‘other leading brands’. It was a way of elevating your brand above the messy middle of competitors by i ...

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Climb to the top with the Advertising Awards

Climb to the top with the Advertising Awards

July 19, 2023

We may be in the dog days of summer, but the 2024 Advertising Awards deadline is a little over a month away. The time is now to review award-worthy—traditional advertising, promotional, social/Viral, digital, events, interactive experiences, ...

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Turning the table Carlo Barreto

Turning the table Carlo Barreto

July 18, 2023

Carlo Barreto A favourite project for Carlo Barreto, one of our 2023 Student Awards jurors and Creative Director at Team One, Los Angeles, CA, was the "Emotional Sparks" campaign he and his team created for their client Lexus. Artists and creatives ...

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Turning the table Arvin Paelmo

Turning the table Arvin Paelmo

July 10, 2023

2023 Applied Arts Student Awards juror Arvin Paelmo, ZAK's Co-Founder, Art Director, Vancouver, BC shared his favourite 2022 project with us, the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) campaign. The VIFF is an acclaimed annual festival and a pr ...

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 The 2023 Applied Arts Student Awards Winners Gallery Now Live

The 2023 Applied Arts Student Awards Winners Gallery Now Live

July 6, 2023

"Wow!"  "Fantastic work!" – These are just a few of our 2023 Student Awards judges' comments on this year's winning entries. The calibre of talent in this competition was inspiring and shed a hopeful light on the future, as our Student jud ...

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Turning the table on Dosh Osholowu

Turning the table on Dosh Osholowu

July 5, 2023

Dosh Osholowu, Intermediate Art Director, Vancouver, BC and 2023 Applied Arts Student Awards juror, shared his favourite project "The Mastery" a music video for artist Adewolf.  I directed the music video for "Mastery" by ADEWOLF, exploring t ...

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TRANS AND BRANDS – PART 2

TRANS AND BRANDS – PART 2

July 3, 2023

By Will and Aria Novosedlik   Back in the ‘90s, it used to be fashionable among marketing wonks to say that brands did not belong to their owners; they belonged to their customers. It was a way of promoting the notion of customer centr ...

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Wunderman Thompson launches new work for The Get REAL Movement

Wunderman Thompson launches new work for The Get REAL Movement

June 30, 2023

In response to hockey's Pride jersey controversy - the Professional Hockey league’s announcement in late June that Pride jerseys will be banned moving forward - The Get REAL Movement launched an initiative that encourages the league to keep Pri ...

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Turning the table: Jean Quarcoopome

Turning the table: Jean Quarcoopome

June 23, 2023

Jean Quarcoopome, 2023 Applied Arts Student Awards juror and Co-Founder & Design Director at Kenga Media, shared his favourite project - designing the 4th issue of Kenga Magazine. Kenga Magazine is a quarterly publication, dedicated to spotlight ...

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Announcing 2023 Student Awards Winners

Announcing 2023 Student Awards Winners

June 12, 2023

Year after year, we are amazed at the calibre of work submitted to our Student Awards competitions. This year's work drips with talent and creative problem-solving skills. Dosh Osholowu, Intermediate Art Director, Vancouver, BC, 2023 Student Awards ...

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St. Bonaventure’s College - A Passion for Learning

St. Bonaventure’s College - A Passion for Learning

June 6, 2023

Target, Canada’s longest-standing independent agency located in St John's Newfoundland, recently released their new campaign for client St. Bonaventure’s College. The school, an independent K-12 school in St. John’s, turned to Targe ...

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The Dickie Berg promotes a good cause

The Dickie Berg promotes a good cause

June 1, 2023

Zulu Alpha Kilo shared a recently released fun and unconventional campaign they created for their client Deeva Toys. The tag line: "Fighting climate change is hard. But so is Dickie Berg: the dildo that helps save the planet." is cheeky, playful and ...

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2023 Applied Arts Design Awards Gallery now online!

2023 Applied Arts Design Awards Gallery now online!

June 1, 2023

"Outstanding!"   "Clean, elegant and badass."   "Amazing work!"  "Excellent."   "This is fire!"  These are just a few of the comments our 2023 Applied Arts Design Awards judges shared with us while scoring ...

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TRANS AND BRANDS: THE FINAL FRONTIER

TRANS AND BRANDS: THE FINAL FRONTIER

June 1, 2023

By Will and Aria Novosedlik Brands, like myths, tell us what we want to hear. Their success is not measured by the real fulfillment of what they promise, but by how well that promise lines up with the fantasies we have about ourselves. Take beer, ...

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Turning the table on Antonia V Goga

Turning the table on Antonia V Goga

May 26, 2023

Antonia V Goga, a 2023 Applied Arts Design Awards juror and Creative Director, Design & XD at Momentum Worldwide, shared one of her favourite projects with us - the “Cadillac LYRIQ - The Signature Tour. BE ICONIC.” campaign. She and h ...

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Turning the table: Claudia Mark

Turning the table: Claudia Mark

May 19, 2023

New York City-based Creative Director and 2023 Applied Arts Design Awards competition juror, Claudia Mark, Agenda, NYC, shares Lumen Learning, a project which she and her team found to be "... an incredibly rewarding process ... seeing it out in the ...

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Everyone is a critic

Everyone is a critic

May 16, 2023

Full Punch launched a new campaign for client Denny's whose goal was to re-shape their large menu with the help of their customers. The campaign was based on the idea that everyone is a critic so why not turn the restaurant into a test kitchen and th ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: MIKE BUTLER

TURNING THE TABLE: MIKE BUTLER

May 12, 2023

A while back we asked Mike Butler, Design Director, Wunderman Thompson, Toronto, to join our 2023 Applied Arts Design Awards jury and we were thrilled when he accepted. He lent us his expert eye and donated his time to score many award worthy entries ...

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Befitting the Birthday Suit ...

Befitting the Birthday Suit ...

May 9, 2023

St John's, NL, Ray Creative Agency shared a new advertising campaign they produced for Nova Scotian client AtlanTick Repellent Products, which launched May 1, 2023. Just in time for those eager gardeners, hikers, naturalists and all-around outdoors p ...

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LAUGH THERAPY FOR NEW PARENTS

LAUGH THERAPY FOR NEW PARENTS

May 5, 2023

Never judge a book by its cover they say, perfect idiom for creative director Cam Spires'  new soon-to-be-published book "What Were You Expecting?: First Words for New Parents". He collaborated with illustrator Grace Cho, Cam's day job and AD pa ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: MUSTAALI RAJ

TURNING THE TABLE: MUSTAALI RAJ

May 3, 2023

Vancouver-based Art Director, Designer & Visual Artist Mustaali Raj, was one of our 2023 Photography & Illustration Awards competition judges; not only that—his work was also selected as a winner in the  2023 Applied Arts Illustrat ...

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Q&A with Photographer Marnie Jazwicki

Q&A with Photographer Marnie Jazwicki

April 28, 2023

"Here to Tell" Marnie Jazwicki The idea that a photograph acts as a document of time, place and history could not be better represented than by Marnie Jazwicki's photography for the Calgary Jewish Federations exhibit "Here to Tell" under the direc ...

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The 2023 Applied Arts Photography & Illustration online gallery now live!

The 2023 Applied Arts Photography & Illustration online gallery now live!

April 27, 2023

"Visually arresting cinematic quality" says Steve Kim, Creative Director, One Twenty Three West, Toronto, ON, on the winning entry Nestcafé Jars by Courage. Applied Arts recognizes exceptional artistry in all appli ...

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From Land Theft To Brand Theft

From Land Theft To Brand Theft

April 27, 2023

The World Monuments Fund is a global non-profit dedicated to preserving humanity’s greatest architectural monuments. According to its website, The Fund “provides a critical platform to raise awareness of and support for heritage sites of ...

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Q&A with Leah Hennel's

Q&A with Leah Hennel's

April 21, 2023

Multiple Applied Arts Photography Award winner Leah Hennel has been working as a photojournalist for many years, most recently documenting the COVID crisis in her hometown Calgary, Alberta. Leah has the ability, more over the humanity, to capture tho ...

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EXPLORE SEATTLE SOUTHSIDE THINKS MICRO

EXPLORE SEATTLE SOUTHSIDE THINKS MICRO

April 19, 2023

One Twenty Three West was charged with Seattle Southside's rebrand from their logo, brand identity to their advertising campaign, the goal was to boost tourism in a region of Seattle that unexpectedly is full of personality, character and charm.  ...

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2023 Design Awards Competition  Winners Announcement

2023 Design Awards Competition Winners Announcement

April 14, 2023

It's a wrap! Our 2023 Design Awards judges have completed scoring this year's competition. They were blown away by this year's entries, as Marc Husted, Partner, Designer, Bamff, Calgary, AB, commented: "There was some work that totally knocked my soc ...

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Turning the Table: Lisa Lebedovich

Turning the Table: Lisa Lebedovich

April 12, 2023

We were fortunate to have Lisa Lebedovitch, Executive Creative Director at Will, Vancouver, join our 2023 Photography & Illustration Awards jury panel. Over the past 20 years, Lisa has created standout advertising campaigns for local and internat ...

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Turning the Table: Nathalie Cusson

Turning the Table: Nathalie Cusson

April 7, 2023

Nathalie Cusson is an award-winning multidisciplinary creative director with 20 years in the advertising and design industries, and is still going strong. She shares the inspiration that kicked-started the "Computer Case Design" for staff at Juniper ...

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Turning the Table:  Olivier Caron

Turning the Table: Olivier Caron

March 31, 2023

  Seasoned creative Olivier Caron made the move from design to advertising early on in his career, and he hasn't looked back. As an art director, his work has been recognized by local and international competitions, such as yours dearest A ...

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PROPAGANDA: From Conflict To Commerce

PROPAGANDA: From Conflict To Commerce

March 23, 2023

Illustration: Will Novosedlik They say the first victim of war is the truth.  No one understood this better than wartime president Woodrow Wilson, who can rightly be credited as one of the fathers of propaganda. The biggest plank in Wilson&# ...

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A Q&A Alfredo Film's Partner & Executive Producer Alexander Henry

A Q&A Alfredo Film's Partner & Executive Producer Alexander Henry

March 17, 2023

Image taken from 2022 Applied Arts winning film Black and Abroad by Alexander Henry The word pivoting has been very popular over the last few years —Yes, the pandemic—BUT don't worry, this post isn't about COVID. It is about pivoting, ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Jenny Vivar

#EmbraceEquity with judge Jenny Vivar

March 13, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions –  Photography ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Marie-Joëlle Lemire

#EmbraceEquity with judge Marie-Joëlle Lemire

March 10, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions –  Photography ...

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Revealing the 2023 Photography & Illustration Winners

Revealing the 2023 Photography & Illustration Winners

March 10, 2023

Our 2023 Photography and Illustration Awards winners used unparalleled talents, be they with a lens or pens (or stylus, brush, collage...), mirroring the world around us and conveying the experiences within us with skill and craft befitting our award ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Karolina Loboda

#EmbraceEquity with judge Karolina Loboda

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions –  Photography ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Paulina Van Vliet

#EmbraceEquity with judge Paulina Van Vliet

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions –  Photography ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Devon Williamson

#EmbraceEquity with judge Devon Williamson

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity)we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions –  Photography ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Antonia Goga

#EmbraceEquity with judge Antonia Goga

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions – Photography & ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Monique Gamache

#EmbraceEquity with judge Monique Gamache

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions –  Photography ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Zoe Kim

#EmbraceEquity with judge Zoe Kim

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions –  Photography ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Lisa Lebedovich

#EmbraceEquity with judge Lisa Lebedovich

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions –  Photography ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Claudia Mark

#EmbraceEquity with judge Claudia Mark

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions –  Photography ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge Jane Jin

#EmbraceEquity with judge Jane Jin

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions – Photography & ...

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#EmbraceEquity with judge VANESSA IDDON

#EmbraceEquity with judge VANESSA IDDON

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day (#EmbraceEquity) we wanted to celebrate all the talented hard-working women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions – Photography & ...

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 #EmbraceEquity with judge Nathalie Cusson

#EmbraceEquity with judge Nathalie Cusson

March 8, 2023

In recognition of this year's International Women's Day #EmbraceEquity we wanted to celebrate all the talented hardworking women in our industry and so, we approached the women jurors of our three 2023 Awards competitions – Photography & Il ...

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A Q&A with BEATS Collective on their 2022 Design Awards Winning Entry

A Q&A with BEATS Collective on their 2022 Design Awards Winning Entry

March 3, 2023

BEATS by BEATS Collective photo credit Cléo Beauchamp-Paquette Applied Arts contacted the BEATS Collective to dig deeper into their 2022 Design Awards winning Design Awards entry BEATS. This Experimental/innovative performance-driven show mel ...

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The Only One in the Room

The Only One in the Room

February 23, 2023

Call to action for BIPOC creatives to participate in Michael Sinanan’s documentary project All Colour Is When Michael Sinanan graduated from the graphic design program at Durham College back in the mid 90s, there were 27 of the original 90 s ...

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Q&A with Raphaël Ouellet photographer and director

Q&A with Raphaël Ouellet photographer and director

February 23, 2023

In keeping with our recent Q&As with photographers/Directors, we reached out to long-time Applied Arts Awards winner photographer & director Raphaël Ouellet. Like so many other photographers, Raphaël shifted his craft to include mot ...

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Single on Valentine's Day?

Single on Valentine's Day?

February 14, 2023

This Valentine's Day, Cupid is shooting his arrows toward singles for the one day from 6pm to 9pm. Zulu Alpha Kilo developed the Pizza Pizza "Singles for Singles" program which celebrates singles by offering a free single slice of cheese or pepperoni ...

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Point Blank becomes Unionized

Point Blank becomes Unionized

February 13, 2023

We all know that a career in advertising is like riding a speeding train with tuck-and-roll pit stops to attend to one's personal outside life. It is a life fuelled by adrenaline, buckets of coffee and barrels of wine. This topic was tackled in the n ...

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A Q&A with Applied Arts Photography Awards winner Hubert Kang & Amy Jones

A Q&A with Applied Arts Photography Awards winner Hubert Kang & Amy Jones

February 10, 2023

19 Crimes X Snoop Dogg X Chairman Ting, Kindred & Scout, 2021 Applied Arts Photography Awards, Cinematography short category Hubert Kang is no stranger to Applied Arts. His photography has graced the pages of Applied Arts magazines for more th ...

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Q&A with multiple year Awards winner Nik Mirus

Q&A with multiple year Awards winner Nik Mirus

February 3, 2023

We were in touch with  multiple year Applied Arts Photography Awards winner Nik Mirus for a Q&A to discuss the industry's demands for motion and stills. As a photographer, director and DOP Nik has the scoop on the natural evolution and meldi ...

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A winning Canadian Slovak collaboration

A winning Canadian Slovak collaboration

January 27, 2023

2022 Applied Arts Illustration Awards winning work Herzog by Martin Dupuis, creative director at Les Évadés, and Peter Licko, illustrator.   Collaborations can be tricky as we all know yet, sometimes, we hit the jackpot and find that ...

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Optimize me, Baby

Optimize me, Baby

January 26, 2023

Arseny Togulev for Unsplash By now you’ve heard the story about the Russian design studio, art.lebedev, that used AI technology on several of its accounts before revealing to its clients that the designer they thought was working on their lo ...

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Meet the 2023 Photography & Illustration Awards Jurors

Meet the 2023 Photography & Illustration Awards Jurors

January 25, 2023

The 2023 Applied Arts Photography & Illustration Awards jury panel is made of 15 jurors of designers and art directors from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. These award-winning jurors could fill a room with their extensive list of accola ...

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An ad 15 years in the making

An ad 15 years in the making

January 24, 2023

Travelling within this wondrous country of ours, from coast to coast to coast, has long been on my bucket list. Experiencing the diversified landscapes, ways of life and the diverse cultures of Canada leave me spell bound and eager to see more. Newfo ...

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Midland's new Identity 'A Beautiful Fit'

Midland's new Identity 'A Beautiful Fit'

January 13, 2023

Full Punch, a creative design & advertising agency located in Vancouver, shared their recent rebrand campaign for their client Midland, a high-end appliance retailer also located in Vancouver. If this campaign doesn't have you dreaming about a ne ...

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Turning Back the Clock with 2014 Illustration Awards Winner Stephanie Singleton

Turning Back the Clock with 2014 Illustration Awards Winner Stephanie Singleton

January 10, 2023

Recently we were in touch with Stephanie Singleton, a Toronto-born and raised Illustrator and a Young Blood Category winner from the 2014 Illustration Awards competition, with our request to participate in our online Q&A. From time-to-time, ...

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Q&A with 2022 Applied Arts Photography Awards winner Daniel Everitt-Lock

Q&A with 2022 Applied Arts Photography Awards winner Daniel Everitt-Lock

January 6, 2023

For some time now commercial photographers have had to expand their tool box to also include motion, this was primarily in response to the demands of social media and smaller advertising campaign budgets. Yet even before these two factors landed in t ...

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Glossed Over

Glossed Over

January 4, 2023

We asked Sid Lee Toronto to participate in a Q&A on their 2022 Applied Arts Advertising Awards winning campaign "Glossed Over" for client Cheekbone Beauty. This campaign won in the following Advertising Awards categories: Consumer DM/Collateral, ...

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DESIGNING FOR REVISION AND RESISTANCE

DESIGNING FOR REVISION AND RESISTANCE

December 22, 2022

THERE ARE BOOKS YOU BUY FOR THE WRITING. THERE ARE BOOKS YOU BUY FOR THE DESIGN. THEN THERE ARE BOOKS YOU BUY FOR BOTH. THIS IS ONE OF THEM. Underline Studio’s design for the cover of ‘Revision and Resistance’ uses a die-cut slee ...

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Q&A with 2022 Applied Arts Advertising Awards winner LG2 Quebec

Q&A with 2022 Applied Arts Advertising Awards winner LG2 Quebec

December 19, 2022

2022 Applied Arts Advertising Awards winner LG2 Quebec/Montreal/Toronto learn more about their winning campaign "Car Crash Flavoured Chips" for client SAAQ. A multi-category winning entry in the Experiential/Event and the other in the Young Blood Adv ...

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The House with No Escape

The House with No Escape

December 14, 2022

Toronto based agency G&G accepted our invitation to participate in a Q&A on their 2022 Applied Arts Advertising Awards winning campaign The House with No Escape for client Assaulted Women's Helpline.  Bold and brave there is no esca ...

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The 2022 Advertising Awards Online Gallery is now live!

The 2022 Advertising Awards Online Gallery is now live!

December 12, 2022

LG2, More is More, Special Effects category The 2022 Applied Arts Advertising Awards online gallery is now live! Explore the 188 winning entries from advertising, digital, audio & video categories.  You will find some new creatives who ha ...

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Spotlight on 2022 Applied Arts Photography winners

Spotlight on 2022 Applied Arts Photography winners

December 9, 2022

The Groomed Man, Les Garçons Les Garçons are a photographer and director duo who create images and tell stories. They have been together for over 15 years and have been winning awards for as long. They are internationally recognized and ...

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New work from Colagene's own

New work from Colagene's own

November 29, 2022

                  by Jenue represented by @colagene.clinique.creative Colagene, a representation agency with offices in Montreal and Paris, shared work from their artist Jenue, work commissioned by DI ...

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Spotlight on student awards winner

Spotlight on student awards winner

November 25, 2022

At Applied Arts our mission is to showcase award winning talent, while doing some research on our past awards winners we came across 2021 Applied Arts Student Awards winner, Florence Babin-Beaudry, for her work Unexpected Parentheses.  We were c ...

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Edmonton laneway park gets a colourful makeover

Edmonton laneway park gets a colourful makeover

November 24, 2022

Edmonton park gets technicolour makeover in honour of local LGBTQ+ pioneer.  hcma, an interdisciplinary design firm located in western Canada, was commissioned by the Downtown Edmonton Community League to reinvigorate Michael Phair Park with the ...

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Design on Fire

Design on Fire

November 24, 2022

Left: David King’s Poster for a 1980 theatre production of the play A Short Sharp Shock. Right: cover of Rick Poynor’s comprehensive biography of the designer David King, published 40 years later. Talk about a short, sharp shock. The s ...

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Announcing the 2023 Applied Arts Awards Call For Entry

Announcing the 2023 Applied Arts Awards Call For Entry

November 23, 2022

Clay and Friends - Agua, 2022 Applied Arts Photography Awards winner Félix Renaud Winning an Applied Arts Award is a recognition of creative excellence. Winners earn international exposure to a community of over 178,500 professionals and enth ...

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Brampton Arts Organization's New Look!

Brampton Arts Organization's New Look!

November 22, 2022

Blok Design, a Toronto based design studio, states on their website: "We collaborate with thinkers and creators, from all over the world, taking on projects that blend cultural awareness, our love of art, and our belief in humanity to advance society ...

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"See What Care Can Do"

"See What Care Can Do"

November 15, 2022

Newly appointed AOR FUSE Create recently launched their first campaign for client Sinai Health Foundation.  The "See what care can do" campaign is the first evolution of the previous creative platform; dimensionalizing ‘care’ an ...

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Are you billing enough?

Are you billing enough?

November 10, 2022

Curious to know what others across Canada are charging, billing and earning? Want to know the data on the future of work, DEI measures, salary transparency and more? We thought we would share the new 2021/2022 Creative Earners report with you. The re ...

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Letters Home

Letters Home

November 8, 2022

Zulu Alpha Kilo created Letters Home, a campaign for their clients, The Legion National Foundation and HomeEquity Bank, in honour of Remembrance day. This Digital Poppy Fundraising Campaign is the fourth to run in consecutive years.  To bring h ...

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"Brokers to the rescue!"

"Brokers to the rescue!"

November 4, 2022

Ray, a Newfoundland advertising agency, shared with us their recent campaign for client Steers Insurance and we couldn't resist passing it on.  We love the refreshing and humorous approach Ray took with this campaign! From Ray on the campaign:& ...

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TURNING THE TABLE:  STEPHEN FLYNN

TURNING THE TABLE: STEPHEN FLYNN

October 29, 2022

Our 2022 Applied Arts Advertising Awards juror, Stephen Flynn, Creative Director, Wunder, Halifax Nova Scotia, shared with us his recent "200 Square Feet" campaign for client Domus Realty. This campaign is a huge hit and is garnering attention and co ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: SARAH RUTHERFORD

TURNING THE TABLE: SARAH RUTHERFORD

October 21, 2022

We are grateful to Sarah Rutherford, Group Creative Director, Cossette, for joining our 2022 Advertising Awards jury panel! Now in her 6th year at Cossette,  she has received over 100 awards created for clients like the SickKids Foundation. At o ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: Paolo Garcia

TURNING THE TABLE: Paolo Garcia

October 17, 2022

Paolo Garcia, Group Executive Creative Director of Publicis Groupe Vietnam. He is responsible for four communications brands: Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi and Saatchi and MSL, and one of our 20 judges who helped select this year's winning entries. ...

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Turning Back the Clock

Turning Back the Clock

October 14, 2022

We recently checked in with the multiple-year Applied Arts Awards winner, photographer Reena Newman. Reena won her first Applied Arts Award as a Student in 2004, with back-to-back wins in 2017 - 2019 - her career took off from there. Proof that winni ...

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It's your day to be  Robin Hood

It's your day to be Robin Hood

October 12, 2022

As kids my sister and I played what we called "The Robin Hood" game with the other kids in our neighbourhood. We wore capes and used branches for arcs in our own imaginary 12th century England, fighting for the poor by taking from the rich (no one wa ...

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Know more - No more

Know more - No more

October 12, 2022

Vancouver based agency 123w created a clever campaign for Breast Cancer Canada which launched in time for Breast Cancer month, October 2022. The agency's goal was to showcase the amazing progress that has been made in cancer research to end cancer. T ...

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Announcing the 2022 Advertising Awards Winners

Announcing the 2022 Advertising Awards Winners

October 6, 2022

What do Stand Up Comedy and Advertising have in common? Quick brilliant one-liners that immediately resonate with our lived and living experiences of the world around us. When it comes to advertising these one-line zingers stay with us, think “ ...

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Two-eyed Seeing

Two-eyed Seeing

October 6, 2022

  Spread from the brand standards guide for Indigenous Tourism Ontario Last year in this column I wrote about Indigenous-owned design firm Animikii and the influence of Indigenous values – in this case, the seven sacred teachings (lo ...

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Return of the Zombies - @deadwithsign

Return of the Zombies - @deadwithsign

October 5, 2022

Halloween is a time when everyone has the opportunity to express their creativity through costumes, environment, characters, ambiance and more, it is our playground to impress, scare and entertain.  Some years ago at one of the halloween parties ...

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SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENT AWARDS WINNER

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENT AWARDS WINNER

September 30, 2022

The Invisible Battles, Marie-Christine Arpin  Our mandate at Applied Arts is to showcase award-winning talent from the current year to winners from a long way back. We sat down with 2022 Student Awards winner and recent graduate, Marie-Christ ...

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New Interac campaign from Zulu Alpha Kilo

New Interac campaign from Zulu Alpha Kilo

September 29, 2022

Some time ago I came across an article on the unexpected scents that could act as aphrodisiacs, seems that freshly baked cinnamon rolls hit the mark for both men and women. Who knew that the smell from our childhood kitchens could turn into a sex mag ...

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Wizened by Billion Buns and Wize Tea?

Wizened by Billion Buns and Wize Tea?

September 27, 2022

    Vancouver based studio Chairman Ting industries inc, and Wize Tea collaborated on these LIMITED-EDITION ice tea cans featuring two new Billion Buns NFTs. Billion Buns consists of a collection of unique and creative characters from t ...

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Reduced to a number? Nuh-uh!

Reduced to a number? Nuh-uh!

September 23, 2022

Daughter Creative, a Calgary based advertising agency, launched their first campaign for connectFirst, a locally owned and operated credit union with 42 locations across Southern Alberta. The launch began with a TV spot on September 12, 2022, with Ci ...

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Communing with 2022 Design Awards Community Winners

Communing with 2022 Design Awards Community Winners

September 16, 2022

Jon Allison, RGD resides in Kingston, Ont. is an-award winning creative director and founder of Backcountry Branding, where he helps brands stand out through strategic positioning and memorable identity systems. While Jon has many awards under his be ...

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Introducing a marketplace for video footage and photography

Introducing a marketplace for video footage and photography

September 12, 2022

Sponsored by   Northern Canada covers nearly 50% of Canada's total land area, but only accounts for less than 1% of Canada's population. The new photo and video footage platform Arcticstock is a unique resource offering photos and videos from ...

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Taking the pulse with 2022 Young Bloods Sophia Wilby and Nate Houseley

Taking the pulse with 2022 Young Bloods Sophia Wilby and Nate Houseley

September 7, 2022

We reached out to the creative duo Sophia Wilby and Nate Houseley 2021 Applied Arts Advertising Young Blood Award winners to find out more about their creative process on their multiple-award winning campaign "Receats" for client Good Fortune. The ca ...

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Taking the pulse with 2022 Young Blood Brendan Irving

Taking the pulse with 2022 Young Blood Brendan Irving

September 2, 2022

Introducing Brendan Irving, a 2022 Applied Arts Design winner in the Young Blood category (a category for individuals and teams with less than five years in the industry) and a recent graduate from George Brown in Graphic Design. Brendan's winning de ...

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Quake re-brand iconic game boards Risk and Avalon Hill

Quake re-brand iconic game boards Risk and Avalon Hill

August 30, 2022

Quake, a design-based creative agency located in Toronto, were tasked with the re-brand of Hasbro Games iconic game boards, Risk and Avalon Hill. Given the recent surge in the popularity of board games, Hasbro Games decided it was time to modernize t ...

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Taking the pulse with Young Blood Danny Wu

Taking the pulse with Young Blood Danny Wu

August 27, 2022

We continue with spotlighting our Applied Arts Young Blood award winners with Danny Wu who won a 2022 Applied Arts Design award in the small business, branding category for Grand Tacos Taqueria re-brand design.  What is your creative process (f ...

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New work for Boston Pizza from the pros at john st.

New work for Boston Pizza from the pros at john st.

August 24, 2022

John St added the Boston Pizza Patio Badges to their "Where those in the know, patio" national campaign which celebrates pro patio behaviour. Building on its 2021 campaign retraining the nation on “how to patio” after a long pandemic hiat ...

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Taking the pulse with 2022 Young Blood Celeste Colborne

Taking the pulse with 2022 Young Blood Celeste Colborne

August 20, 2022

The Earth Diver, Celeste Colborne   Introducing Celeste Colborne, 2022 Applied Arts Illustration Young Blood (a category for individuals and teams with less than five years in the industry) Award winner for her personal/unpublished work "About ...

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The Artist as Outlaw

The Artist as Outlaw

August 18, 2022

Image courtesy: Mr. Fish It’s tough enough to make a living as a commercial illustrator. For a political cartoonist with an uncompromising commitment to speak truth to power, it’s nearly impossible. I first came across the work of ...

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For Trade: The Cheestring

For Trade: The Cheestring

August 16, 2022

On August 2nd, 2022 a giant billboard in the centre of Downtown Toronto Yonge-Dundas Square broadcasted a simple photograph of a Black Diamond marbled Cheestring with copy which read:  FOR TRADE: One CheestringAccepting trades for one Cheestrin ...

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Taking the pulse with 2021 Young Bloods Ruby Yang & Shubhangi Verma

Taking the pulse with 2021 Young Bloods Ruby Yang & Shubhangi Verma

August 12, 2022

Applied Arts catches up with 2021 Advertising Award Young Blood (a category for individuals and teams with less than five years in the industry) winners Ruby Yang and Shubbhangi Verma. The creative duo collaborated to create The Dating App that Got D ...

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Le Blanc Bec by lg2 MTL

Le Blanc Bec by lg2 MTL

August 9, 2022

L'ITHQ (L'Institut de Tourisme et Hôtellerie du Québec), Canada's leading educational institution for tourism, hotel and restaurant services, had a mission to promote Quebec’s gastronomic culture by showcasing local products in their ...

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Taking the pulse with 2021 Young Blood Award winner Zoë Neary

Taking the pulse with 2021 Young Blood Award winner Zoë Neary

August 5, 2022

Deep in the throws of our 2022 Advertising Awards competition call for entry (final deadline is September 2, 2022), we thought we would highlight our 2021 Advertising Award winners in the Young Blood category so you can glean the calibre of talent th ...

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The Advertising Awards help agencies shine

The Advertising Awards help agencies shine

August 4, 2022

The Applied Arts Advertising Awards competition help agencies and individuals climb the creative ladder through increased visibility online and printed awards annuals. It also provides them a chance to up their ranking on Strategy's Creative Report C ...

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: STEVEN VAN HASTEN

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: STEVEN VAN HASTEN

August 1, 2022

As the latest issue of Applied Arts, the Awards Annual featuring the 2022 Winners from the Photography, Illustration and Design Awards, drops we caught up with cover artist and illustrator Steven Van Hasten. Steven is one of our 2022 Illustration Awa ...

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Taking the Pulse with Young Blood creative minds at TAXI

Taking the Pulse with Young Blood creative minds at TAXI

July 29, 2022

At Applied Arts we celebrate young up and coming advertising creatives by giving them their own category, the Young Blood (open to newer graduates with less than 5 years industry experience) category, where they can shine through and gain much deserv ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: CARSON TING

TURNING THE TABLE: CARSON TING

July 22, 2022

Our 2022 Applied Arts Student Awards judge Carson Ting, Partner and Creative Director, Chairman Ting, Vancouver, BC, and a 2022 Applied Arts Illustration winner for his Billion Buns illustration under the promotional/social media category. Billion Bu ...

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New work by Zulu Alpha Kilo

New work by Zulu Alpha Kilo

July 20, 2022

Zulu Alpha Kilo led the strategy and creative development campaign on Metaverse Village a project their clients, Home Equity Bank and Homes For Heroes, partnered together on. The goal of this project is to provide our veterans with homes as well as a ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: TERESA LEUNG

TURNING THE TABLE: TERESA LEUNG

July 15, 2022

We asked 2022 Student Awards Judge and Associate Creative Director Teresa Leung, to share with us a project of hers- one where she felt she really shone through. And shine she does! Teresa created this campaign with her team at ZGM Calgary before mov ...

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Welcome to the Real Gilead

Welcome to the Real Gilead

July 14, 2022

Illustration: Emiliano Ponzi There are few novels that inspire a visual response as robust as that unleashed by Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.    I read the book back when it was published in 1985. I remember being ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: TEKO MAMALADZE

TURNING THE TABLE: TEKO MAMALADZE

July 8, 2022

Teko MamaladzeTeko Mamaladze describes her home, Georgia, as "a country with big dreams" she is an Art Director that loves copywriting and likes to use humour to solve problems, "sometimes even in advertising." She shared her ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: TANYA DUFFY

TURNING THE TABLE: TANYA DUFFY

July 1, 2022

Creative Director, Principal at New Brunswick The Details Design Studio and a 2022 Applied Arts Design Awards judge shared with us the new branding for The Capital Complex. After 20 years, the Capital Complex, located in Fredericton NB, was ready for ...

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BHLA works with Kruger Products

BHLA works with Kruger Products

June 30, 2022

Bonterra a new line of revolutionary paper products made from responsibly sourced materials in plastic-free packaging recently launched in Canada. Launching with a series of TV spots in English and French, sustainability was a key component in the de ...

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Announcing the 2022  Applied Arts Student Awards Winners

Announcing the 2022 Applied Arts Student Awards Winners

June 29, 2022

The digital revolution is here, making it far easier to do business and, the same holds true for students entering International Awards competitions. It is no wonder why we are seeing an influx of entries coming from abroad. The results of the 2022 S ...

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THE 2022 APPLIED ARTS DESIGN AWARDS WINNERS ARE NOW ONLINE

THE 2022 APPLIED ARTS DESIGN AWARDS WINNERS ARE NOW ONLINE

June 29, 2022

The 2022 Applied Arts Design Awards Winners Gallery is now live! A huge thanks to all our entrants this year, your work shines and inspires greatness for the future of our industry! An enormous shout-out also goes out to the 2022 Design Awards Jury f ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: SOPHIE RUBIN

TURNING THE TABLE: SOPHIE RUBIN

June 24, 2022

Applied Arts 2022 Design Awards judge Sophie Rubin of Switzerland's WePlayDesign is a studio where work covers all areas of creativity from art direction to type design, visual identity to motion design, interactive design to generative design. Sophi ...

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Design Army's saucony house of speed Pop-up

Design Army's saucony house of speed Pop-up

June 23, 2022

  Design Army's latest work, Saucony House of Speed, succeeds in making quite a splash for the Paris Fashion Week with a campaign and pop-up that celebrates the brand's newest shoe, the Endorphin Pro 3. For the release of the brand ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: NOËL NANTON

TURNING THE TABLE: NOËL NANTON

June 17, 2022

2022 Applied Arts Design Awards judge Noël Nanton, typotherapy CD, shared their recent project for the Sandra Ainsley Gallery. The boutique creative direction and graphic design studio was commissioned to redesign the gallery’s website wit ...

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ROCKTAILS.

ROCKTAILS.

June 16, 2022

INGREDIENTS THAT REPRESENT THE VERY BEST OF OUR NATURAL LANDSCAPE AND MAKE NEWFOUNDLAND DISTILLERY COMPANY SPIRITS SO SPECIAL.  ROCKTAIL, ANYONE? Ray agency launches a new campaign for The Newfoundland Distillery Company, an award-winning di ...

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'Thoughts'

'Thoughts'

June 10, 2022

Director duo John Larigakis, (former Creative director at One Twenty Three West) and & Bill Hawley release 'Thoughts' a new 60s video for Emmerse, a Vancouver-based startup. The video coincides with the launch of the Emmerse App c ...

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The Fluevog x Zandra Rhodes collaboration

The Fluevog x Zandra Rhodes collaboration

June 10, 2022

Applied Arts sat down with John Fluevog and textile designer Zandra Rhodes on the eve of the release of their Spring/Summer ’22 time capsule collection. Mutual admirers of one another, it all started in the 70’s with a pair of velvet gree ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: David Kessous

TURNING THE TABLE: David Kessous

June 10, 2022

Where mobile reigns supreme. lg2 Montreal goes deep to successfully rebrand Ludia, a mobile gaming developer. 2022 Design Awards judge David Kessous, Creative, VP, Executive Creative Director, Branding And Design at lg2 leads one of the most prol ...

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Full Punch and WIRTH Hats join forces on a recent project

Full Punch and WIRTH Hats join forces on a recent project

June 8, 2022

Vancouver-based advertising agency Full Punch has collaborated with WIRTH Hats to help improve mental well-being by releasing a new cap that puts the Canadian mental wellness hotline number top of mind, literally. One in four Canadians experience me ...

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Digging the Data with Will Novosedlik

Digging the Data with Will Novosedlik

May 26, 2022

Photo: Clay Banks Back in the early noughts, I taught the history of graphic design at OCAD. I used to say to my students, as a graphic designer you only have four tools to work with: shape, type, colour and image. The internet was still young, the ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: Stefanie Sosiak

TURNING THE TABLE: Stefanie Sosiak

May 24, 2022

Photography & Illustration Awards judge Stefanie Sosiak is an award-winning Art Director for Air Canada enRoute magazine, as well as an avid traveller and food lover. Stefanie has over 15 years of design and content marketing experience in the in ...

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Design Wreck

Design Wreck

May 17, 2022

Waaaaay back in 2018 (a lifetime ago in COVID times, but the blink of an eye in a young career) we featured Student Award winner Marvin Veloso and his journey from unemployed Seneca College design grad to junior art director in seven days, all becaus ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: JONATHAN LAVOIE

TURNING THE TABLE: JONATHAN LAVOIE

May 13, 2022

Jonathan Lavoie, whose background is in graphic design, started his career at BBDO Montreal, and went on to join the Sid Lee team in 2005. He has worked on projects for North Face, Adidas, Samsung, Burger King, Videotron, IGA, Loto-Quebec, Belair Dir ...

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Distract Then Drive

Distract Then Drive

May 6, 2022

It’s 2022. We’ve all had phones for what feels like forever and each year they get better and better at keeping our eyes glued to them. We also know that peeping that latest notification or dashing off a quick text while behind the wheel ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: JEFF SIMPSON

TURNING THE TABLE: JEFF SIMPSON

May 5, 2022

Jeff Simpson is the Creative Director at the Halifax-based agency Trampoline, and, he likes things. In his office, you'll find an array of designer toys, art, mini dumpster fires, 20lbs books, and even a toy leg—all serving to fuel his creativi ...

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Good Taste and Good Tasting

Good Taste and Good Tasting

May 4, 2022

Since 2013, Collective Arts Brewing + Distilling has been the pioneer in combining top flight brews and spirits with top talent artists. Built on the belief that “creativity fuels creativity” they certainly have the track record, with a ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: ALLIE KEITH

TURNING THE TABLE: ALLIE KEITH

April 28, 2022

Allie Keith is an Associate Creative Director/Art Director at Ogilvy Toronto, and recently served as one of our 2022 Photography and Illustration Awards Judges. For over a decade she's helped brands gain recognition through brave thinking, smart bran ...

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 Color, by the Book

Color, by the Book

April 26, 2022

Until very recently, I have had in my personal library three books about color.   One is Johannes Itten’s classic text, The Elements of Color. First published in German in 1961 under the original title Kunst der Farbe (the Art of Col ...

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What a Way to Make a Whiskey

What a Way to Make a Whiskey

April 21, 2022

When musing about that great pillar of capitalism, the 9-5 workday, Dolly sang "they just use your mind, and they never give you credit," but at Applied Arts we strive to make sure you know who is behind the amazing creative work that can, at times ...

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Bargain Bites

Bargain Bites

April 21, 2022

Growing up, we had a large sheepdog, the kind that never really adjusts to the suburbs and prefers their own accommodations in the backyard be it a dog house or a freshly dug hole. Said sheepdog, also had a penchant for chewing our toys. A giant fluf ...

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ENTERING STUDENT AWARDS HAVE ADVANTAGES

ENTERING STUDENT AWARDS HAVE ADVANTAGES

April 14, 2022

Image: Nitya Bellani, Savannah College of Art & Design, FUTURA, Design - Single. 2021 Student Awards Winner. Applied Arts strives to help the next generation of creatives get the recognition they deserve by giving students the opportunity to ...

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lg2's latest Branding & Design project, Rescapés, is definitely worth a look.

lg2's latest Branding & Design project, Rescapés, is definitely worth a look.

April 13, 2022

La Transformerie, a Québec non-profit organization whose mission it is to eliminate food waste, recently sought out lg2’s expertise to update their flagship product line, Rescapés (Rescued in English). lg2 created a packaging design ...

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Introducing the 2022 Design Awards Winners

Introducing the 2022 Design Awards Winners

April 13, 2022

Cossette, WRITING FOR YOUR RIGHTS, Craft-Illustration-Series, 2021 Design Awards winner.  Luckily we are surrounded by design at every turn, whether it be the packaging of our favourite treat, the street posters we glimpse on our way to meet ...

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Manukora re-brand by Pendo

Manukora re-brand by Pendo

April 11, 2022

Vancouver-based creative agency Pendo recently worked on the re-brand for Manukora, a long time New-Zealnd Mãnuka honey maker.  The agency's approach to the re-brand was a focused strategy that would speak to the client’s commitmen ...

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Unveiling the 2022 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners

Unveiling the 2022 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners

April 11, 2022

  We are excited to release the winning work from the 2022 Applied Arts Photography & Illustration Awards competition. A huge thanks to our 16 judges for sharing their expertise and for participating in this year’s awards process. ...

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The Public Studio: Design as Activism

The Public Studio: Design as Activism

March 31, 2022

    Design is a practical art, and as most of us embark on our careers we don’t give a second thought to the fact that we are on a path to commercial servitude. That may seem cynical, but most of us spend our working lives toiling ...

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Good Design for Goodfood

Good Design for Goodfood

March 28, 2022

Founder and Chief Creative Barry Quinn has announced the launch of a new design-based creative agency Quake. The aptly named agency seeks to embrace “change and disruption” which is perhaps no surprise given the firm was introduced duri ...

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Want to Know What Love Is?

Want to Know What Love Is?

March 25, 2022

While anyone who differs from the conventional or dominant culture’s understanding of what love is can face discrimination, oppression or worse, in general, there has been an increased appreciation, understanding and media portrayals of love ...

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A Bottle of Rum Born Out of Battle

A Bottle of Rum Born Out of Battle

March 22, 2022

Rum is a decidedly maritime liquor conjuring images of pirates, the Caribbean, and, on occasion, Pirates of the Caribbean. Sea-faring folk have always appreciated the sugarcane-sourced libation, and, on a stormy night in January 1942, surviving naval ...

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Live Mess

Live Mess

March 14, 2022

Everyone knows to truly enjoy yourself, heck, to truly be yourself, you need to get a bit messy. Sterile and squeaky clean, are good for hospitals, but not great for personalities, and especially not great for snacks. Dentsu One and one of Soft Cit ...

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ANNOUNCING THE 2022 PHOTO & ILLUSTRATION WINNERS

ANNOUNCING THE 2022 PHOTO & ILLUSTRATION WINNERS

March 11, 2022

  Image: A 2021 Young Blood Illustration Awards Winning entry, Lu Xu, Our 2022 Photography and Illustration Awards winners used unparalleled talents, be they with a lens or pens (or stylus, brush, collage, etc.), to capture the world around ...

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HOW MUCH GOOD CAN YOU DO IN A DAY?

HOW MUCH GOOD CAN YOU DO IN A DAY?

March 7, 2022

Every year, Crew Food & Beverage Marketing Partners holds an event called “Good Day” where they shut down their offices and focus solely on creating strategies, aimed at doing good with great brands—absolutely free. Sponsored ...

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Sock it to Cancer

Sock it to Cancer

March 4, 2022

Does anyone darn socks anymore? Probably not, but if you fancy designing a darn fancy pair of socks for a good cause, the Breast Cancer Society of Canada (BCSC) and Collins Clothiers, Canada’s largest independent formal wear company, are inviti ...

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Agency Culture is Dead.

Agency Culture is Dead.

March 3, 2022

  The maxim goes, people quit people, not jobs. But what makes them stay? Or better yet, what intrigues them to join a company in the first place? It’s these burning questions that wake agency leaders in a cold sweat, nightmares of two-we ...

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How Sweet

How Sweet

March 2, 2022

Hershey Canada has developed a sweet way to celebrate International Women’s Day that goes beyond the surface wrapping and aims to enact real action. The Her For She campaign in partnership with Girl Up, an organization that focuses on creating ...

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He's a Pinball Mentor

He's a Pinball Mentor

March 1, 2022

It’s incredible what feeling wanted and a part of a community can do for a marginalized youth. Beset by the turmoil of shelter, foster care and a general lack of guidance can result in the youth bouncing around and eventually completely out o ...

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2021 Advertising & Student Awards Annual Out Now and Winners Gallery is Online

2021 Advertising & Student Awards Annual Out Now and Winners Gallery is Online

February 25, 2022

Even a magazine that has been the go-to destination for creative advice, insight and inspiration for nearly four decades, could not escape the struggles produced by…SUPPLY SHORTAGES! After an unprecedented and unexpected delay the Applied Arts ...

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Full of Stars

Full of Stars

February 23, 2022

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a cherished cultural institution beloved by everyone to youngsters who spent an hour on a bus from the burbs to see dinosaurs, to those with tales of the pre-Libeskind era. To celebrate the launch of the ROM’s ...

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Sans Alcool, but Not Sans Cool

Sans Alcool, but Not Sans Cool

February 17, 2022

When one thinks of craft brewery the usual picture that bubbles to mind might be a high-ABV IPA with an improbable number of hops, and an even more improbable name, or perhaps the sudsy simulacrum you summon is a summer sessional ale with a flavour d ...

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Introducing Toutoune

Introducing Toutoune

February 15, 2022

Ginette Lapalme is a Toronto-based multi-media artist whose work is truly multi, taking the shape of comics, prints, paintings, toys, sculptures, teeny-tiny books, cootie-catchers, jewelry, driftwood, t-shirts, and more (phew!). A graduate of the O ...

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Just Say No to Other EVs

Just Say No to Other EVs

February 14, 2022

One thing that is not missing from the EV market is hype. Not since the days of PT Barnum, have we seen a market dominated by stunts, some on a cosmic scale, and sleight of hand. In a new ad that debuted in the hotly contest Superbowl market, premier ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: STEVE PERSICO

TURNING THE TABLE: STEVE PERSICO

February 11, 2022

Steve Persico is a writer, builder, snacker, sketcher, cleaner, and the Co-Chief Creative Officer at Leo Burnett in Toronto. He has been reaching for the stars with Leo since 2005. His passion for creativity in all forms has helped Leo Burnett earn ...

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Digital Dialects

Digital Dialects

February 10, 2022

Opening frame of The Syllabics Project video, Typotheque, 2022 My last entry in this space celebrated the latest type specimen book from Dutch type foundry Typotheque. While the story focused on the ingenious design concept of the book, it also to ...

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In the Mood for Moody

In the Mood for Moody

February 9, 2022

    Photography and directing duo Rob Lee and David Rollins of Les Garçons, who were the cover artists of our 2021 Photography & Illustration and Design Awards Annual, shared a sneak preview of a new personal project that they ...

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Saturday Morning Anxiety

Saturday Morning Anxiety

February 7, 2022

Mental health has made great strides to come out of the shadows of shame and misunderstanding. With everyone from Formula One drivers to popstars discussing their battles with mental health, and anxiety in particular, most people recognize mental h ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: JAIMES ZENTIL

TURNING THE TABLE: JAIMES ZENTIL

February 7, 2022

Jaimes Zentil was born in Toronto in 1977. He owes an early pop culture addiction to his dad, who owned and operated a string of indie VHS rental stores and video game arcades back when “cool shit” (his words, not ours, but we sympathiz ...

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Elevating the Community

Elevating the Community

February 1, 2022

Just in time for Black History Month and two years after their provocative and acclaimed pan-Africa tourism campaign “Go Back To Africa,” the travel brand Black & Abroad and agency Performance Art have produced a fascinating and pow ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: AARON STARKMAN

TURNING THE TABLE: AARON STARKMAN

January 28, 2022

Our 2021 Advertising Awards judge Aaron Starkman leads Rethink— the back-to-back Canadian agency of the year. He is currently ranked as the #1 creative director in Canada, with his recent work including Heinz puzzle and tilted label campaign, t ...

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Paper Hearts

Paper Hearts

January 24, 2022

Dating isn’t a “one-size fits all” endeavour, nor is it particularly easy. It’s a process that requires work and honesty and some imperfect edges, with the goal of finding your missing piece. Toronto-based agency FUSE Create ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: KELI POLLOCK

TURNING THE TABLE: KELI POLLOCK

January 21, 2022

DAUGHTER Advertising & Design Creative Director and 2021 Advertising Awards judge Keli Pollock’s well of creativity runs deeper than most. She’s got the computer skills but is also a staunch advocate for stepping away from the screen& ...

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Tech Follows

Tech Follows

January 20, 2022

The horrors of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) are not limited to the direct abuse performed, because of the ability to disseminate material across the web, survivors are left haunted and tormented by the materials as they continue to find an ou ...

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What’s Your Favourite Snowy Movie?

What’s Your Favourite Snowy Movie?

January 19, 2022

If you live in the part of the country that Applied Arts is located in, you have definitely been absolutely horrified by winter weather this week. Winter shovelling, let alone winter driving, can feel extremely daunting; those moments you wait for ...

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Hand Book

Hand Book

January 14, 2022

The past three calendar years have been traumatic in many ways, however, one extremely tangible manifestation of this pandemic-era has been the absence of touch. From handshakes, to fist bumps, to elbow boops, to nods behind masks, casual touch has b ...

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What Dreams May Come Eze

What Dreams May Come Eze

January 14, 2022

A good night’s sleep can be hard be to come by, but Sleep-Eze, Canada’s leading sleep-aid, wants you to stop daydreaming about dreaming and “Get the Sleep You’ve Been Dreaming Of” in a new campaign developed by ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: PIERRE CHAN

TURNING THE TABLE: PIERRE CHAN

January 14, 2022

Our 2021 Advertising Awards judge, Pierre Chan, had a path to advertising that is not unlike many others in the industry, in that; he started out wanting to do something else. As a naive student, Pierre's dream was to become a constitutional lawyer, ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: ALEXIS BRONSTORPH

TURNING THE TABLE: ALEXIS BRONSTORPH

January 7, 2022

Alexis Bronstorph is currently the Co-Chief Creative Officer at TAXI Canada, but she probably started her career in advertising earlier than any of our other 2021 Advertising Awards judges. When she was nine years old she did voiceover work for a rad ...

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Typography, Diversified

Typography, Diversified

January 3, 2022

Cover of Typotheque’s Specimen #18, a 560-page tome of verbal and visual poetry in 21 different scripts and 162 languages. Latin is probably the world’s most ubiquitous script. It is employed by hundreds of languages. It is not only us ...

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Holiday Convo Coasters

Holiday Convo Coasters

December 23, 2021

Speaking to screens has most certainly dulled our dialoguing abilities, but Point Blank has designed a set of coasters to help you polish your slightly tarnished silver tongue. Featuring festive factoids, you can sneak a peek at some palaver inspir ...

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All the Screen's a Stage

All the Screen's a Stage

December 21, 2021

COVID-19 has shuttered many stages from the bright lights of Broadway to the burgeoning stars of community theatre. The performing arts have truly had the curtain fall on them, leaving a significant impact on companies, workers and performers. In a ...

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Happy Hybrid Holidays

Happy Hybrid Holidays

December 20, 2021

From hybrid home/work spaces to hybrid viruses, it’s been another weird one. Atlanta-based XD Agency is taking the hybridity and weirdness to another level with their unique take on the annual holiday card. An email prompts you to select w ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: MIKE MEADUS

TURNING THE TABLE: MIKE MEADUS

December 17, 2021

Mike Meadus is Executive Creative Director at AdFarm, one of North America’s leading full-service AgriMarketing agencies with offices in Calgary, Kansas City, Guelph, and Fargo. He’s also a decorated designer and illustrator who spec ...

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Accessible Delectable

Accessible Delectable

December 16, 2021

Everyone has a favourite chocolate; that special sweet that turns you not-so sweet when your sibling snatches it before you. Searching through the legend of box chocolate to locate that fave is a time-honored tradition—for sighted people. For t ...

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Work From Home for the Holidays

Work From Home for the Holidays

December 15, 2021

If the past *gulp* two years of working from home has taught us anything it is that we’re never wearing real pants again, and that it can get a little lonely. Wherefore art thou water cooler drama? Well, Will Creative have found a creative wo ...

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What’s the Issue with the Issue?

What’s the Issue with the Issue?

December 13, 2021

From computer chip shortages delaying everything from pickup trucks to PS5s, to potential liquor shortages making drinking eggnog at the holidays a futile exercise in testing your lactose tolerance, everyone is experiencing the effects of supply chai ...

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Fast Pass Festive Fashion

Fast Pass Festive Fashion

December 10, 2021

Fumbling through your phone, purse or pocket to find your proof of vaccination is most certainly not fashionable, and neither are ugly festive sweaters, but both are must haves this holiday season. Now, thanks to Toronto-based agency The Hive, you ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: TERRI ROBERTS

TURNING THE TABLE: TERRI ROBERTS

December 10, 2021

Our 2021 Advertising Awards judge, creative director at Ray, Terri Roberts, was very much up to the task as she has spent nearly two decades in advertising, selling everything from airlines to wieners. She’s helped to create successful campai ...

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Spread Some Holiday Queer

Spread Some Holiday Queer

December 8, 2021

The holidays with their glittering ornaments, rainbow coloured twinkle lights, a dinosaur menorah, and more, are pretty high camp. Kitschmas aptly describes a Yuletide that has always been one of the queerest times of the year. But, as a new campai ...

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Thus Spoke Bespoke Concrete

Thus Spoke Bespoke Concrete

December 7, 2021

In an age when space travel is replacing golf as the pastime of the uber-rich and the mysteries of the universe are being unravelled one hi-res photo at a time, it is nice when some of the allure and intrigue are returned to the final frontier. Such ...

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A Year in the Listening

A Year in the Listening

December 3, 2021

“Spotify Wrapped,” that yearly, social ready rundown of your Spotify listening habits that either proves your how tremendous your taste is or mortifies you by how much you listened to “Good 4 You,” has become a end-of-the-ye ...

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Pick a Fight, Any Fight

Pick a Fight, Any Fight

December 3, 2021

Few holiday songs have truly captured the spirit of the season as well as Kathleen Edwards’ “It’s Christmastime (Let’s Just Survive).” Festive family dinners often devolve into the Thunderdome; two aunts enter, one aunt ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: GAVIN BARRETT

TURNING THE TABLE: GAVIN BARRETT

December 3, 2021

Gavin Barrett is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of Barrett and Welsh in Toronto. Before advertising, Gavin worked as a door-to-door market researcher and pharmaceutical sales manager (not a euphemism). In pursuit of big ideas he nibbled on ...

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Caps Lock: Design After Capitalism

Caps Lock: Design After Capitalism

November 25, 2021

I entered the working world of graphic design in 1979, just as the dogma of modernism—as expressed by the hegemony of Helvetica and flush left/ragged right page layouts—was in decline. Postmodernism, which was well underway in architectu ...

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Festive Meal of the Century

Festive Meal of the Century

November 22, 2021

A few weeks back we featured Calgary-based agency Daughter’s campaign for Calgary Co-op that tapped UK sports commentator Nick Heath to call the action of everyday life. The mundane gained massive amounts of drama thanks to Heath’s perf ...

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Turning the Table: Marisa Biaggi

Turning the Table: Marisa Biaggi

November 19, 2021

Our 2021 Advertising Awards judge Marisa Biaggi, Ph.D., has to be one of the most diversely accomplished judges we’ve had. Marisa holds a Ph.D. in musicology from Princeton University and is the Group Creative Director for Connected Experiences ...

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Awards Gone Wild

Awards Gone Wild

November 17, 2021

We at Applied Arts have had the, um, distinct pleasure of being in the firing line of Zulu Alpha Kilo’s skewering. The shop that doesn’t shy away from iconoclasm had a real jury made up of consumers judging our awards post-professional ju ...

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Bracing Design

Bracing Design

November 12, 2021

Knee braces have a bit of an image problem. When one thinks of them they think of injuries that keep us away from the activities we love, but if you’ve ever donned one, or any other kind of bracing system, and hit the pitch or jiu-jitsu mats yo ...

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Reflective Rations

Reflective Rations

November 9, 2021

When one thinks about the sacrifice made by those who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces, it is usually the ultimate sacrifice of life and limb. However, there are myriads of sacrifices big and small experienced by those who bravely enlist. Hom ...

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Keep It Simple Smarty

Keep It Simple Smarty

November 8, 2021

In an era of sort-of-self-driving cars and refrigerators that can send an email, technology is both wonderful, and occasionally wonderfully complex. The new campaign from Kwikset, the door hardware business that has been adorning doors since 1946, ...

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One Shady Tree

One Shady Tree

October 29, 2021

Remember those talking apple trees from The Wizard of Oz? Imagine if they had the personality of Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets and you’ll have an idea of Angry Orchard’s new, not so sweet and rather tetchy tree. To celebrate the ...

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Turning the Table: Stuart Thursby

Turning the Table: Stuart Thursby

October 25, 2021

Stuart Thursby is the Principal & Creative Director of Stack Creative, a creative agency that’s rooted in digital but nimble enough to flex with the ongoing shifts in marketing and design. Before opening Stack, his career included stints at ...

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Be Better Man

Be Better Man

October 25, 2021

Man up. Take it like a man. Be a man. Men are presented with these idioms of manliness from a young age fueling toxicity and silent suffering that is only recently coming to bear. According to CAMH, among Canadians of all ages, four of every five sui ...

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Turning the Table: Anand Iyer

Turning the Table: Anand Iyer

October 15, 2021

Anand Iyer is Associate Creative Director at Toronto-based No Fixed Address and one of our 2021 Student Awards judges. Anand is a creative problem solver who's has been much awarded globally by D&AD, Cannes, The One Show, the Clios, The Webbys, ...

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Debt Isn’t Child’s Play

Debt Isn’t Child’s Play

October 12, 2021

Move over Friends, Squid Game is set to become the most streamed Netflix show ever. The blood-soaked show is on everyone's lips and social feeds, and features 456 players who are deeply in debt playing games with grave consequences for a chance to ...

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Gravy Plane

Gravy Plane

October 12, 2021

As we recover from the Thanksgiving long weekend, we can’t think of a more appropriate campaign to share than Broken Heart Love Affair’s “It’s all gravy” for Air Miles. The campaign is all about the extras, the gravy on ...

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Turning the Table: Regan Fraser

Turning the Table: Regan Fraser

October 8, 2021

Through all of her schooling, our 2021 Student Awards judge Regan Fraser had terrible grades in all subjects with only two exceptions—Art and Literature. After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she eventually found her perfect fit in advert ...

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Change We Can’t Spare

Change We Can’t Spare

October 7, 2021

In a given year there are between 35,000-40,000 Canadian youth experiencing homelessness in Canada. A new campaign by FCB Canada for The Home Depot Canada Foundation to promote their TradeWorx program a program that isn’t just about housing or ...

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Cancer Pwned

Cancer Pwned

October 7, 2021

Cancer’s MO is to multiply, overwhelm and invade. It is a marauding disease that divides and conquers the body cell by cell. But its all-encompassing possessiveness is not limited to the corporeal; it can also overwhelm our minds and spirit a ...

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ANNOUNCING THE 2021 ADVERTISING AWARDS WINNERS

ANNOUNCING THE 2021 ADVERTISING AWARDS WINNERS

October 7, 2021

Mah Ferraz, LA ROSALÍA, Craft Editing Video - Single, 2020 Advertising Awards winner. THE 2021 ADVERTISING AWARDS WINNERS ARE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL IN THE INFLUENCE INDUSTRY Advertising is the business of creating interest, and the most int ...

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Wes World

Wes World

October 7, 2021

If it is the task of the designer and the visual artist to re-imagine the world, take it apart and put it back together again in ways that others would never have imagined possible, few artists have done so as beguilingly as Wes Anderson. Let̵ ...

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Campfire Emoji Songs

Campfire Emoji Songs

October 6, 2021

Surely the campfire is the earliest human gathering place, as we imagine our prehistoric ancestors weren’t belting out “Rock Lobster” in a karaoke cave. Campfires, and campfire songs, bring us together and warm more than just our ...

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An Identity that Shows Some Spine

An Identity that Shows Some Spine

October 4, 2021

The phrase “timeless design” is an oft-overused platitude to praise something that typically has a liberal use of Helvetica or recalls a chic Copenhagen living room. However, sometimes a piece of design comes along that is so poised and perfect ...

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Turning the Table: Stephen Flynn

Turning the Table: Stephen Flynn

October 1, 2021

Our 2021 Student Awards judge Stephen Flynn has done something all of us have often dreamed about, but few of us have actually acted upon: he forged his own path. After working at multiple advertising agencies in Atlantic Canada, Stephen realized h ...

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YouTubEH

YouTubEH

September 29, 2021

While the fifteenth video of a Finnish couple crushing things with a hydraulic press washes over you in a mixture of ASMR and playground bug squashing reverie, you may not be thinking about what YouTube contributes to the Canadian economy. According ...

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Return to the Picture Palace

Return to the Picture Palace

September 28, 2021

Legend has it that the initial screenings of “L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat” in 1895 would cause the audience to leap from their seats and run to the back of the theatre for fear of being pummeled by the eponymous train arriving at t ...

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Way 2 Hungry

Way 2 Hungry

September 27, 2021

Champagne Papi recently sired his sixth studio album with a slightly stupefying cover featuring a Warholian-like grid of brightly coloured pregnant women emojis. It was met with a degree of befuddlement and pregnant pauses, but it definitely got pe ...

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Moving Moveable Type

Moving Moveable Type

September 27, 2021

On September 30, 2021 Canada will mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the lost First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. In the lead up to th ...

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Turning the Table: James Sadler

Turning the Table: James Sadler

September 24, 2021

James Sadler is an award-winning ECD that has worked for top-tier agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. He spent the last 15+ years helping to build local and global brands including SaskTel, Vancity, TELUS, BC Dairy, Vancouver Port Authority, Ad ...

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Golf Podcast Helps You Avoid Rough…Sleep

Golf Podcast Helps You Avoid Rough…Sleep

September 23, 2021

We imagine many Canadians dream about golf. Probably most often between those post-lunch and pre-five o’clock hours on a Monday when the weekend’s game is still fresh in the memory like recently cut grass. While bogeying hole after hole can induc ...

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Good Mail Day

Good Mail Day

September 23, 2021

There is something particularly wonderful about physical mail. The ritual of going to the mailbox, seeing an envelope, maybe it even has a handwritten address, but it most certainly has a stamp. That most functional piece of art and design, and, in ...

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nabs Debuts the Podcast AD CHATS with Frank Palmer

nabs Debuts the Podcast AD CHATS with Frank Palmer

September 22, 2021

Have you ever been at an industry gathering and from across the bar you noticed two titans talking attentively? You may begin to wonder what trade secrets and bon mots are being trafficked during this tête-à-tête, but alas you are likely not a lip ...

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Coopting Commentary

Coopting Commentary

September 21, 2021

There is something particularly satisfying about sports commentary with an English accent. Be it the crack of a cricket bat or a Lewis Hamilton crack up, there is just something a bit more genteel about how our neighbours across the pond, whose Que ...

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Turning the Table: Jean-Phillipe Dugal

Turning the Table: Jean-Phillipe Dugal

September 17, 2021

Our 2021 Student Awards judge, Jean-Philippe Dugal began his career in 2010 in the design studio at TUX, an agency that specializes in fashion and design. He is humbled by the acclaim his work has received for renowned brands including Aldo, Elizabet ...

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A Summit to Savour

A Summit to Savour

September 16, 2021

The political summit, that well orchestrated piece of political theatre, is often not the most flavourful of experiences. Hands are shook, or nowadays fists are bumped, culturally relevant gifts are exchanged, and awkward photos are poised for, all ...

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No One Likes the Streets

No One Likes the Streets

September 10, 2021

In a Harris Poll/LEGO survey that covered the United States, Britain and China, 29% of children aged 8-12 stated they wanted to be a “YouTuber” or, in other words, an influencer. This was three times as many who wanted to be an astronaut, that ...

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Turning the Table: Cody Sennyuen

Turning the Table: Cody Sennyuen

September 10, 2021

Cody Sennyuen is a Senior Designer at Quake in Toronto and Alumni of Humber College. He was one of our 2021 Student Awards judges, tasked with judging an impressive crop of future talent. When asked to provide a bio, Cody wrote: "Some people grow up ...

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Define Normal

Define Normal

September 9, 2021

The concept of “normal” was subjective at best before the pandemic, and out right illusory more often. For most, the “new normal” of the pandemic—work-from-home, virtual meetings, an increase in takeout—is an unattainable privilege best ...

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Play With Your Food

Play With Your Food

September 8, 2021

Bananas are a diet staple of one of video gaming’s most enduring and iconic characters, everyone’s prime primate, Donkey Kong. Traditional joysticks, gamepads, motion remotes, and even a set of bongos have controlled Donkey Kong across his advent ...

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Warhol's Variations: what fifty Marilyns can do for brand identity

Warhol's Variations: what fifty Marilyns can do for brand identity

September 7, 2021

How many Andy Warhol retrospectives can you see and still enjoy? For me, it took a year and a half of Covid lockdown to give the ubiquitous American pop artist a fresh appeal. The exhibition, organized by Tate Modern in London, in collaboration with ...

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Design the Evolution

Design the Evolution

September 7, 2021

Branded digital content brought to you by  Vancouver Film School’s (VFS) second annual Digital Design Conference (DDC) is set to bring together the design, creative technology and visual communication communities. Over the course of two days, We ...

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The Best Election Ad? Unifor Gets My Vote

The Best Election Ad? Unifor Gets My Vote

August 26, 2021

Frame from Unifor’s anti-Conservative Party ad: a very effective send-up of a very tired trope   Some months ago this columnist commented on the tired old trope most often used in automotive advertising: that of the shiny new car or truck drivi ...

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Enter Your Labour before Labour Day

Enter Your Labour before Labour Day

August 25, 2021

lg2, Montreal, QC, CCM - ALL OUT, Craft Editing Video - Single, 2020 Advertising Awards winner. While no one will chide you for wearing white after Labour Day in this day and age (and how did that all start anyhow?) you will definitely be chiding ...

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Building Representation Brick by Brick

Building Representation Brick by Brick

August 24, 2021

While they are not fun to step on or clean up, building toys are beloved by children and adults alike regardless of ability. Representation in toys and media is key to engendering a sense of belonging for children with disabilities, and to help celeb ...

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Have it Your Bay

Have it Your Bay

August 19, 2021

Nobody likes being told what do, let alone what to wear, so instead of telling you what’s in or, shudder, what’s out, this fall season FCB Canada and The Bay have launched a new campaign calling on Canadians to create their own Bay. Promoting se ...

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Come in like an Un-Wrecking Ball

Come in like an Un-Wrecking Ball

August 18, 2021

A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made the realities of climate change painfully clear, we, or rather the 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, have wrecked the planet. The impacts of climate c ...

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Money (That's What I Hear)

Money (That's What I Hear)

August 16, 2021

While Abba asserts money is “funny,” Pink Floyd proclaims “it’s a gas,” and Eric B. and Rakim want to be “paid in full,” and while those songs may be about money they aren’t composed by it. However, Interac and longtime creative age ...

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OK Dairy. Dairy, OK.

OK Dairy. Dairy, OK.

August 12, 2021

Traditional ads for dairy tend to focus on the pastoral aspects of pasteurization: shots of cattle, early morning farms, and salt-of-the-earth individuals who do the work to bring that bottle to your table. These are often wonderful campaigns, howeve ...

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john st. Blocks Off Some Time to Party

john st. Blocks Off Some Time to Party

August 11, 2021

Gamefruitpulp, a Toronto gamer and YouTuber, has spent the last several years recreating Toronto’s blocks out of, well, blocks, in Minecraft. His 1:1 recreation of the Big Smoke is just one of the many real life recreations in the bestselling vid ...

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How to Drink Beer and Influence People

How to Drink Beer and Influence People

August 10, 2021

In 1936 Dale Carnegie helped launch the self-help genre with his How to Win Friends and Influence People. The book has gone on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide making it one of the best-selling books of all time. Fast forward to 2021 and ...

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Procrustean Bed in Pink or Blue

Procrustean Bed in Pink or Blue

August 9, 2021

Gender, like colour, is a spectrum. However, colour is often used to enforce and perpetuate gender norms (XX, pink and XY, blue). We’ve all seen the occasionally catastrophic gender reveals and their preponderance of pink and blue, let alone toy an ...

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What is “The Trebek Initiative” for $400,000, Alex

What is “The Trebek Initiative” for $400,000, Alex

August 4, 2021

To celebrate the birthday of everyone’s favourite host, Alex Trebek, the The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) and the National Geographic Society (NGS), with the support of agency partner, No Fixed Address (NFA), introduced The Trebek Ini ...

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(What’s the Story) Morning Beverage?

(What’s the Story) Morning Beverage?

July 30, 2021

We’ve all seen a cartoon of parched individual struggling through the desert only to suddenly be presented with the sweet relief of a glimmering pool and lush, fruit-filled vegetation. Just as suddenly as it appears, the bower of bliss disappears, ...

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2021 Design and Student Awards Winners Galleries Now Online

2021 Design and Student Awards Winners Galleries Now Online

July 29, 2021

Best Studio, THE MOST COVETED PAPER PRODUCT OF 2020, Promotional-Premium/Gift Item - Single, 2021 Design Awards winner.  The 2021 Design and Student Awards Winners galleries are now online to fuel your inspiration. One thing you will notice whi ...

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Buzz Bombs and Brand Boners

Buzz Bombs and Brand Boners

July 29, 2021

For years, I’ve been looking for an excuse to reread Thomas Pynchon’s 1973 novel, Gravity’s Rainbow, and now I think I’ve found it. What’s my excuse? Well, as you’ve no doubt noticed, the space race has been hijacked by a trio of brand o ...

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Mammoth @#$%&!holes

Mammoth @#$%&!holes

July 28, 2021

The inuksuk is a stone landmark used by the Inuit, Iñupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America. Historically used as a way finding or a marker of food sources, veneration, campsites, and other places of import, ...

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Able to Leap a Stack of Cars in a Single Bound

Able to Leap a Stack of Cars in a Single Bound

July 23, 2021

When writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster’s creation Superman was brought to the airwaves via radio program he needed a catchy phrase that would immediately identify what was so super about this man. Cue pulp writer Bob Maxwel ...

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Turning the Table: Barbara Woolley

Turning the Table: Barbara Woolley

July 23, 2021

Barbara Woolley is the “Woolley” of Hambly & Woolley. As a founding Partner and Principal of H&W, Woolley is responsible for a wide range of clients including Harry Rosen, University of Toronto, Donald Ellis Gallery, Canada Post, and Part ...

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Bar Band

Bar Band

July 22, 2021

When John Lee Hooker, one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time, covered Rudy Toombs’ “One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer” we are pretty sure he wasn’t pining for musical education, but if the beer he received was a Notes ...

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Groove is in the Partnership

Groove is in the Partnership

July 21, 2021

Fluevog’s have covered the toes of everyone from Gaga to Mr. Jon Snow himself Kit Harrington. The legendary label is the footwear brand for those who like life a bit funkier, and few are funkier than Deee-Lite’s Lady Miss Kier. It comes as no ...

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Time Piece-za

Time Piece-za

July 20, 2021

You don’t have to be an anthropomorphic adolescent amphibian with a predilection for martial arts to have pizza at all hours. While a broken clock is only right twice a day, 7 West, a Toronto-based 24/7 restaurant, wants you to know that pizza is r ...

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Neon Walls

Neon Walls

July 19, 2021

Allister Lee is a Toronto-based graphic artist who specializes in consultation, branding and the creation of graphic materials. He has worked with top apparel and retail brands, and alongside his commercial practice, he has developed a unique artisti ...

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Creeper Meet Combine

Creeper Meet Combine

July 16, 2021

Minecraft, for those of you not a part of Gen Z or who have been spending the last decade under a block, is the best-selling videogame of all time. With its open world, “sandbox” gameplay procedurally generated 3D world it allows users a near inf ...

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Turning the Table: Richard Colbourne

Turning the Table: Richard Colbourne

July 16, 2021

A bold typographic shorthand for Brookfield Place. Richard Colbourne is the executive creative director at Addison, New York. His design work is housed in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, and has been exhibited at th ...

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Sub(stantial)aru

Sub(stantial)aru

July 15, 2021

Subaru takes pride in their vehicles’ go-anywhere capability with their rally-bred AWD model lineup, there are few places a Subaru isn’t a perfect fit. Except for maybe OOH. With the launch of their largest vehicle ever, the Ascent, Toronto- ...

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From Farm to Chortle

From Farm to Chortle

July 14, 2021

Puns, like fruits, nuts and veggies, aren’t made, they’re grown. They sprout from the fertile soil of language and bathed in the sunlight of silly. California Grown’s new campaign produced by Mering, a company of The Shipyard, and directed by c ...

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Monianne Remembered

Monianne Remembered

July 13, 2021

The legendary Canadian photographer Monianne passed away in June. In the spring of 1989 we had the honour of having her as one of our cover features. Please find that feature scanned from the original issue below. ...

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Go With the Flo

Go With the Flo

July 13, 2021

BREAKING NEWS: Homework sucks. Homework while stuck at home sucks even more. Unfortunately, homework is a fact of scholastic life; fortunately, Flo is here to make it a whole lot less sucky. Allprof is an assistance platform in Quebec that assists ...

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Turning the Table: Marie-Pier Gilbert

Turning the Table: Marie-Pier Gilbert

July 9, 2021

Marie-Pier Gilbert is Creative Assistant Director, Design at lg2 in Montreal where she has been a designer for nearly a decade. She has worked on major brand and packaging transformations for Boréale, Keurig (Timothy's), Lesters, Naturoney, and Natr ...

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Turning the Table: Rafael Esquer

Turning the Table: Rafael Esquer

July 2, 2021

Rafael Esquer is the CEO and creative director at Alfalfa Studio, his SoHo based design firm, which he started in 2004 in New York, where he has been a Manhattanite for the past 20 years. Esquer is a native of Mexico’s Senora desert, and was educat ...

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Uneasy Yeezy

Uneasy Yeezy

June 30, 2021

No matter what you think about his space alien crocs, there is no denying that Kanye West has added fashion mogul to his already impressive resume of culturally influential roles. The man has clout. It is no surprise then that the ads for his Yeezy ...

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Canada’s Got Dirt on its Brand

Canada’s Got Dirt on its Brand

June 29, 2021

Back in 2017, the year of Canada’s 150th birthday, I wrote a feature for this magazine that speculated on Canada’s brand as it was perceived then and what it might look like going into the future. Well, the future is here and the brand doesn’ ...

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Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

June 29, 2021

Mosaic North America, QUATREAU PACKAGING, Young Blood Packaging Design - Series, 2021 Design Awards winner. Zoé Arseneau is Bathurst, NB based graphic designer and art director who works at Toronto-based Mosaic. Navigating timezones isn't the on ...

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TURNING THE TABLE: CAROL HUNG

TURNING THE TABLE: CAROL HUNG

June 25, 2021

Carol Hung is a designer at john st., but she didn’t start her career as one. While studying design at York University she became enamoured of the advertising world and started as an art director straight out of school. While she learned the impo ...

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ANNOUNCING THE 2021 STUDENT AWARDS WINNERS

ANNOUNCING THE 2021 STUDENT AWARDS WINNERS

June 23, 2021

Bela Bhushan, FUJIFILM: SKATER DAZE, Video Advertising - Single, 2020 Student Awards winner. WITH OUR 2021 STUDENT AWARDS WINNERs THE FOCUS IS ON THE FUTURE. Every year we are blown away by the professionalism of the work submitted to our Student ...

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Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

June 22, 2021

Daughter Creative, CABIN – BEST WE CAN, Young Blood Motion Design - Series, 2021 Design Awards winner. After graduating from the Alberta College of Art & Design, 2021 Design Award winner in the Young Blood category, Ben Magnus cut his teeth ...

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Heavy Metal Thunder, Protect Your Head Out on the Highway

Heavy Metal Thunder, Protect Your Head Out on the Highway

June 18, 2021

For the past few years, Sikh motorcyclists have been exempt from wearing a helmet. This has allowed turban-wearing riders to adhere to an essential part of their faith and identity. In other words, to be their free, authentic selves while participati ...

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Turning the Table: Fidel Peña

Turning the Table: Fidel Peña

June 18, 2021

Fidel Peña is a Creative Director and Co-founder of Underline Studio who has worked on projects including identity and branding for the University of Toronto, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Harvard Medical School, as well as campaigns and publicatio ...

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Not OK Android

Not OK Android

June 17, 2021

Artificial intelligence and robotics continue to make our lives fitter, happier, more productive, comfortable, etc., but if you’ve ever had a pleasant, vaguely English-accented, voice tell you “sorry, I can’t find what you’re looking for” o ...

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Dig These Graves

Dig These Graves

June 16, 2021

“The end is near,” the favourite phrase of those who deem sandwich boards fashionable and call soapboxes hotspots. These days, however, the phrase is also bringing a modicum of hope as it signals a return some semblance of “normal,” a loaded ...

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The Flowers of Flavour

The Flowers of Flavour

June 15, 2021

Chinatowns around the world have been especially hard hit during the pandemic. Canada is no exception. With the rise of anti-Asian racism on the rise, traditional restaurants struggling or disappearing altogether and, in the case of Montreal’s hist ...

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Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

June 15, 2021

Zoë Boudreau, ROOKS BOOKKEEPING LOGO REDESIGN, Young Blood Design - Single, 2021 Design Awards winner. Zoë Boudreau is Vancouver-based art director specializing in clever, concept driven designs, something readily apparent in her 2021 Design Awa ...

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A Fountain of Prizes

A Fountain of Prizes

June 14, 2021

It was a very long winter. Perhaps you helped brighten the blustery days of December with an Advent calendar filled with treats or tchotchkes. There is nothing better than giving yourself a little gift every day, except for maybe having someone else ...

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Turning the Table: Kristian Hay

Turning the Table: Kristian Hay

June 11, 2021

Kristian Hay is the co-founder and creative director at the award-winning boutique design studio ZAK in Vancouver, BC. Hay is intimately connected to all aspects of every project that ZAK is a part of, guiding the visual process from start to finis ...

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Tiny Home, Big Message

Tiny Home, Big Message

June 9, 2021

Sometimes a big problem requires a small solution. To that end, the tiptap foundation, working with the community at A Better Tent City (ABTC), is launching a tap to give™ campaign designed by Toronto-based agency Wunderman Thompson Canada. The s ...

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The King of Cups

The King of Cups

June 9, 2021

LeBron James is unequivocally one of the best basketball players of all time, and a pretty excellent human to boot, but we all have our weak spots. King James’ just so happens to be on the top of his 6ft 9in frame. During the 2020 NBA playoffs fans ...

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Cocktails from the Crypt

Cocktails from the Crypt

June 8, 2021

Paula Wilson Photography, ELEVATED SPIRITS, Self-Promotion Photography – Series, 2021 Photography Awards winner. The reason why we refer to some forms of alcohol is a matter of some conjecture. There is no denying, however, the conjuring power ...

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Turning the Table: Howard Poon

Turning the Table: Howard Poon

June 4, 2021

Howard Poon is VP of design at DDB Canada in Edmonton, where he collaborates with a cross-disciplinary team of strategists, creatives and designers to use insight-driven design to build exceptional brands. Poon has a passion for nurturing young talen ...

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Maple Snaps

Maple Snaps

June 3, 2021

Lip syncs, sounds, dances, and more will now be getting a little maple flavour as Toronto-based Zulubot, the creative content and digital innovation studio from creative agency Zulu Alpha Kilo, has partnered with Snap, the patent company of Snapchat ...

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Communing with 2021 Illustration Awards Community Winners

Communing with 2021 Illustration Awards Community Winners

June 1, 2021

Annick Poirier, OPUS HOTEL VERSANTE - BRITISH COLUMBIA, Small Community Illustration - Single, 2021 Illustration Awards winner. Laurentians-based illustrator Annick Poirier has worn many hats in her graphic arts career before settling in to illus ...

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Beautifully Alive

Beautifully Alive

May 28, 2021

Living Beauty Inc. develops and inspires meaningful connections between the most innovative brands, trusted retailers and respected professionals in the industry. Founder and CEO Mariam White launched Living Beauty Inc. in 2015, as a way to share h ...

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Turning the Table: Danielle Murrell Cox

Turning the Table: Danielle Murrell Cox

May 28, 2021

Danielle Murrell Cox is a Montreal-based illustrator, designer and author. She is the founder of DMCOX.co. An alumnus of the graphic design program at Dawson College, Cox, in addition to her past work as a graphic designer, has also entered the wor ...

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Get with the Program(matic)

Get with the Program(matic)

May 27, 2021

Back in 1999, I wrote an article in Adbusters Magazine, at the end of which I described myself as someone who “builds brands by day and tears them apart by night.” It was a satirical nod to the cognitive dissonance of being both a practitioner an ...

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Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

May 25, 2021

Chloe Lukas, DEMURE, Young Blood Photography - Single, 2021 Photography Awards winner.  Chloe Lukas is a Toronto born and based photographer and winner of a 2021 Photography Award in the Young Blood category. As you will see in her answers to ou ...

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Turning the Table: Gary Holme

Turning the Table: Gary Holme

May 21, 2021

Gary Holme is a Detroit-raised and Toronto-based creative who has been an Art Director, a CD, and an ECD for some of the best agencies in the world, including Chiat\Day, Sapient Nitro, FCB, Publicis, Y&R, and J. Walter Thompson. He is currently ...

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We Want to Stay at Home, That’s an Order

We Want to Stay at Home, That’s an Order

May 18, 2021

Seniors are taking a stand in the place where they live in this witty and surprising new campaign from HomeEquity Bank and Zulu Alpha Kilo. “Now more than ever, people are realizing why their homes are more important than just being an asset. Ther ...

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Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

May 18, 2021

Lu Xu, DEATH AND CELEBRATION OF LIFE, Young Blood Illustration - Series, 2021 Illustration Awards winner.  Lu Xu is a creative polymath having worked as a copywriter, marketer, creative director, translator, illustrator, and graphic designer. He ...

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Turning the Table: Clare Chow

Turning the Table: Clare Chow

May 14, 2021

Clare Chow is an independent designer that has had a truly enviable track record having collaborated at agencies such as lg2, Bruce Mau Design, Huge, Rethink, Puncture, and Jacknife. Her sterling CV represents a 14-year career that has spanned prin ...

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Face Up to Face Wash

Face Up to Face Wash

May 12, 2021

We’ve all had a parent or caretaker tell us to “wash behind our ears,” but have you ever, Gatsby-like, have a billboard speak directly to you, specifically your hygienic habits? Well, certain dwellers of apartment complexes in the GTA have than ...

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iClean

iClean

May 11, 2021

As we save our 1000th file to our desktop labeled .v1_v2_v3.5_final.FINAL_FINAL.psd we can relate to this new campaign by TBWA\Helsinki for CleanMyMac. The campaign portrays the worst possible scenarios for your Mac to be bogged down by unused bit ...

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Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

Taking the Pulse of 2021 Young Blood Award Winners

May 11, 2021

Paul Twa, 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW, Young Blood Illustration Single, 2021 Illustration Awards winner.  Paul Twa is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Edmonton, Alberta and 2021 Illustration Award winner in the Young Blood category his piec ...

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Sweet to be Salty

Sweet to be Salty

May 10, 2021

Vancouver-based creative agency Pendo wanted to promote the value of disruptive creative and make their clients smile, a tough task in this unprecedented™ year, and rather than let their pent up emotions disappear like tears in rain they produced ...

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Invisi-brew

Invisi-brew

May 5, 2021

We’ve all found ways of blurring out embarrassing piles of laundry or not-work-appropriate posters from the background of our video calls, but R&B Brewing and Vancouver-based design and advertising firm Saint Bernadine Mission Communications ...

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Opening Doors

Opening Doors

May 5, 2021

Last year an open letter Call for Equity from the People Of Colour in Advertising And Marketing (POCAM), highlighted the injustice and inequality in the advertising industry. Zulu Alpha Kilo was one of many Canadian agencies that signed the called th ...

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Cold as Ice Doesn't Have to Be a Sacrifice

Cold as Ice Doesn't Have to Be a Sacrifice

May 3, 2021

Unridden — Go Where You Feel Most Alive from Ian Isak on Vimeo. Sequoia Content shared this absolutely bracing spot directed by new roster member Ian Iask for the Copenhagen-based cold-water brand Unridden. In a year where stay-at-home became a ...

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Make Your House a Smart Home

Make Your House a Smart Home

April 30, 2021

ecobee is a Canadian smart home provider that is redefining what a home can be. It is fitting; therefore, that their new campaign produced with FCB/SIX reimagines the very idea of the home.Having already established their brand in the smart thermosta ...

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A Little Brand with a Big Heart

A Little Brand with a Big Heart

April 29, 2021

HOW A LOCAL EATERY GOES THE DISTANCE TO DELIVER AN UNRIVALLED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THAT MOST BIG BRANDS WOULD KILL FOR The pandemic has exposed both the best and the worst of human behaviour. The same applies to brands. There are those which have us ...

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Fast Animals Fast (and Slow Ones Do Too)

Fast Animals Fast (and Slow Ones Do Too)

April 28, 2021

Since 2016, Vancouver-based art director, graphic designer, visual artist, and 2013-14 Student Awards winner Mustaali Raj has undertaken 30 Days of Ramadan project: a daily creative exploration of personal reflections and insights during the spiritua ...

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Dealing Cancer a Low Blow

Dealing Cancer a Low Blow

April 28, 2021

The Ballsy Ribbon takes the well-known cancer ribbon, doubles it, and flips it upside down to look like a pair of testicles   Testicular cancer is the most common solid tumour in young men and the cases of it are on the rise, but awareness levels a ...

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Deconstructing Dine-In

Deconstructing Dine-In

April 27, 2021

The pandemic hit Canadian restaurants incredibly hard. Stay-at-home meant no eating out resulting in 10,000 restaurants across Canada shuttering for good in 2020. In an arena in which 60% of restaurants fail within their first three years, survival ...

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Financial Flexibility

Financial Flexibility

April 23, 2021

Toronto-based graphic design studio Blok has produced a brand identity for Mexico City-based digital investment company AAGO. Known for their lateral thinking and foresight, AAGO is a disruptor in the financial sphere. Blok’s identity “explores ...

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Turning the Table: Cédric Rossel

Turning the Table: Cédric Rossel

April 22, 2021

Cédric Rossel is the co-founder and art director at the Swiss-based creative design studio WePlayDesign. The diverse agency touts their ability to cover all areas of creativity from art direction to type design, visual identity to motion design, i ...

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Photography and Illustration Winners Gallery Now Online

Photography and Illustration Winners Gallery Now Online

April 22, 2021

Myriam Wares, LA SOLIDAIRE, Packing Illustration - Single, 2021 Illustration Awards winner.  The 2021 Photography and Illustration Award winners are now online in our Winners Gallery. Whether you choose to peruse the photos in our Photography gal ...

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Communing with 2021 Photography Awards Community Winners

Communing with 2021 Photography Awards Community Winners

April 22, 2021

Kristy Boyce, BOMBOY - EXPERIMENTS IN COLOUR WITH DRAG PERFORMER, BOM BAE, Shoe-String Budget Photography - Series, 2021 Photography Awards winner.  Kristy Boyce is a Toronto-based photographer and multimedia artist. Boyce got her start as a phot ...

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Giving Fairtrade a Fair Shake

Giving Fairtrade a Fair Shake

April 21, 2021

Do-gooders get a bad rap. Even the name inspires mostly negative connotations, but doing good can be fun. Trust us, or better yet, trust Equifruit and TUX Creative Co. who have created a new campaign to show the fun side of do-goodery, we think you ...

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Stamped Across History

Stamped Across History

April 16, 2021

It seems almost unfathomable that at one time a person diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes faced a death sentence. However, this was just the case 100 years ago before the discovery of insulin. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of this milestone medica ...

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Do the Side Hustle

Do the Side Hustle

April 13, 2021

Creative people are creative people, period. They are rarely pigeonholed into one niche, genre, skillset, or client brief. This pandemic year has allowed us to pursue some of our creative passions off the side of our newly assembled work-from-home de ...

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Fresh, Fresher, Freshest

Fresh, Fresher, Freshest

April 12, 2021

How do you make brand recognized for freshness even fresher, a visual refresh, of course. Vancouver-based agency Subplot Design Inc. worked with long-time partners Petcurean, producer of premium quality pet food brands available in more than 35 cou ...

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Relaxed Linen

Relaxed Linen

April 8, 2021

Boston Pizza and john st. take dinnertime weight off your shoulders and put it in your lap. Several years ago, the GOAT of YA literature Judy Blume, in conversation with Lena Dunham, discussed how her husband had tried to buy her a human-sized thund ...

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Metropolis Mosaic

Metropolis Mosaic

April 7, 2021

Leah Kwak, THE CITY, Illustration - Series, 2020 Student Awards winner.  Cities are a study in contrasts and Leah Kwak revels in the juxtaposition. As the cities in our native Ontario prepare for another total lockdown, it is becoming harder a ...

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Child’s Play Safe

Child’s Play Safe

April 6, 2021

Children of the Street and Will demonstrate the dangers of cute games. In an era where going outside and playing with your friends isn’t always an option for kids, gaming has filled a gap for play and connectivity. However, there are more danger ...

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Udderly Ridiculous

Udderly Ridiculous

April 6, 2021

RATESDOTCA and Zulu Alpha Kilo produce a campaign you can’t unsee. Bart Simpson has spent decades imploring us not to have a cow, but when it comes to car insurance, maybe we should start having one. According to RATESDOTCA 77% of policyholders in ...

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Shared Space

Shared Space

April 5, 2021

Vancouver-based hcma’s rebrand brings to the foreground its unique approach and interdisciplinary communication design capabilities. Communities are more than the buildings they occupy, but those buildings are an integral part of the community. Sh ...

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ANNOUNCING THE 2021 DESIGN AWARDS WINNERS

ANNOUNCING THE 2021 DESIGN AWARDS WINNERS

April 1, 2021

PAPRIKA, MUST TV AD, Motion-Short - Single, 2020 Design Awards winner.  Our 2021 design awards winners have an eye for detail, and now you can turn your eyes on them. Design is an inherent part of our lives that often goes unnoticed. From the b ...

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Close Knit Community

Close Knit Community

March 30, 2021

Paige Stampatori, SUBURBAN IDENTITY, Illustration - Single, 2020 Student Awards winner.  There is a commonly held misconception about Aran jumpers (you know, those cable knit sweaters that have been in and out of style since the 19th century mo ...

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Upcoming Grad Shows

Upcoming Grad Shows

March 29, 2021

Kristi Calderon, IMAGINATION, Photography - Single, 2019 Student Awards winner.  Like most everything these days, the traditional end-of-year grad show has had to adapt to the strictures of being socially responsible. Who better to lead the way ...

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Where Thunderbirds Fly

Where Thunderbirds Fly

March 25, 2021

As a long-time writer, designer and brand strategist operating in a trade which, like many consulting practices, is often hobbled by a glaring gap between the recommendations it makes to clients and the client’s lack of will to execute them, I thin ...

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What a Way to Make a Living

What a Way to Make a Living

March 24, 2021

Bhabna Banerjee, 9 TO 5, Illustration - Series, 2020 Student Awards winner.  Sometimes captivity can be calming. In her song “9 to 5” the absolute gift to humanity that is Dolly Parton sings, “ Well, I tumble outta bed and stumble to the ...

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Pick a Door, Antimicrobial Door

Pick a Door, Antimicrobial Door

March 23, 2021

Teck Resources and Vancouver-based agency Will demonstrate the benefit of a shiny surface. We’ve all become hyper aware of surfaces, from countertops to door handles, we’ve wiped, washed and fogged with growing intensity this past year to help ...

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Words are Worth a Thousand Pictures

Words are Worth a Thousand Pictures

March 22, 2021

One Twenty Three West, Vancouver, BC, YOU'LL GET IT WHEN YOU SEE IT, Out-of-Home - Series, 2020 Advertising Awards winner. Great art can take the words out of your mouth, and untraditional art murals can make it impossible to put them back in. M ...

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Bold Defence

Bold Defence

March 22, 2021

McMillan uses bold simplicity to help cybersecurity specialists Opora stand out. More often than not we find out about a crime long after it has occurred. We come home to our delivery package missing, we unlock our cars only to find glass on the s ...

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Out of the Dark Age of Electric

Out of the Dark Age of Electric

March 19, 2021

CAA knows no one really understands electric vehicles. There is a tremendously ludicrous joke that could only exist in the Internet age that has a customer asking a car salesperson “cargo space?” to which the salesperson replies “no, car go ...

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Art is a Light and it Never Goes Out

Art is a Light and it Never Goes Out

March 19, 2021

Anika Niva, Alances Vargas, Alexa Forberg, Jackie Lando, Matthew Castronova, Rebecca Moran, Zach Har, CO-, Digital Content, 2020 Student Awards winner.  Art is often portrayed as the act of singular, suffering genius. Part Byronic hero and par ...

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Obstructed Brews

Obstructed Brews

March 17, 2021

lg2, TALL PEOPLE, Experimental/Artistic - Single and Experiential/Event - Single, 2020 Advertising Awards winner.  lg2 and Farnham Brewery make the best out of a bad view. As the weather begins to soften and give way to longer and warmer days ...

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Public Safety Canada Aims to Expose Realities of Human Trafficking

Public Safety Canada Aims to Expose Realities of Human Trafficking

March 16, 2021

New national campaign seeks to highlight the realities and prevalence of human trafficking in Canada. In this deeply affecting new campaign, Public Safety Canada strives to open the eyes of many Canadians and expose the realities of human traffickin ...

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Max Lols

Max Lols

March 16, 2021

Latest LOTTO MAX campaign from FCB canada urges Canadians to dream as big as humanly possible. We all need a little coaching sometimes, whether it is from the screen of our Wifi enabled treadmill or from a sagacious scribe in the latest betterment ...

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Idle Handcraft

Idle Handcraft

March 15, 2021

Alireza Akbari Lor, ABSOLUTE, Photography - Series, 2020 Student Awards winner.  2020 Student Awards winning photography series captures the disappearing world of handcrafting. Ursula Franklin noted in her groundbreaking work The Real World of ...

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ANNOUNCING THE 2021 PHOTOGRAPHY AND ILLUSTRATION AWARDS WINNERS

ANNOUNCING THE 2021 PHOTOGRAPHY AND ILLUSTRATION AWARDS WINNERS

March 12, 2021

Al Quintero Photography, THE CHAMP IS HERE, Sports Photography - Single, 2019 Photography Awards winner.  2020 was extraordinary and the work entered in the 2021 Photography and Illustration Awards was as well. Every year we are absolutely blow ...

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How to Get Exposed

How to Get Exposed

March 11, 2021

Madison Rogers, Mary Utley, PONDEROSA, Advertising - Series, 2019 Students Award winner.  Tricks for entering your Student Awards work. At Applied Arts, we’re all about transparency. While we can’t guarantee a win, we want to give you the ...

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We’re Board

We’re Board

March 10, 2021

Charmaine Cheng, ROSEDIVE, Entire Design Program, 2019 Student Awards winner. Follow us for award-winning pins that provide endless inspiration. If you are looking for the perfect virtual mood board or trying to keep on top of trends in advert ...

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Crawling to the Finish Line

Crawling to the Finish Line

March 9, 2021

Vibeke Silverthorne, CROW AND BEAR SENSORY PATH, Young Blood Design-Complete - Single, 2020 Design Awards winner. The deadline to submit your work to the Design Awards is today. 2020 Young Blood Design Awards winner Vibeke Silverthorne’s Crow ...

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The Notes You Don’t Design

The Notes You Don’t Design

March 9, 2021

Baillat Studio, MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2019, Entire Promotional Design Program, 2020 Design Awards winner. Baillat Studio’s 2020 Design Award-winning promotional program is music to the eyes. For those of us lucky to have had a r ...

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It’s Screen Time

It’s Screen Time

March 8, 2021

Delphine Meier, ECRAN, NOS ENFANTS SONT-ILS EN DANGER?, Young Blood Craft - Single, 2020 Design Awards winner.  The Design Awards deadline has been extended to March 9, 2021, aka tomorrow! No need to keep refreshing your screen to see if your e ...

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Design Awards Deadline Extended

Design Awards Deadline Extended

March 5, 2021

DentsuBos, ALL-TERRAIN ENVELOPE, Brochure-Single-Page/Folder - Single, 2020 Design Awards winner.  We get it. The creative process is a winding road and life throws road bumps along the way. In their 2020 Design Awards winning entry, DentsuBo ...

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Hologramophone

Hologramophone

March 5, 2021

Baillat Studio, HOLOGRAMME VINYL SLEEVE, Packaging-Retail Applications -Single, 2020 Design Awards winner.  Studio Baillat’s 2020 Design Award-Winning Packaging-Retail Applications Entry Shines. You’ve likely seen the recent trend of turn ...

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Guiding Light

Guiding Light

March 4, 2021

Central Station takes Humber River Hospital’s tagline as a beacon for their rebrand. After the past year, hospitals can be seen as intimidating and uninviting places. Humber River Hospital is just the opposite: a modern hospital with a focus on ...

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All the Rest Have Thirty-One

All the Rest Have Thirty-One

March 4, 2021

Leo Burnett, Toronto, JAMES READY CAP CALENDAR, Calendar - Single, 2011 Design Awards winner.  Be it flipping a page, crossing off a day, or popping a bottle cap, calendars are a medium ripe for design ingenuity. Design Army, CRANES CALEND ...

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Song Craft

Song Craft

March 3, 2021

Zulu Alpha Kilo, BIG IN JAPAN, Craft Illustration - Series, 2020 Design Awards winner. Toronto-based agency Zulu Alpha Kilo help rock ‘n’ roll-inspired craft brewery SingleCut make it in the land of the rising sun. In their 1984 hit, Germa ...

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Zulu Alpha Kilo Hires Brian Murray as ECD

Zulu Alpha Kilo Hires Brian Murray as ECD

March 3, 2021

Cundari, BMW M5 LAUNCH, Integrated Campaign, 2013 Advertising Awards winner. Zulu Alpha Kilo’s new Executive Creative Director, Brian Murray, has held senior roles at Ogilvy, Doug & Partners and Cundari. It was recently announced that Br ...

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Typing the Alien

Typing the Alien

March 2, 2021

DAEKI & JUN Studio, DEFAMILIARIZING HANGEUL: TYPE RES FAMILY, Typography-Motion Application-Series, 2020 Design Awards winner. Alphabets are the building blocks of language, and like any foundation, they shift and change with time. In his 196 ...

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Symphonic Screens

Symphonic Screens

March 1, 2021

Last year, holiday traditions took a backseat to public health, but FCB found an inventive way to ensure one party played on. The end-of-year holiday party is a way for companies to celebrate the year that was and the people that made it possible: t ...

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Big Top, Small Island

Big Top, Small Island

February 26, 2021

Simon Roy, FESTIVAL DE CIRQUE DES ÎLES, Community Design-Series, 2020 Design Awards winner.  Montreal-based Simon Roy designed an identity and campaign for the inaugural Festival de Cirque des Îles, which seeks to bring the greatest show to a s ...

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Cambie Village Gets Redeco'd

Cambie Village Gets Redeco'd

February 26, 2021

Vancouver-based creative agency Pendo was tasked with updating the brand identity of one of Vancouver’s most desirable neighbourhoods, Cambie Village, and the results are striking. Neighbourhoods act as a nexus for more than just city streets. T ...

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Charging Forward

Charging Forward

February 25, 2021

  My last column critiqued the uncomfortable irony of automotive advertising’s tired habit of showing off its products against the backdrop of the great outdoors, even as their emissions work to make the outdoors a more and more hostile envir ...

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Volkswagen's Sustainable Mobility

Volkswagen's Sustainable Mobility

February 24, 2021

To promote its all-electric SUV, Volkswagen launched an automotive website unlike any other with the help of Taxi. Did you know that the internet has a carbon footprint and accounts for ~4% of global CO2 emissions? By using no images (!?%!?), the b ...

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Design Hack

Design Hack

February 23, 2021

Strategy's Agency of the Year in 2020, Rethink, Demonstrates the Power of Digital Design  The thought of being digitally hacked, ambushed or hijacked typically fills one with ones and zeroes full of dread, but since the early 90s “hacktivitsts” ...

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FCB and Drug Free Kids Canada helps parents talk about cannabis with their teens

FCB and Drug Free Kids Canada helps parents talk about cannabis with their teens

February 23, 2021

Talking to teens can be a challenge. Factor in a worldwide pandemic that has seen cannabis use in Canada “almost doubled,” and that challenging conversation can seem impossible. That’s where FCB and Drug Free Kids Canada’s new campaign co ...

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Student Awards Judges 2021

Student Awards Judges 2021

February 22, 2021

Our 2021 Student Awards Judges have built some incredible careers, and an Applied Arts Student Award is an excellent foundation to start building yours. Regardless of what stage in their career our 2021 Student Awards Judges are at, one thing they a ...

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Discovery+ UX

Discovery+ UX

February 19, 2021

Bit of A dream job this one. Agency SCS worked alongside the creative team at Discovery to prepare the user experience design on their soon-to-launch Discovery+ platform, featuring over 1,000 show titles.  SCS supported the internal Discovery tea ...

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Two Weeks to Midnight

Two Weeks to Midnight

February 18, 2021

Leo Burnett, HUMAN CLOCK. Poster – Series, 2020 Design Awards winner. Time has felt pretty weird this past year, our internal clocks (already faulty at the best of times) are running a little behind, so we’re here with a friendly reminder th ...

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Royal Roads University

Royal Roads University

February 10, 2021

Vancouver agency Will takes Royal Roads University In a new direction.   Royal Roads University offers a different kind of learning experience - one where full-time students, professionals and lifelong learners can transform their education without ...

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Knowvid

Knowvid

January 28, 2021

Newfoundland Agency Ray takes a CHEEKY approach to Covid messaging.   Though numbers in Newfoundland are small compared to the rest of Canada, COVID could worsen unless young adults don't start to take it more seriously. Commissioned by the Governm ...

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Climate Change versus Automobile Advertising

Climate Change versus Automobile Advertising

January 25, 2021

  The most iconic consumer product of the 20th century is the automobile. In 1900, there were about 4,000 of them in the world. Now it is estimated that there are over 600 million. Based on EPA stats, a typical vehicle releases about 4.6 tons ...

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Full Punch Redefines Equine Branding

Full Punch Redefines Equine Branding

January 21, 2021

Vancouver agency Full Punch has turned eating like a horse into a positive.     American equine food producer Stable Feed chose Vancouver-based Full Punch to handle the creative duties of developing its new brand and packaging.  Most equine foo ...

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Design Awards Judges 2021

Design Awards Judges 2021

January 14, 2021

We have some knockout creative heavyweights ready, willing and able to select the 2021 Design Awards winners this spring. Instead of just posting their names and titles, we thought we'd share a little background on our judges so you can get to know ...

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A Tangible Contest

A Tangible Contest

January 13, 2021

Vancouver's Tangible Interaction creates show-stopping interactive technology and art pieces.  They also have a new 3000 square feet studio called Tangible Studio that's available for creatives of all disciplines to rent. To launch the space, they ...

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Meet the 2021 Photography & Illustration Judges

Meet the 2021 Photography & Illustration Judges

January 5, 2021

get to know our 2021 Photography & Illustration jury. It's a great group who are more than up to the challenge of identifying stellar work. To find out what makes them tick (and so you could get to know them better), we asked a series of questio ...

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Will Novosedlik reflects on the year we'll never forget

Will Novosedlik reflects on the year we'll never forget

January 4, 2021

Most years end. This one will still be going until the plague stops. Covid has destroyed time by making every day the same. What year it is is almost beside the point. Still, I feel a look back is in order. So here are the 9 things I will most rememb ...

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Just-in-time Holiday Cheer from Saatchi & Saatchi LA

Just-in-time Holiday Cheer from Saatchi & Saatchi LA

December 22, 2020

Shravan Hegde is an Associate Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi in Los Angeles, California   Just in time for a holiday season we're sure to remember for its challenges, Advertising Awards judge Shraven Hegde reminisces on a blockbuster ...

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lg2 Montreal gives New Look a new look

lg2 Montreal gives New Look a new look

December 21, 2020

Geneviève Langlois is a Creative Director at lg2 in Montreal   When we gave our recent Advertising Awards jury the opportunity to share their own favourite projects for 2020, Geneviève chose one that, while appearing simple at first glance (no pu ...

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Celebrating the Advertising Award winners of 2020

Celebrating the Advertising Award winners of 2020

December 17, 2020

We are excited to unveil this year's winning advertising work – there are more than 230 winning entries across 74 categories, including new categories like COVID Response, Corporate Responsibility, Brand Activation and Ideation. [D]espite a real ...

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Daughter Creative changes the weather on Calgary's health

Daughter Creative changes the weather on Calgary's health

December 17, 2020

Stephanie Kochorek is Co-Founder and Creative Director of Daughter, in Calgary, Alberta   Advertising Awards judge Stephanie Kochorek's fave project for 2020 is right on topic. Health is the headline of the year, and will likely be for a 2021, an ...

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McGarrah Jessee gives back some love for 2020

McGarrah Jessee gives back some love for 2020

December 16, 2020

Kevin Dunleavy is a Creative Director at McGarrah Jessee in Austin, Texas    We asked our Advertising Awards jurors for feedback after completing their task a few weeks ago. Firstly, on the awards entries themselves. Secondly, to share their o ...

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Bleublancrouge and Desjardins team up for a Solo

Bleublancrouge and Desjardins team up for a Solo

December 15, 2020

Julie Markle is Co-Executive Creative Director at Bleublancrouge's newest office in Toronto   When COVID hit, as we all suffered through that first stage of lockdown, Desjardins didn’t just want to talk about “being there” for those hardest ...

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How RPA LA got out the vote on Nov 3rd

How RPA LA got out the vote on Nov 3rd

December 10, 2020

Canadian Krystle Mullin is working at RPA in Los Angeles, California, as VP, Creative Director   After hours pouring over our Advertising Awards entries, we invited jurors to share their own work faves for 2020 – the year that galvanized us al ...

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Lost at Sea

Lost at Sea

December 3, 2020

What Gericault, Michelangelo and Julian Barnes can teach us about the tone-deafness of Virgin Voyages’ current social campaign. In 1819, Théodore Gericault made the above painting, The Raft of the Medusa, long hailed by art historians as the bo ...

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David Findlay's new Film Air

David Findlay's new Film Air

November 24, 2020

David Findlay's work focuses on exploring human behaviour.  His new film Air examines how humans still connect in our new Covid world.  Findlay is known for his ability to straddle the line between fiction and documentary through an empathetic len ...

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The 2020 Applied Arts Advertising Awards

The 2020 Applied Arts Advertising Awards

November 13, 2020

Thank you to everyone who entered the 2020 Advertising Awards. Your hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. Email notifications were sent out on November 11. Congratulations to our newest Applied Arts Awards winners! Today we are celebrating all work su ...

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Creative Futures Speaker Sessions Nov 9-20

Creative Futures Speaker Sessions Nov 9-20

November 5, 2020

Applied Arts' Creative Futures helps students considering a career in animation, creative advertising, graphic design, interactive design, illustration, or photography choose the right school. An inspiring combination of advice, industry insight, t ...

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Mooren (Mo) Bofill

Mooren (Mo) Bofill

October 29, 2020

Mo will work alongside Jeff Harrison (former colleagues at Zulu Alpha Kilo) to head One Twenty Three West’s (123w) design team and get their new office up and running. Mo spent the last five years at john st. leading the design team and building a ...

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The Brand that Would Not Die

The Brand that Would Not Die

October 22, 2020

Left, Bauhaus Dessau, by Walter Gropius1926. Right, EU headquarters, Brussels, Samyn and Partners, 2016 As an institution, it was officially shut down by the Nazis in 1933, after only 14 short years. But as the mythical heart of modernism, the Bau ...

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Discovering the Creative Potential of Pinterest

Discovering the Creative Potential of Pinterest

October 1, 2020

Part of the Creative Exchange series: Inspired work leads to inspired ideas  Is there anything more energizing than the fuzzy front end of a creative project? It’s that part of the process when no matter how tight the brief, anything seems pos ...

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Stranger Things' Craig Henighan

Stranger Things' Craig Henighan

September 24, 2020

Canadians were the talk of the town at the Emmys Sunday night. One Canadian that you may not have heard of is Sheridan College’s Craig Henighan. He and his team of Sound Editors, Music Editors and Foley Artists, shared the Emmy for Outstanding Soun ...

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The Last Agency Standing

The Last Agency Standing

September 24, 2020

In my Linkedin feed, I recently saw a post from Andy Main, Global CEO of WPP agency Ogilvy. The post shared imagery from Ogilvy’s latest campaign for Greenpeace, #cleanairnow. It is stunningly well crafted, visually arresting and disarmingly clear ...

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The Conscious Creative

The Conscious Creative

August 28, 2020

Design firms and ad agencies have, with very few exceptions, historically cleaved to what Bruce Mau once called a ‘karaoke existence, always singing someone else’s song, and never saying what (they) think should be said.”  It’s a model of m ...

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Applied Arts Student Awards Winners 2020

Applied Arts Student Awards Winners 2020

August 27, 2020

Image details: Various winners from the 2020 Applied Arts Student Awards. Thank you to all entrants who took the time to enter their school or personal projects. We are SO excited to announce this year's winners. A big round of applause goes out to ...

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Stevie

Stevie

August 19, 2020

NEW SUNEEVA DIRECTOR ANTE KOVAC'S SHORT FILM STEVIE TAKES US INTO THE MIND OF A SUBURBAN TEENAGE GIRL.   With the help of co-creator and DP Stuart Campbell and a pulsing electro-disco LCD Soundsystem soundtrack, Kovac has created the ultimate ...

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Love Lives in Diversity

Love Lives in Diversity

July 24, 2020

Jean Tran is the co-founder of award-winning design agency Monarque. Élysée Lang is a freelance photographer specialising in beauty and wedding photography. JÉ  (as in “Je t’aime”) is an amalgam of the couple’s initials and a reflection o ...

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For the Good of All

For the Good of All

July 21, 2020

The Coronavirus has certainly knocked industry off its feet. Once fluid revenue streams have slowed to a trickle. Businesses struggle with how to reopen. And wherever they have, we’re seeing a vigorous resurgence of cases. This is going to be a ve ...

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ABC Stay Home with Me

ABC Stay Home with Me

July 13, 2020

CHildren's book ABC Stay Home with Me was designed for parents to read to their kids during the global pandemic. If that sounds daunting - it's not. The delightful ABC Stay Home with Me is proof that you can find love, laughter and adventure wh ...

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SHOULDERS TO STAND ON

SHOULDERS TO STAND ON

July 8, 2020

It was Winston Churchill who said, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” Churchill was of course referring to the repetition of history’s mistakes, not its better moments. Wonder what he would have said about advert ...

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UNDER PRESSURE

UNDER PRESSURE

July 2, 2020

As we look at illustration and photography through the buyer’s lens, we are talking about a client whose world overlaps the vendor’s to a far greater degree than it does the world of the end client. The direct client in this case is an art direct ...

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Georges Haroutiun on the need to celebrate great Canadian work

Georges Haroutiun on the need to celebrate great Canadian work

June 30, 2020

  We've just launched our annual Advertising Awards call for entry, and given the debate surrounding this decision, and the changes we've made to this year's awards, as awards manager, I thought I would pre-empt some of the inevitable questions fro ...

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Missing the Movies

Missing the Movies

June 25, 2020

After three months of temporary closures, Cineplex is reopening its theatres in all markets where it is permitted by local governments. To build anticipation and remind movie-lovers of the power of shared experiences and storytelling (while still ob ...

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Black Lives and White Lies

Black Lives and White Lies

June 18, 2020

CREDIT: Banksy I had a difficult conversation the other day with a hardcore American alt-right winger. He is a former high school classmate who has reappeared in my life as the result of a gathering of our class in preparation for our high school’ ...

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2020 Design Awards Winners Gallery

2020 Design Awards Winners Gallery

June 15, 2020

Image: The Match Paddle/Rethink Canada Category:  Craft printing/bindery/finishing - single Meet the 2020 Design Award Winners Take a deep-dive into the cool creativity of our 2020 Design Winners Gallery. This year’s winners were selected by ou ...

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HOORAY FOR HEADLINES

HOORAY FOR HEADLINES

June 15, 2020

In this time of tight deadlines and even tighter budgets, making ads is hard. And it’s getting harder by the minute. So I’d like to propose something that may seem a little old fashioned. Quaint, even. It’s called… the headline. Jane Murra ...

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Portraits of Courage

Portraits of Courage

June 9, 2020

Creative responses to the strain of Covid-19 abound.  Stephanie Kretzschmer turned her personal experience into a photographic tribute of our frontline superheroes.   In early April, at the advice of my doctor, I made a trip to the Humber Ri ...

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Ready at bat with Student Awards Judge Paulo Salomao

Ready at bat with Student Awards Judge Paulo Salomao

May 27, 2020

Paulo Salomao is an alumni of Toronto Film School, Humber College & OCADU, and currently Partner, Executive Creative Director at King Ursa in Toronto   And in just a few days Paulo will also be focussed on judging our Student Awards (deadline t ...

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IN HOUSE OR OUT HOUSE?

IN HOUSE OR OUT HOUSE?

May 21, 2020

I kicked a hornet’s nest. I blame it on P&G’s Global CMO Marc Pritchard. I’ve long been a fan, he’s a big thinker. Pritchard was one of the earliest marketers to embrace the power of purpose. In my books, marketing pearls typically drop f ...

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88 Cheers to Student Awards Judge Morgan Curley

88 Cheers to Student Awards Judge Morgan Curley

May 15, 2020

Alberta University of the Arts alumni Morgan Curley is Partner & Designer at BAMFF STUDIO, which she co-founded with Mark rimmer in Calgary, Alberta.  Possibly the most enthusiastic – and definitely one of the youngest, Student Awards (dea ...

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It Takes A Village

It Takes A Village

May 12, 2020

Applied Arts sent out a request for your "life during Covid-19" stories. Here is the first in our series.   Chairman Ting's Carson Ting has created a limited edition print that showcases the nightly 7 pm ovation for Vancouver's healthcare heroes. I ...

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The Many Hats of Student Awards Judge Sara Morley

The Many Hats of Student Awards Judge Sara Morley

May 11, 2020

Concordia University almuni Sara Morley is Creative Director at her studio Design Postimage in Montreal   In just a few more weeks, Sara will be judging our 2020 Student Awards (deadline May 22). Her BFA and company name should give you a clue as ...

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Student Awards Judge Natalie Armata Hits the Sweet Spot

Student Awards Judge Natalie Armata Hits the Sweet Spot

May 8, 2020

OCAD University alumni Natalie Armata is Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Giants & Gentlemen in Toronto   Natalie is getting set to judge our 2020 Student Awards (deadline May 22 - only 2 weeks away!), and she's a perfect choice fo ...

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EVERYBODY IS NOT CREATIVE

EVERYBODY IS NOT CREATIVE

May 6, 2020

I have a confession to make. At one time I actually stood in front of people and said, “everyone is creative.” It seems bizarre to me now. And I can’t believe those words actually came out of my mouth because I don’t believe a word of it. I r ...

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On the GO! with Student Awards Judge Matthew Clark

On the GO! with Student Awards Judge Matthew Clark

May 5, 2020

UBC alumni Matthew Clark is Founder & Creative Director of Subplot Design Inc. in Vancouver   And next month, Matthew will be one of 16 judges reviewing our 2020 Student Awards entries – deadline May 22. He's also currently on Applied Arts ad ...

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Making Space for Time

Making Space for Time

May 2, 2020

In his inaugural 1961 speech, John F. Kennedy told Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” In 2020, during our Covid-19 lockdown, we might “ask not what we will do with our time, ask what ...

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All Eyes on Student Awards Judge Michael Zavacky

All Eyes on Student Awards Judge Michael Zavacky

May 1, 2020

Concordia University alumni Michael Zavacky is Art Director at McMillan, the ad agency he helped found in Ottawa, Ontario.  He's also the award-winning illustrator known as Zeke. Having a background spanning image-making, advertising and design ...

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Student Awards Judge Ellen Bruss Re: Born

Student Awards Judge Ellen Bruss Re: Born

April 24, 2020

Michigan State University alumni Ellen Bruss is Creative Director at Ellen Bruss Design in Denver, Colorado.   Ellen will soon be judging our 2020 Student Awards (deadline May 22). One of the more seasoned designers on the jury, Ellen recently t ...

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Student Awards Judge David Walker's Toast to Craft

Student Awards Judge David Walker's Toast to Craft

April 24, 2020

School of Visual Concepts alumni David Walker is Partner & Creative Director at Saint Bernadine Mission Communications in Vancouver   David is also gearing up to judge our 2020 Student Awards (deadline May 22 – just 4 weeks away). He's one ...

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Supporting The New Reality of Working from Home

Supporting The New Reality of Working from Home

April 23, 2020

The unprecedented global health crisis is changing the way we work at truly astounding speeds. Suddenly, whether by choice or necessity, many of us find ourselves negotiating the new reality of remote work. As a technology supplier to the creative co ...

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THE CASE FOR STRATEGIC FORESIGHT

THE CASE FOR STRATEGIC FORESIGHT

April 22, 2020

You may have noticed that we are experiencing historic rates of change. Innovation, the process of developing new ideas, products and methods is running at an ever-increasing pace. This rapid change has given rise to a feeling of impending but unpred ...

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Student Awards Judge Caroline Friesen is Hauling in Awards

Student Awards Judge Caroline Friesen is Hauling in Awards

April 20, 2020

Humber College alumni Caroline Friesen is also an Associate Creative Director at creative powerhouse john st. in Toronto   And, she's mere weeks away from judging our 2020 Student Awards - only 5 weeks to deadline now.  One of our most-recentl ...

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COVID 19: A Crucible of Creativity

COVID 19: A Crucible of Creativity

April 16, 2020

Lead image:  The Other Guys   There’s a scene in the 1984 film Starman in which an alien visitor, played by Jeff Bridges, makes an uplifting observation about humans: “You are at your best when things are at their worst.” Human history has ...

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A sneak peek at the 2020 Photography & Illustration Winners

A sneak peek at the 2020 Photography & Illustration Winners

April 16, 2020

Image credit: Todd Antony's Cholitas Escaladoras - 2020 Applied Arts Photography Awards winner. Introducing the 2020 Applied Arts Photography & Illustration Awards Winners   Congratulations and a big thank you to all of the entrants who took t ...

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Ryan Crouchman's Creative Conundrum

Ryan Crouchman's Creative Conundrum

April 14, 2020

Ryan Crouchman is VP, Creative Director, Design at lg2 in Toronto, ON   Ryan’s work spans branding, print, editorial and interactive design. He has a Master's in Communication Design from Central Saint Martins, London, UK, and a Bachelor of Fi ...

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BEYOND DESIGN THINKING

BEYOND DESIGN THINKING

April 8, 2020

The purpose of design education is to prepare designers to engage with the world around them and make productive changes to what they find. Well-rounded design education trains designers to learn how explore the world and connect this new knowledge t ...

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Kirk Clyne's 'So Smart' Solution

Kirk Clyne's 'So Smart' Solution

April 7, 2020

Kirk Clyne is Chief Creative Officer at Art & Science in Toronto, ON   Kirk is also the co-founder of Art & Science, a digital experience design agency based in Toronto. With over 25 years of experience in digital media, a burgeoning art ...

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Trump’s Very Own Personal Shepard Fairey

Trump’s Very Own Personal Shepard Fairey

April 2, 2020

Hard to have missed being exposed to the imagery of American artist Shepard Fairey in the last 12 years. Famous for the ‘HOPE’ poster designed to support Barack Obama during the 2008 US presidential election, Fairey has since taken on the role o ...

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Man Wai Wong: Success with the truth and nothing but

Man Wai Wong: Success with the truth and nothing but

April 2, 2020

Man Wai Wong is Design Director at Leo Burnett in Toronto, ON   Man Wai graduated from York University, Toronto and Bauhaus University in Germany. At Leo Burnett Toronto for the past 8 years, she’s risen the ranks from Designer to Design Dir ...

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Don Chisholm stays ahead of the innovation curve

Don Chisholm stays ahead of the innovation curve

March 27, 2020

Don Chisholm is Co-Founder and Innovation Director of Dossier Creative in Vancouver, BC    Dossier is a leading brand and innovation firm. Don started his career working with a team of multi-disciplinary designers and architects on Expo ’86 ...

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MEANING VS MAKING

MEANING VS MAKING

March 25, 2020

Design is ubiquitous in everyday life but learning to become a designer is not well understood. The reasons for this will be explored in this short piece, part of a larger project which explores the impact of Design Education on learning, creativity ...

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Kyosuke Nishida lets the Tiger out

Kyosuke Nishida lets the Tiger out

March 23, 2020

Kyosuke Nishida is Associate Creative Director at Bruce Mau Design in Toronto, ON   Since joining the BMD studio in 2012, he has worked on brand identities, communications, and digital executions for both commercial and non-profit organizations. ...

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Barry Quinn: Mover and quake-maker

Barry Quinn: Mover and quake-maker

March 17, 2020

Barry Quinn is Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Quake Creative & Design in Toronto, ON   After the success of co-founding Juniper Park and his most recent role as Chief Design Officer NA at DDB (Chicago), Barry decided to launch his own ...

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Don't Kick the Can

Don't Kick the Can

March 11, 2020

As a metaphor, the tin can has always had negative connotations. In your grandparents' day, it was something they kicked around in the street in lieu of a soccer ball. Kick the can they called it. When your parents were kids, they would take two can ...

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Yasemin Emory: Truly, One of A Kind

Yasemin Emory: Truly, One of A Kind

March 9, 2020

Yasemin Emory is Partner & Creative Director at Whitman Emorson in Toronto, ON   Yasemin Emory is the co-founder of Whitman Emorson [WE], a design studio in Toronto, where she directs the design team across all projects, from print to web, ...

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Artscape Daniels Launchpad

Artscape Daniels Launchpad

March 5, 2020

Artscape Daniels Launchpad is Toronto's new entrepreneurship hub empowering creatives to thrive. With a double mandate of helping creative types thrive artistically and financially and building an inclusive and vibrant artistic community,  Artscape ...

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Richard Bélanger: Brand identity personified

Richard Bélanger: Brand identity personified

March 2, 2020

Richard Bélanger is Creative Director at Cossette in Montreal, QC   Richard brings a unique sense of style and unerring aesthetic design ethics to each project. For the last 20 years, he’s been coming up with ideas that make a statement – ...

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BUSTING THE 20TH CENTURY

BUSTING THE 20TH CENTURY

February 29, 2020

The great Lewis Lapham, former editor of HARPER’S magazine, said the above in response to the question, “How would you reinvent America?”. His words reference two undeniable truths: that students are the future, and that they would be well serv ...

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Derwyn Goodall: A Rigorous Attention to Craft

Derwyn Goodall: A Rigorous Attention to Craft

February 24, 2020

Derwyn Goodall is Creative Director / Principal at Goodall Integrated Design in Toronto, ON   Derwyn Goodall, RGD, is an award-winning creative director, art director and graphic designer with more than 30 years of design and branding experience. ...

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Design Goes Corporate

Design Goes Corporate

February 21, 2020

Accenture’s Canadian Innovation Hub looks like a hip design agency. The environment is bright and open. Areas that invite collaboration include a long bar table with stools and clusters of window-facing orange couches and swivel chairs. Tucked-away ...

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Hans Thiessen: Hitting it home south of the border

Hans Thiessen: Hitting it home south of the border

February 18, 2020

Hans Thiessen is Partner and Creative Director of Design at Rethink in Vancouver, BC   Rethink is Canada's largest national independent creative agency, with offices in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Over the last decade, Hans has worked with ...

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STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

February 13, 2020

The Mac-driven revolution in desktop publishing was less of a catalyst and more of a cataclysm that sent the industry reeling to respond to laypeople who could produce communications with the right software if not the right skill set.    Inspired ...

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Catherine Gravel: Boutique is Beautiful

Catherine Gravel: Boutique is Beautiful

February 12, 2020

Catherine Gravel is Founder / Creative Director of Quatre par Quatre in Montreal, QC   Catherine began her career as an art director, with a particular interest in editorial design, and regularly contributed to – and redesigned – many leading ...

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Dylan Staniul: it's all about the exploration

Dylan Staniul: it's all about the exploration

February 7, 2020

Dylan Staniul is Principal & Creative Director at Burnkit in Vancouver, BC   Burnkit is a design agency specializing in brand and digital. Dylan invites clients to see behind the curtain and encourages key stakeholders to engage with brand and ...

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THE TURN OF THE DIGITAL SCREW

THE TURN OF THE DIGITAL SCREW

February 6, 2020

Curated brand identity sites regularly post new work while endless Instagram feeds showcase examples of branding from around the world giving the impression that everyone is busy and doing great work. But how many of us have email inboxes full of inq ...

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Frédéric Tremblay: re-imaging an historical icon

Frédéric Tremblay: re-imaging an historical icon

January 31, 2020

Frédéric Tremblay is a Creative Director at lg2 in Montreal, QC   Frédéric started his career as an illustrator and gradually transitioned into advertising. Over the past 15 years, he has worked on the repositioning of several major Quebec br ...

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Charles HIvely: Who's to Judge?

Charles HIvely: Who's to Judge?

January 28, 2020

Charles Hively is Design Director at Artisanal Media LLC, Brooklyn, NY   He's also Principal of HivelyDesigns in Brooklyn, NY. Charles is an award-winning creative director, art director, ad agency founder, graphic designer, sometime copywriter, ...

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Design Revised

Design Revised

January 24, 2020

“Changes?”, asks James Wilson, founder and principal of Overdrive, a firm which has surfed the leading edge of graphic design practice for the last 30 years. “Hmm. I need to think about that.” I’ve just asked James what he feels are the big ...

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LASN LIGHT

LASN LIGHT

January 23, 2020

Brand iconoclast Kalle Lasn, founder of the radical Adbustersmagazine and master of the spoof ad described his signature image-making technique as a "rerouting [of] spectacular images, environments, ambiences and events to reverse or subvert their me ...

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We're in the Golden Age of the Photo Collage

We're in the Golden Age of the Photo Collage

January 9, 2020

In 2012, John Stezaker won one of the most prestigious awards for any photographer--the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize--and according to reports, the judges had agreed on their winner with "great unanimity.” But that year was differe ...

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From Bauhaus to My House

From Bauhaus to My House

January 6, 2020

Now that 2020's here, let's talk about  2019’s most interesting, if not most well known, centenary: that of the founding of The Bauhaus, mother of all design schools.  I live in a neighbourhood that was built in the late 1920s. The houses were ...

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TAKING STOCK

TAKING STOCK

January 4, 2020

Stock photography has its roots in the 1980’s when stock libraries (historically an alternate source for images to staff photographers for newspapers and magazines), became stock agencies and viable commercial models for curators and photographers. ...

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15 MILLION CANS of ART

15 MILLION CANS of ART

January 4, 2020

Kind of like how Picasso spent a lifetime learning to draw like a child, Collective Arts co-founders Bob Russell and Matt Johnson found the way to their disruptive label by spending years perfecting the big beer brand formula - and then turning away ...

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Glenda Rissman is loving the art of the challenge

Glenda Rissman is loving the art of the challenge

December 23, 2019

Glenda Rissman is Co-founding Partner of q30 design inc. in Toronto Glenda prides herself on having a knack for spotting that certain something that makes a brand unique and sets her clients apart from the pack. Since co-founding q30 design over 2 ...

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Zachary Bautista: Rising star at Rethink

Zachary Bautista: Rising star at Rethink

December 20, 2019

Zachary Bautista is an Art Director at Rethink in Toronto     An OCAD University alumni, prior to Rethink Zachary was at lg2 working on insurance brands. Prior to that he was at Grip working on car brands. Prior to that he was a janitor workin ...

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Instagram: IS IT OVER YET?

Instagram: IS IT OVER YET?

December 19, 2019

Back in 2012, when Lauren Bath quit her full-time job to work as an Instagrammer, the idea was laughable. She didn’t have a background in social media management or photography—her day job was a chef. She didn’t even own a camera. Any work that ...

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Re-brand by Vanderbrand

Re-brand by Vanderbrand

December 18, 2019

Julie Vander Herberg is Founder & Creative Director of Vanderbrand in Toronto   Julie is an award-winning creative director specialized in branding, digital strategy, and lifestyle marketing. Julie founded Vanderbrand in 2008 after working in ...

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A BBDO NYC rock star named Pebble

A BBDO NYC rock star named Pebble

December 16, 2019

Pebble is a Vice President, Creative Director at BBDO in New York     Only the brightest stars can get away with using only one name. Pebble has 14 years of agency experience. She was the global creative director on BBDO’s Johnson's Baby cons ...

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Jeremy Gladstone: Re-envisioning Toronto's urban landscape

Jeremy Gladstone: Re-envisioning Toronto's urban landscape

December 13, 2019

Jeremy Gladstone is Principal & Creative Director of Gladstone Media Inc. in Toronto   Gladstone Media is an award-winning strategic marketing, advertising, and multimedia production company in Toronto, with a focus on lifestyle brands and re ...

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Leo's Natee pays homage to his big break

Leo's Natee pays homage to his big break

December 11, 2019

Natee Likitsuwankool is now a Senior Art Director at Leo Burnett in Toronto  Natee's also worked at Y&R, Havas & JWT, but he started his career in Canada as an intern at Rethink Vancouver. As we launch our 2020 Student Awards Call for En ...

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COUPLE D’IDÉES: Paper vision

COUPLE D’IDÉES: Paper vision

December 8, 2019

Diane Parenteau is Designer and Co-founder of COUPLE D’IDÉES in Montreal    Diane studied graphic design in Montreal before working in various fields, including book publishing, for more than 20 years. Passionate about everything paper, and ...

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The Black and White of the White Room

The Black and White of the White Room

December 5, 2019

Neil Rodman is Co-Founder & Creative Director of The White Room Inc. Branding & Art Direction in Toronto   Neil is a graduate of Sheridan College in Oakville, Canada. He has been a designer for the past 19 years. Over the course of his c ...

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Keeping Up with Moore’s Law

Keeping Up with Moore’s Law

December 4, 2019

The digitization of illustration and photography has transformed these practices into a multichannel narrative that is as much about how the work gets done as it is about its final form and destination. by Will Novosedlik, Photo: Angela Gzowski In ...

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Jenny Smith: no small fish

Jenny Smith: no small fish

November 26, 2019

Jenny Smith is President & Executive CD at Ray in St. John's, Nfld.     With over 20 years in the advertising business, Jenny is no stranger to creating internationally recognized, award-winning work. She has judged every national and regi ...

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Lisa Lebedovich: where there's a will

Lisa Lebedovich: where there's a will

November 21, 2019

Lisa Lebedovich, creative director at Will in Vancouver   "Some of my favourite projects are ones where I’ve been told it’s not possible, and then we go ahead and make it possible." With over 18 years of advertising experience, Lisa has creat ...

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Zuckerberg’s New Clothes

Zuckerberg’s New Clothes

November 12, 2019

It’s been over a week since facebook CMO Antonio Lucio posted an announcement entitled ‘Introducing Our New Company Brand”. I have to admit when I read that headline about 1.5% of me thought maybe the brand team was actually grappling with som ...

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Grip's Bernice Lo

Grip's Bernice Lo

November 5, 2019

Bernice Lo is an Associate Creative Director / Art Director at Grip Limited in Toronto.  Better known as “Bee” by her peers, Bernice recently joined Grip. Previously, she helped lead the Rogers brand at Publicis. With over 11 years of experie ...

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Cossette's Carlos Moreno

Cossette's Carlos Moreno

October 2, 2019

Carlos Moreno is the Global Chief Creative Officer at Cossette in Toronto.    Carlos is one of the most successful creative directors in Canada. Under his leadership, Cossette was named Canadian "Agency of the Year" by Strategy Magazine in 2016, ...

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Will Novosedlik on Clearing a Path to the Future

Will Novosedlik on Clearing a Path to the Future

September 28, 2019

Standing on the subway platform the other day, I came across this creative for an organization  called Pathways to Education:                 Immediately struck by the logic of the message – linking lifelong poverty and burden ...

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Bensimon Byrne's Joseph Bonnici

Bensimon Byrne's Joseph Bonnici

September 28, 2019

Joseph Bonnici, partner and executive creative director at Bensimon Byrne in Toronto.   For the past 7 years, Joseph has helped lead Bensimon Byrne, overseeing its growth into one of the largest independent agencies in Canada. In 2018, Bensimon By ...

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TAXI's  Nikki Jobson

TAXI's Nikki Jobson

September 26, 2019

Nikki Jobson is the ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR at TAXI in Vancouver     Nikki hails from the UK where she spent many years working at independent shops and multinationals whilst drinking too much tea. Fourteen years ago, she moved to Canada, ...

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Dave Federico

Dave Federico

September 23, 2019

Dave Federico is chief creative officer at Toronto's No Fixed Address    Dave started his career 20 years ago at legendary Canadian agency Roche Macaulay and Partners. Since then he's worked at some of the most highly regarded creative agencies i ...

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Addison's Kevin Barclay

Addison's Kevin Barclay

September 19, 2019

Kevin Barclay is the creative director at Addison in New York, NY.    After accepting Applied Arts' invitation to judge, award-winning CD Kevin Barclay – originally from Winnipeg – confessed the following: I bought the very first issue of App ...

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Rethink's Joel Holtby

Rethink's Joel Holtby

September 16, 2019

Joel Holtby is the partner & creative director at Rethink in  Toronto.  Over his career, Joel Holtby has been called one of Canada’s top advertising talents and has been a regular feature in Strategy’s top creative report card. He has b ...

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Canadian Down Syndrome Answers Tough Questions

Canadian Down Syndrome Answers Tough Questions

September 13, 2019

Jeff Hilts is the Chief Creative Officer at FCB Canada in Toronto An award-winning Chief Creative Officer, Jeff’s passion for creative thinking along with an unwavering commitment to his craft has helped shape his multi-disciplinary career. Jeff� ...

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Union's Rica Eckersley

Union's Rica Eckersley

September 6, 2019

Rica Eckersley is the creative director at Toronto's UNION.  Rica has spent over 15 years helping brands find their unique voice and shaping their narratives across multiple platforms. Her keen sense of insight and love of storytelling have helpe ...

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Executive Creative Director Rob Sweetman

Executive Creative Director Rob Sweetman

September 4, 2019

Rob Sweetman is a founder and executive creative director at One Twenty Three West in Vancouver.   Rob helped launch the agency in a garage with partners Bryan Collins, Jeff Harrison and Scot Keith to embrace the current realities of our industry. ...

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Anomaly's Sebastian Lyman Rolls With It

Anomaly's Sebastian Lyman Rolls With It

August 29, 2019

Sebastian Lyman is the creative director at Anomaly in Berlin. Applied Arts Advertising Awards judge Sebastian is a half Native-American creative director who has worked internationally in Toronto, Los Angeles and Berlin. He started his career in To ...

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Starbucks: Breaking Brand Promise, One Store at a Time

Starbucks: Breaking Brand Promise, One Store at a Time

August 21, 2019

Back in 1997, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz wrote about his now-iconic brand, “The people who line up for Starbucks aren’t just there for the coffee. It’s the romance of the coffee experience, the feeling of warmth and community people get i ...

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A Salute to Burton Kramer, Canada's Pioneer of Modernism.

A Salute to Burton Kramer, Canada's Pioneer of Modernism.

August 15, 2019

Burton Kramer is a pioneer of Modernism in Canadian Graphic Design. He is best known for his iconic design of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation logo and corporate identity program in 1974 and his work for Expo ’67.   From 1967-2001, he w ...

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AA Judge Nick Asik  on Creative Canadiana and Next Gen Talent

AA Judge Nick Asik on Creative Canadiana and Next Gen Talent

August 8, 2019

AA Judge Nick Asik is the creative director at WAX partnership incorporated in Calgary Nick’s career has spanned North America, working for agencies in Toronto, Calgary, Los Angeles and New York. He’s leant his creativity to brands like Audi, Co ...

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All about AA Judge Brent Choi

All about AA Judge Brent Choi

August 1, 2019

AA Judge Brent Choi, CEO & CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, DDB Canada Toronto As a ‘creative’ guy, for years Brent hid the fact he had graduated from one of Canada’s most prestigious business schools. And that he used to be an account executive. A ...

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Will Novosedlik on Building the Biggest Bible since Gutenberg

Will Novosedlik on Building the Biggest Bible since Gutenberg

July 25, 2019

I once had a colleague who joked about how graphic designers were “on a mission from God” to save the world from bad design. Aside from the Blues Brothers reference, it was a sarcastic reflection on the heroic narrative in which the designer is ...

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2019 Student Awards Winners Announcement

2019 Student Awards Winners Announcement

July 25, 2019

A big thank you to all the entrants who took the time to submit their best work. It’s an exciting endeavour for our judges to make their way through the incredible offerings from talented students around the world.  Thank you, judges, for your ti ...

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A Look Back at Theo Dimson

A Look Back at Theo Dimson

July 18, 2019

Graphic designer Theo Dimson (1930-2012) holds a well-deserved place in Canadian graphic design history. The OCAD grad’s exuberant yet elegant designs won awards and international applause with exhibits in Finland, Poland, Germany, Japan, Switzerl ...

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Meet Our Judges: Laura Wills Covers Cycling Apparel + Wine Labels + Luxury Travel

Meet Our Judges: Laura Wills Covers Cycling Apparel + Wine Labels + Luxury Travel

July 17, 2019

AA judge Laura is a multi-award-winning creative director and designer, recognized in top design shows and publications around the world, and featured in a few big, fat coffee table books about wine labels. She’s had the great fortune to work wi ...

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AA Judge Greg Oznowich Nesnadny + Schwartz

AA Judge Greg Oznowich Nesnadny + Schwartz

July 12, 2019

As creative director at Nesnadny + Schwartz, Greg Oznowich guides the company’s founding principle that concept should drive design. He has collaborated with industry leaders on print and digital communication projects for clients like the Clevel ...

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What are niche chocolate brands doing differently?

What are niche chocolate brands doing differently?

July 3, 2019

protecting the workers and protecting the earth. I’ve recently become addicted to chocolate. I blame it entirely on work. I always liked chocolate but never made a habit of eating it. It was never on my shopping list. But since taking on some ...

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 Pamela Rounis takes a fresh approach

Pamela Rounis takes a fresh approach

June 28, 2019

Pamela Rounis is the associate creative director at Rethink Vancouver. After completing a BFA at Emily Carr University in 2006, Pamela studied design and illustration in the IDEA program at Capilano University. Currently, at Rethink, she works wi ...

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Applied Arts Judge Margherita Porra on the Virtues of Taking Your Time

Applied Arts Judge Margherita Porra on the Virtues of Taking Your Time

June 21, 2019

Known for her unique brand creation, cultural trend clairvoyance and paired down, symbolic design, Margherita launched her design career in fashion, working with top Canadian and US brands. With over 17 years’ experience in consumer goods, her wor ...

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Meet Our Judges: Hangar 18 Design Continuum’s Vida Jurcic

Meet Our Judges: Hangar 18 Design Continuum’s Vida Jurcic

June 13, 2019

Our salute to Applied Arts Awards judges continues.  Say hello to Vida Jurcic of Vancouver’s Hangar 18 Design Continuum. Vida is a founding partner of Hangar 18 Design Continuum, a Vancouver design firm with a legacy of award-winning strategic d ...

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 The Design World Needs More Photos of Women by Women

The Design World Needs More Photos of Women by Women

June 12, 2019

In the 1940s and 1950s, Lillian Bassman was one of a small cohort of prominent women in fashion photography, the significance of which was not lost on her female models. “It was sexually a very different thing when they worked with men,” the pho ...

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Samsung Wants You to Meet the Workplace of the Future

Samsung Wants You to Meet the Workplace of the Future

June 10, 2019

As modern office spaces evolve, technology is transforming the way we work. Samsung Electronics Canada knows that it’s a requirement of modern businesses to offer digital solutions that provide employees with high-quality tools that encourage coll ...

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Snack by McMillan Offers Bite Sized Agency Services

Snack by McMillan Offers Bite Sized Agency Services

June 6, 2019

Snack by McMillan offers an Uberized process for one-off creative agency projects. Introduced today, Snack by McMillan will provide clients interested in quick turnaround projects across the agency spectrum with an alternative to the traditional ag ...

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Our Judges: Leo Burnett’s Petra Cuschieri

Our Judges: Leo Burnett’s Petra Cuschieri

June 3, 2019

Our salute to Applied Arts Awards judges continues.  Say hello to Petra Cuschieri, Design Director of Toronto’s Leo Burnett. Petra is an award-winning designer with a focus on branding, packaging, editorial, digital design and illustration. She h ...

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Photographer David DeStefano

Photographer David DeStefano

May 30, 2019

Montreal based food/lifestyle photographer David DeStefano’s path to photography has had some twists and turns but always had food somewhere in the equation. From his early teens, David DeStefano worked in the Montreal restaurant scene, and once h ...

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Our Judges: Pendo’s Peter Ladd

Our Judges: Pendo’s Peter Ladd

May 24, 2019

Our salute to Applied Arts Awards judges continues. Say hello to Peter Ladd, Creative Director & Co-Founder of Vancouver’s Pendo. Humber College graduate Peter Ladd launched Pendo in 2015.  Since then, the company has taken on projects coveri ...

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Brutal Postings on International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

Brutal Postings on International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

May 17, 2019

Did you know that every 23 seconds, a homophobic or transphobic comment gets posted online? Kudos to Rethink for their work with FondationEmergence on “Brutal Postings”, a social experiment highlighting the role of social media in promoting hom ...

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Meet Our Judges: Lime Design Inc.’s Lara Minja

Meet Our Judges: Lime Design Inc.’s Lara Minja

May 16, 2019

Lara Minja of Lime Design Inc. Lara Minja’s love of art, craft, learning, and storytelling has led her to the focused design of exhibition catalogues, scholarly books, magazines, educational materials, and postage stamps. Her work has been widely ...

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Eyes on Eye on Design, by  Will Novosedlik

Eyes on Eye on Design, by Will Novosedlik

May 16, 2019

A new publication from America’s most prestigious design organization both hits and misses the mark. For whatever reasons, publications aimed at the graphic design community are still a lot more interested in what’s fashionable than in what’s ...

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In Wade Hudson Portraiture, Subjects Shine

In Wade Hudson Portraiture, Subjects Shine

May 10, 2019

Wade Hudson portraiture is sharp and clean; through his understanding and use of light, his raw and seemingly effortless aesthetic allows his subjects to shine. Born and raised in Jamaica and currently living in Toronto, Hudson is a graduate of Hu ...

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Meet Our Judges: Locomotive’s Frédéric Marchand

Meet Our Judges: Locomotive’s Frédéric Marchand

May 2, 2019

Next in our series on Applied Arts Awards judges. Today we’re looking at some recent work from Frédéric Marchand of Montreal’s Locomotive. As President & Creative Director of Locomotive, Frédéric Marchand serves as the “strategic fo ...

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Announcing the 2019 Design Awards Winners

Announcing the 2019 Design Awards Winners

April 18, 2019

Winners will have their work and credits published on premium paper in the Summer 2019 issue of Applied Arts. They’ll also appear in our tablet edition, and in our online Winner’s Gallery (coming in June), where their work will live on in perpet ...

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Field Trip & Co. Tells an East Side Story

Field Trip & Co. Tells an East Side Story

April 17, 2019

When it comes to hospital fundraising, the competition for eyeballs and wallets can be fierce and the market fragmented. There’s no particular reason to elevate the reputation of any hospital above that of its peers, especially in a market like To ...

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Meet Our Judges: BangBang’s Simon Laliberté

Meet Our Judges: BangBang’s Simon Laliberté

April 10, 2019

The first in a series in which Applied Arts profiles our Awards judges. Today we’re looking at some recent work from Simon Laliberté, Founder, Designer, Art Director & Screenprinter of Montreal’s BangBang  Simon Laliberté’s creative s ...

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When Private Equity Meets Brand Equity

When Private Equity Meets Brand Equity

April 3, 2019

Or what happens when what can’t be measured doesn’t get managed OR what can’t be measured isn’t accounted for? “Tomayo!” cried my wife. “That’s what they should have called it. Not “Mayochup”. My wife is a speech and language pa ...

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Tears to Fear: McMillan Agency Sends Bottled Tears to Prospective Interns

Tears to Fear: McMillan Agency Sends Bottled Tears to Prospective Interns

March 20, 2019

Say “Millennials” in conversation and you’re likely to be met with rolling eyes.  But like them or not, Millennials are here to stay, and they currently make up the majority of our industry’s juniors, interns and new hires. Determined to com ...

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Mitchell Press Illustrates Desert Island Songs

Mitchell Press Illustrates Desert Island Songs

March 18, 2019

It’s a question we’ve all been asked before “what is your desert island song?” From cocktail party chatter to the countless Spotify playlists teaming the web and the BBC’s Desert Island Discs radio program – the question has been discusse ...

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COMING SOON! THE 2019 SPRING ISSUE OF APPLIED ARTS MAGAZINE

COMING SOON! THE 2019 SPRING ISSUE OF APPLIED ARTS MAGAZINE

March 13, 2019

2019 Spring Cover featuring Wayne Hoecherl’s winning work Our Spring 2019 issue beautifully showcases the winners of our 2019 Photography & Illustration Awards. Plus stories on the future of photography and illustration, Instagram’s impact o ...

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From Graphics to Beer: The Journey of Martin L’Allier

From Graphics to Beer: The Journey of Martin L’Allier

March 4, 2019

Sour Fruit Beers. Acidula Framboise (left) and Acidula Citron Vanille Mixing work with alcohol is usually a recipe for disaster. But for Martin L’Allier, mixing business with pleasure allowed him to turn his passion into a career. L’Allier has ...

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Announcing the 2019 Photography and Illustration Awards Winners.

Announcing the 2019 Photography and Illustration Awards Winners.

February 25, 2019

Oliver Staub, ‘Cannabis.’ Advertising Photography, 2108 Photography Awards winner. A big thank you to all the entrants who took the time to submit their best work from the past 12 months. It’s always a challenge for our judges to make the dist ...

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Going Viral: A Talk with Libby Oliver

Going Viral: A Talk with Libby Oliver

February 21, 2019

Going viral and the attending influx of attention is a digital goal for almost every business. But it doesn’t just happen to celebrities – sometimes it happens to artists. Introducing Libby Oliver, whose project ‘Soft Shells’ went viral afte ...

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The storyfire: Learning to Listen

The storyfire: Learning to Listen

February 14, 2019

Photo by Wenni Zhou for Unsplash What indigenous culture can teach us about storytelling As the editor of a national magazine, you get a lot of article pitches. Most of them are easily dismissed. Some of them are out-and-out PR. I never print that ...

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FIVE MINUTES: Annabelle Soucy, Creating through the language of imagery

FIVE MINUTES: Annabelle Soucy, Creating through the language of imagery

February 13, 2019

White What happens when you cross a graphic designer and a photographer? Other than a corny joke, you’ll likely get the minimalistic yet expressive work of Annabelle Soucy. A visual thinker, Soucy explains that her craft is almost like a secon ...

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2019 Student Awards are Now Open for Entry

2019 Student Awards are Now Open for Entry

January 22, 2019

Kathy Powell, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ninth Letter 15.1 Spring/Summer 2018. Complete Book Design-Campaign, 2018. Applied Arts values the work of all students and aims to help them get the recognition they deserve. Consequently, t ...

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2019 Design Awards Announcement

2019 Design Awards Announcement

January 18, 2019

Studio Baillat, ELEKTRA 2017 – 18TH International Digital Art Festival. Craft Motion/Animation, 2018. It is with great excitement that we announce the opening of the 2019 Design Awards call for entries! The Applied Arts Awards are the only compet ...

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Exciting News For The 2019 Applied Arts Awards Competitions

Exciting News For The 2019 Applied Arts Awards Competitions

January 15, 2019

Jen Aurich, Swimmers. Travel Photography – Single. 2017 For nearly 30 years the Applied Arts Awards have helped raise the bar of creative excellence by promoting award-winning artists, both professionals and enthusiasts alike. Entering the Applie ...

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Inspiration: Vigg

Inspiration: Vigg

January 9, 2019

Montreal-based illustrator Vigg has been in the creative game for 20 years. His playful and light-hearted work is mostly divided between children’s books and editorial illustrations. For him, there is no difference in how he approaches illustrati ...

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Inspiration: Marcus Beretta

Inspiration: Marcus Beretta

January 8, 2019

Toronto-based photographer Marcus Beretta can break down his creative process into three steps. The first is inspiration, then explanation and finally execution. Or as he says, “This is what I want to do, this is why I want to do it and then actual ...

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Inspiration: John Parra

Inspiration: John Parra

January 7, 2019

If there’s one thing that John Parra wants you to know about creating children’s book illustrations, it is that they “take quite a bit of time and effort,” and that he almost never has contact with the author of the book. “I think it’s fr ...

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Inspiration: Cody Greco

Inspiration: Cody Greco

January 3, 2019

When you ask Toronto-based photographer Cody Greco how he describes his artistic style, the first word that pops into his head is “minimalistic,” and after looking at his pieces, you could argue that this word perfectly embodies Greco’s style. ...

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Inspiration: Ran Zheng

Inspiration: Ran Zheng

January 2, 2019

In anticipation of our 2019 Photography and Illustration Awards, we have interviewed some of our past winners to help inspire your work and encourage to you enter. These shorter inspiration pieces will appear on site throughout the coming weeks. The ...

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Martin Dupuis Creates Fantasized Worlds With Latest Project

Martin Dupuis Creates Fantasized Worlds With Latest Project

December 31, 2018

A few weeks ago we covered a first in Applied Arts history. Martin Dupuis of Montreal-based Les Évadés and his poster series entitled 'Cinema du Parc' were the first to win in three of our Awards programs (Photography and Illustration, Advertising ...

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The 2018 Advertising Awards Winners Gallery is Live

The 2018 Advertising Awards Winners Gallery is Live

December 21, 2018

"Stop Sucking." Rethink. Public Service/Charity-Series.   The 2018 Advertising Awards are published in the new 2018 winter issue, which will be hitting mailboxes and our stockists within the next few days. Head over to our Winner’s Gallery to ch ...

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Will Delivers a Treat for Your Ears

Will Delivers a Treat for Your Ears

December 20, 2018

Every year when the holiday season roles around, Vancouver-based agency Will takes it upon themselves to spread happiness to the advertising community, their partners and clients. This year has proved to be the same, except that the medium of deliver ...

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A Logo Too Big to Fail

A Logo Too Big to Fail

December 18, 2018

So I’m surfing my LinkedIn feed a couple weeks back and I see a post from Toronto-based Method Branding. The news: Bank of America has a new logo. As a former logo designer, and now an armchair logo critic, I wondered if this might be column-wor ...

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Advertising Awards Judges Work: BBDO NY and Quiet Storm UK

Advertising Awards Judges Work: BBDO NY and Quiet Storm UK

December 17, 2018

Finishing up our 2018 Advertising Awards judges work roundup, we have two judges to show today! Both Bianca Guimaraes and Laurence Quinn are international creatives. So we thought we'd finish the series with our last two "worldy" judges.  First u ...

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New Campaign From Here Be Monsters

New Campaign From Here Be Monsters

December 14, 2018

Just in time for the winter season, Here Be Monsters (HBM), an independent agency based in Vancouver, updates a classic holiday tradition for their newest campaign.   Continuing the campaign for their client, Noodlebox, a Southeast Asian noodle ba ...

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Advertising Awards Judges Work: DDB Canada

Advertising Awards Judges Work: DDB Canada

December 13, 2018

    Continuing with our showcase of our 2018 Advertising Awards judges work, we arrive at Dean Lee, ECD at DDB Canada in Vancouver. Dean shares his latest campaign for Emerald Health.    Designing a campaign for a cannabis company is all ab ...

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The 2018 Winter Annual is Here!

The 2018 Winter Annual is Here!

December 12, 2018

   2018 Advertising winner. "Trust Your Taste." Lg2   It is with great excitement that we introduce our final issue of the year, the 2019 Advertising Awards Annual!   This annual is particularly significant to us here at Applied Arts, as it ...

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Announcing our 2019 Photography and Illustration Awards

Announcing our 2019 Photography and Illustration Awards

December 11, 2018

Pinter Creative Studio, Lindsay Siu,1957: Public Transit as a Metaphor for Societal Norms. Photo Manipulation - Single, 2018.    Our first Awards program of the new year is now open! We are very excited to announce the call for entries for our 20 ...

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Advertising Awards Judges Work: Sid Lee

Advertising Awards Judges Work: Sid Lee

December 10, 2018

As we get closer to our 2018 winter issue drop – which features our 2018 Advertising Awards Winners – we have been showcasing some work from our ad judges. This week we are exploring Kristian Manchester’s latest hits as global executive creativ ...

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McMillan Rocks Ottawa

McMillan Rocks Ottawa

December 7, 2018

It’s not all business when you’re in Ottawa. Especially if you attended McMillan’s 613 Agency Rock-Off – Ottawa’s very own interagency Battle of the Bands – earlier last month.   To help bring local-area agencies together, play some tu ...

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Sneak Peek of our Winter Issue

Sneak Peek of our Winter Issue

December 5, 2018

2018 Ad winner. "Refuel. Restart." lg2.    Our Winter 2018 issue is set to drop next week! This issue features our amazing Advertising Awards winners, not to mention it’s our first issue with editor Will Novosedlik. The Advertising Awards ar ...

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Design Army Gives The Mocktail Club a Makeover

Design Army Gives The Mocktail Club a Makeover

December 3, 2018

For their latest campaign, Washington, D.C.-based, Design Army rebrands and designs The Mocktail Club, a premium line of craft non-alcoholic beverages. Originally targeted to expecting mothers and health-conscious clients, Design Army has redesigned ...

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The Big BC Snowball Fight

The Big BC Snowball Fight

November 28, 2018

Vancouver-based creative agency Will returns with an updated version of the BC Children’s Hospital ‘Snowball Fight for Kids.’   The Big BC Snowball Fight is a virtual snowball fight, which raises donations for the hospital and its patients. ...

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Noise 13 Designs for the Cannabis Market

Noise 13 Designs for the Cannabis Market

November 26, 2018

When Skunk Factory, a cannabis company, approached San Francisco-based agency Noise 13 to create a new brand evolution they knew exactly what they were looking for. They needed a new packaging design for their vape kits, cartridges and flower, that w ...

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Marvin Veloso: From Unemployed Graduate to Junior Art Director in Seven Days

Marvin Veloso: From Unemployed Graduate to Junior Art Director in Seven Days

November 21, 2018

Marvin's "Indian Motorcycle Company"   Marvin Veloso graduated from Seneca College's Design program back in August 2018. Even though he was eager and ready to find a job, nothing seemed to land. Until this October. After Marvin's piece had won i ...

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Advertising Young Blood Winners

Advertising Young Blood Winners

November 14, 2018

Still from john st.'s "President's Choice Eat Together" campaign Here at Applied Arts, we’re all about promoting and showing off our junior winners! And with our Advertising Annual set to drop in early-December, we thought it would be a great time ...

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Advertising Awards Judges Work: Cossette

Advertising Awards Judges Work: Cossette

November 12, 2018

As our Advertising Awards are set to be published in our winter annual, we would like to showcase some work from our judges panel. First up is Katie Ainsworth, ECD of Cossette Vancouver. For their newest project, Cossette takes us down memory lane wi ...

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Q&A: Martin Dupuis

Q&A: Martin Dupuis

November 8, 2018

Martin Dupuis of Les Évadés is the art director for their Cinéma du Parc poster series. If these images look familiar, it's because they are. Dupuis' poster for Blade Runner was the cover of our 2018 Photography and Illustration annual. Since pub ...

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Endangered Syndrome

Endangered Syndrome

November 8, 2018

The Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) has teamed up with Toronto-based agency FCB Canada to address the problem of dwindling services for people with Down Syndrome.   As the number of people born with Down Syndrome declines, so do the voices o ...

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10 Truths We Uncovered at DesignThinkers Toronto 2018

10 Truths We Uncovered at DesignThinkers Toronto 2018

November 7, 2018

Under the theme of ‘Speak the Truth,' 2,000 designers gathered in Toronto on October 24 and 25 for the DesignThinkers 2018 Conference to discuss everything from the lack of colour in our wardrobes to the lack of diversity and why we need more peopl ...

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Truth vs. Soap

Truth vs. Soap

November 7, 2018

  Every once in a rare while you hear a brand story that is actually based on an empirical truth which, when carefully told, turns out to be far more effective than any of the fantasies conjured up by ad people to sell you whatever it is they are s ...

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Investing In Our Future

Investing In Our Future

October 31, 2018

Winning design category entry in Applied Arts 2018 Student Awards - a fictitious type specimen book for Dalton Maag's font family Aktiv Grotesk, by Humber College Graphic Design program student Jordan Jackson.   In our recent Fall 2018 annual, Cos ...

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Featuring Highlights the World of Kidz

Featuring Highlights the World of Kidz

October 30, 2018

To get a brand to reflect children and their lives, you must enter their world. For the newest project for children’s clothing brand Electrik Kidz, Featuring does just that.   Electrik Kidz is a Montreal-based clothing brand that specializes i ...

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Bob's Your Uncle Creates a Brew

Bob's Your Uncle Creates a Brew

October 30, 2018

Canadians are amongst the world’s biggest food wasters. In a report released by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, the average Canadian throws out 396 kilograms of food each year. In turn, the food then decomposes in landfills and releas ...

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Studio Baillat and Red Bull Music Festival

Studio Baillat and Red Bull Music Festival

October 24, 2018

Montreal design firm Studio Baillat is back with a new design for the Red Bull Music Festival 2018. This is the studio’s third year designing for Red Bull Music. This year, the team at Baillat was challenged with creating a new and fresh image that ...

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McMillan Brings Ottawa to Life

McMillan Brings Ottawa to Life

October 24, 2018

Ottawa-based B2B agency McMillan has been creating the design aspects and campaign for the Ottawa International Animation Festival (the second largest animation festival in the world) for the last five years. For this year’s campaign, McMillan’s ...

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Grad Week Virtual Speakers Nov 14-21

Grad Week Virtual Speakers Nov 14-21

October 24, 2018

Brittany Salzone, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2018 Student Award winner Applied Arts has added to its student activities by creating a virtual speaker series for post-secondary students about to graduate. Why virtual? So students from anywhe ...

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Q&A: Andric

Q&A: Andric

October 18, 2018

Architectural photography, advertising photography, commercial photography and fine-art photography. These are just some of the many areas that Andric, a Toronto-based photographer, covers and shoots. Andric is an international artist who has worked ...

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Common Good and Tokyo Smoke Celebrate 10.17

Common Good and Tokyo Smoke Celebrate 10.17

October 16, 2018

How will you celebrate 10.17?   With less than 24 hours until cannabis legalization across the country, this historic day, known as 10.17 (October 17), should be full of festivities. To help you make sure that your 10.17 is celebrated right, Toron ...

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Target Finds Icebergs for NL Tourism

Target Finds Icebergs for NL Tourism

October 15, 2018

Target helps icebergs get ready for their close-up for NL Tourism   Newfoundland and Labrador is a hot spot for icebergs. During iceberg season (spring and summer), the coast is dotted with multiple 10,000 year-old bergs. The bergs also bring alon ...

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The Colour of Giving

The Colour of Giving

October 10, 2018

  How the United Way, TAXI and Pantone used the power of colour to reinvigorate a brand that was losing its lustre       Charitable organizations everywhere are facing the same challenge: how to engage a new generation of donors (millennia ...

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2018 Advertising Awards Winners Announced

2018 Advertising Awards Winners Announced

October 9, 2018

 2017 Advertising Award winner, Havas, Toronto (CCO Helen Pak), Entire Advertising Campaign   We're pleased to reveal the list of 2018 Advertising Awards winners Email notifications were sent out last week. Thanks to everyone who entered and c ...

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TBD and The Ad Council Address Bullying

TBD and The Ad Council Address Bullying

October 9, 2018

In collaboration with San Francisco-based independent creative agency TBD, The Ad Council has released an anti-bullying campaign. The campaign (developed pro bono by TBD) has multiple aspects to it, all revolving around the impact of bullying towards ...

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DesignThinkers is Around the Corner

DesignThinkers is Around the Corner

October 4, 2018

DesignThinkers Toronto is almost here! Usually held in November, the event is October 24-25 this year. That means there’s no time to lose if you want sign up. Online registration closes October 18.   DesignThinkers is a must for anyone in the ...

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Spark44 Helps Ring in Land Rover’s 70th

Spark44 Helps Ring in Land Rover’s 70th

October 2, 2018

Spark44’s newest campaign brings a Canadian twist to a British milestone.   Land Rover has a long and interesting history. To showcase the history it has in Canadian lives, Wonder Screen, a Toronto-based production company, produced a 3-minute c ...

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The Student & Community Awards Annual is Here

The Student & Community Awards Annual is Here

October 2, 2018

"See Creatures." Caroline Norman, Community - Cartoon / Comic Illustration   What can we say? When it rains, it pours. We had a slight production hiccup when getting our Fall issue to press and then the news of the impending Canada Post strike cau ...

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Update on the Student & Community Awards Annual

Update on the Student & Community Awards Annual

September 26, 2018

"Victorious": Giano Currie, Miami Ad School – Lynwood, Student - Photo Illustration/Mixed Media    The domino effect. A slight production hiccup, partnered with a potential Canada Post strike resulted in the delay of the fall Student & C ...

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Sid Lee Toronto Creates a Buzz

Sid Lee Toronto Creates a Buzz

September 26, 2018

  Sid Lee Toronto has joined the bee saving initiative. In collaboration with Alveole, an urban beekeeping company in Toronto, the team has created a number of products to help the bees. As the effects of climate change continue to put the bee popu ...

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New Awareness Campaign from Camp Pacific

New Awareness Campaign from Camp Pacific

September 24, 2018

Wildfires destroy much of the environment they take place in. However, often people forget about the devastating effect fires have on our lives and our memories. To show the human aspect of wildfires and how they destroy more than forests, Camp Pacif ...

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Student Awards Winners at Our Creative Futures Expo

Student Awards Winners at Our Creative Futures Expo

September 19, 2018

  Image: Coralie Carrier, CFP Maurice-Barbeau   The Student Awards annual is coming soon. Look for our winners in this issue. Our student winners will also be displayed at our upcoming Creative Futures Expo – the best place for students to ...

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Stack Creative Designs for Star Renegades

Stack Creative Designs for Star Renegades

September 19, 2018

Stack Creative has teamed up with Massive Damage, to create a landing page and website for their new galactic video game, Star Renegades. Stack needed to tell the story of Star Renegades while at the same time show off its features to users. To ac ...

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Design on the Way to Work

Design on the Way to Work

September 19, 2018

With a talent for snatching beauty from the jaws of decay, this young shooter reminds us that entropy always has the last laugh     Instagram turns some people into collectors, some into curators, some into voyeurs. It turns other people into ...

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Sneak Peek of Our Student and Community Awards Winners Gallery

Sneak Peek of Our Student and Community Awards Winners Gallery

September 12, 2018

With our new issue dropping later this month, we wanted to share a sneak peek of our Winners Gallery. This online gallery is an ongoing archive of our Awards winners. Take a look at what judges had to say about some of the winning entries in our Stud ...

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Q&A: Carlos Moreno

Q&A: Carlos Moreno

September 12, 2018

 Cossette has entered the world of movies with their newest campaign. In a game-changing direction, they have teamed up with renowned director Fleur Fortune and DOP Matias Boucard, to create a 13-minute short film entitled Dream Thieves. The client ...

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BBDO Toronto Tackles COPD

BBDO Toronto Tackles COPD

September 11, 2018

BBDO launches a new awareness campaign. It’s estimated that 1.6 million of the 3.2 million Canadians living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) don’t know they have it. To help combat this and bring awareness to COPD, BBDO Toronto ...

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A Symphony of Sound From Target

A Symphony of Sound From Target

September 5, 2018

Experience the musical landscape of Newfoundland and Labrador with Target Marketing.   In their new campaign for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Target captures the unique sound of the province. Wind chimes, whales calls and tolling church bell ...

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Putting the Soul in Sol

Putting the Soul in Sol

September 5, 2018

Chicago-based brand agency Soulsight has partnered with MillerCoors to help relaunch Sol, a Mexican lager.   The competition is fierce when it comes to beer and so to give Sol an extra edge to attract new customers (while at the same time not igno ...

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The Life of a Dumpling

The Life of a Dumpling

September 3, 2018

“Dumpling” is a broad term for a dish that consists of a doughy outer layer, usually stuffed with a meat or sweet filling. Usually the life of a dumpling is short—from the early stages of cooking to the final resting place in a full stomach. No ...

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Sneak Peek of our Fall 2018 Issue

Sneak Peek of our Fall 2018 Issue

August 29, 2018

 Illustrations from Student Awards winner Caleb Boyles   Our Fall 2018 issue drops mid-September and this issue is packed with great content, not to mention both The Community and Student Awards winners. The Community and Student Awards annual ...

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48North and Blok Design

48North and Blok Design

August 28, 2018

For their latest project, Blok Design has teamed up with 48North, a women-led cannabis company, to create a brand identity that would showcase the direction and philosophy of the company.   48North is reimagining the cannabis landscape for women, ...

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2018 Advertising Awards Extension

2018 Advertising Awards Extension

August 24, 2018

"The Keg Steakhouse & Bar: Nothing in Common," Palmer Jarvis DDB Vancouver. Consumer Magazine-Series, 2002.   We have a special announcement to make! The 2018 Advertising Awards deadline has been extended to August 31. That means you have an e ...

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Insider Tips for Entering Our 2018 Advertising Awards

Insider Tips for Entering Our 2018 Advertising Awards

August 23, 2018

  There are only four more days to submit your entries to our 2018 Advertising Awards! We wanted to share some tips to make entering your pieces easier. Read through our hints below and enter at the end of the page. Good luck!     To enter ...

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Celebrate Take Your Cat to the Vet Day with BBDO Toronto

Celebrate Take Your Cat to the Vet Day with BBDO Toronto

August 22, 2018

The makers of Whiskas cat food and BBDO Toronto have teamed up to create Cat Calm Radio, a radio station that plays calming music for your cat during car rides. The release of Cat Calm Radio coincides with National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day which ...

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Work From Our 2018 Student Awards Judges

Work From Our 2018 Student Awards Judges

August 21, 2018

Eureka Catalogue created by Paprika    The fall edition of Applied Arts is almost ready to be sent to the printers! This double annual will feature both the Student and Community Awards winners. The Student Awards are open to all post-secondary s ...

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Find Your Sipsong with Noise 13

Find Your Sipsong with Noise 13

August 21, 2018

Noise 13, a women-led strategy and design firm based in San Francisco, has created a branding and label design for Sipsong Spirits, a new California small-batch liqueur company.     The team behind the new design worked closely with owner and ...

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Design of a Nation, or a Nation of Design?

Design of a Nation, or a Nation of Design?

August 16, 2018

How Canada’s image on the world stage was, for a brief period of time, defined by the heads, hearts and hands of the nation’s leading graphic designers    Design Canada Title Canada   History is and always has been hugely underrated.   ...

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Big Agency Wins From the 2017 Advertising Awards

Big Agency Wins From the 2017 Advertising Awards

August 15, 2018

Winning campaign 'Open House' from GREY Canada   As we get closer to the deadline for our 2018 Advertising Awards (August 24!), we wanted to showcase the top winning agencies from last year to drive inspiration. Take a look at the top winners belo ...

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Interview with Hatecopy

Interview with Hatecopy

August 15, 2018

Painter and illustrator Maria Qamar talks about her work for The Yogen Früz Pinkberry Brain Project and the beginnings of her career.   When Maria Qamar aka Hatecopy was asked to create a piece for The Yogen Früz Pinkberry Brain Project, an o ...

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Print is Back

Print is Back

August 14, 2018

  Earlier this summer, Fujifilm launched a movement. Yes, you’re reading that right. A movement, not a product. The Fujifilm Print Life Movement was launched to educate and inspire consumers to print their photographs.   “Fujifilm is launc ...

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Work From Our 2018 Community Awards Judges

Work From Our 2018 Community Awards Judges

August 8, 2018

Work from ON THE CHASE!    The fall issue of Applied Arts will hit newsstands in September. This edition features two awards sections; the 2018 Community and Student awards. This is our second annual Community Awards, which focuses on smaller fir ...

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New Era for Steam Whistle

New Era for Steam Whistle

August 8, 2018

Steam Whistle Brewery enters an age of sophistication with new brand identity   The last time Steam Whistle updated their overall brand design and look, it was the early 2000s. And in those 17+ years, Steam Whistle has grown and changed as a compa ...

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cHANGING pATTERNS

cHANGING pATTERNS

August 7, 2018

A fresh pattern design has been popping up in various Balzac’s cafés across Toronto. The wallpaper can be found at UP Express Union Station and gracing the walls at Powerhouse and Market Street locations. It’s even on the road, wrapped around th ...

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New Work by The White Room

New Work by The White Room

August 2, 2018

The White Room has entered the luxury wine market with their newest project for Baby Brunello.   Following the European tradition of gifting a bottle of wine when a baby is born, The White Room has rebranded  Baby Brunello to extend this traditio ...

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Introducing The New Editor of Applied Arts

Introducing The New Editor of Applied Arts

August 1, 2018

Photo credit: Chris Lynn   We are very excited to announce our new editor, Will Novosedlik! Will has been a long time contributor to Applied Arts as well as a prominent strategist and designer in Canada and abroad. We look forward to having Will o ...

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123w Tackles Driving Under the Influence

123w Tackles Driving Under the Influence

August 1, 2018

Vancouver-based agency 123w has teamed up with The British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) to create an awareness campaign that discusses impaired driving—now that cannabis is set to be legalized in the fall.     The campaign, which i ...

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Q&A: João Vaz de Carvalho

Q&A: João Vaz de Carvalho

July 31, 2018

The Portuguese painter and illustrator shares his creative process and reflects on the message behind his images.   For João Vaz de Carvalho, painting has been his central artistic medium. But he is more than just a painter-he is also an illustr ...

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The 2018 Advertising Awards Judges Are Announced!

The 2018 Advertising Awards Judges Are Announced!

July 25, 2018

2017 Advertising Award winner "Sickkid Vs," from Cossette. Entire Advertising Campaign.    The judges for our 2018 Advertising Awards have been announced! This years’ judges panel is an allstar cast, including; Ian Grais-founder and national CD ...

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Rethink Has Too Much Fun with Playland

Rethink Has Too Much Fun with Playland

July 25, 2018

How do you communicate the universal feeling of fun? Emojis!   In their newest “Too Much Fun” campaign for the amusement park Playland, Rethink uses the universal language of emojis to tap into the theme park experience.       The c ...

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Q&A: Alia youssef

Q&A: Alia youssef

July 23, 2018

The Toronto-based photographer explores womanhood and gendered Islamophobia in her series The Sisters Project   Alia Youssef is the photographer behind The Sisters Project, a long-term portraiture series combating stereotypes and showcasing the mu ...

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Rethink Surprises Torontonians with Ottawa-Themed Ice Cream

Rethink Surprises Torontonians with Ottawa-Themed Ice Cream

July 18, 2018

How do you promote a city that is often labelled as “bland?” Free food always works!   Rethink Canada created a new campaign for Ottawa based on the insight that the city is often judged as boring, or “vanilla.” The agency aims to change t ...

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New Work by Featuring

New Work by Featuring

July 12, 2018

Cuisines Steam, a Montreal-based design company, has tapped creative agency Featuring (formerly Écorce) and website designer QuatreCentQuatre to create a digital marketing strategy and online store for their new modular kitchen brand, coquo.   ...

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Ethos Keeps Piknic Electronik Fresh and Fruity for 2018

Ethos Keeps Piknic Electronik Fresh and Fruity for 2018

July 11, 2018

Two years after first creating the identity for Piknic Electronik Montreal, Ethos is back with a new visual look for the festival.   Piknic Electronik, an outdoor music festival in Montreal, first tapped creative agency Ethos and photographer Vi ...

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Get With The Program

Get With The Program

July 11, 2018

Programmatic creative should not be problematic   © ar130405/Pixabay Do creatives get in this business to be creative? Of course. Does that mean that every working hour is creative? No. Creative in advertising has never been precious. If you wa ...

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The Hive's New Campaign for OPG

The Hive's New Campaign for OPG

July 10, 2018

In their newest campaign for Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Toronto-based agency The Hive invites you to sit around the campfire with Dammy The Beaver.       To raise awareness for dam safety and the dangers of ignoring cautionary signs, Th ...

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FIFA: From Fabergé to Football

FIFA: From Fabergé to Football

July 9, 2018

The FIFA World Cup's graphic title cards on TSN are as rich in execution as they are in symbolism     Ah, the World Cup. Like the Olympics, this quadrennial sports fest does its best to command or attention for the few weeks that it takes the ...

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2018 Community Awards Winners Announced

2018 Community Awards Winners Announced

June 29, 2018

Last year's Community Award winner White Crow Communications. Population Less Than 100,000, Public Service/Charity Design - Series   We're pleased to reveal the list of 2018 Community Awards winners!   Winners of the second annual Community Awa ...

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2018 Student Awards Winners Announced

2018 Student Awards Winners Announced

June 29, 2018

Image by last year's Student Award winner Airisa Seflere, Langara College, Photography - Series   The 2018 Student Awards winners list is here!   Huge thanks go out to our judges! They evaluated each entry independently and scored based on cre ...

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Jesus Murphy! A Case Study of Canadianisms with WAX

Jesus Murphy! A Case Study of Canadianisms with WAX

June 29, 2018

Illustration for the phrase 'Jesus Murphy'   Canadians use a lot of euphemisms, or “Canadianisms,” that cover a variety of topics. From food and drink slang (“double double”) to phrases and sayings (“splittin’ the rocks”). But what d ...

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Q&A: JEANNIE PHAN

Q&A: JEANNIE PHAN

June 28, 2018

The freelance illustrator talks inspiration and navigating the path between work and personal time   If you’ve picked up a copy of The Walrus or Canadian Living in the past year, then you have surely seen Jeannie Phan’s colourful illustrations ...

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For the Love of Type! Pressing On: The Letterpress Film

For the Love of Type! Pressing On: The Letterpress Film

June 26, 2018

  When Erin Beckloff became a letterpress printer eight years ago, she knew that she wanted to preserve the knowledge about the centuries-old practice that she found in the community. A few years passed before she approached Bayonet Media co-foun ...

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Les Usherwood Collection & Font Memorabilia Available

Les Usherwood Collection & Font Memorabilia Available

June 25, 2018

  Attention, typography collectors: a former graphic arts technician is selling a series of posters and other memorabilia he collected while working for Les Usherwood throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s.    Below is the list of what's ava ...

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The 2018 Design Awards Winners Gallery is Live!

The 2018 Design Awards Winners Gallery is Live!

June 22, 2018

Leo Burnett Toronto      The 2018 Design Awards are published in the new 2018 Summer issue, available here. Head over to our Winners Gallery to check them out!   Winning an Applied Arts Award means your work is showcased with the best of t ...

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High Design: Canadian Cannabis BRANDING Sparks Up

High Design: Canadian Cannabis BRANDING Sparks Up

June 21, 2018

With cannabis legalization around the corner, Canadian designers are finding ways to elevate a burgeoning new industry despite strict packaging regulations   The road to cannabis legalization in Canada could best be described as one littered with ...

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THE CREATIVITY COUP

THE CREATIVITY COUP

June 21, 2018

When it comes to creative achievement, Quebec is making some bold moves. Writer Will Novosedlik explores how historical events, cultural awakenings and decades of political support have positioned the province as a "Silicon Valley of creativity"  � ...

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The Summer 2018 Issue is Published!

The Summer 2018 Issue is Published!

June 20, 2018

  Our much-anticipated 2018 Design annual is currently on its way to mailboxes and select newsstands!   We've beefed up the Design Awards section, giving extra pages to our winners so that we could show their pieces as large as possible. More ...

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Orange Keel Creates Innovative Packaging for EarthFresh Foods

Orange Keel Creates Innovative Packaging for EarthFresh Foods

June 20, 2018

  Packaging challenge: How do you make a potato, that humblest of foods, sexy?   Orange Keel, an Oakville, Ontario–based brand strategy and design agency, recently wrapped up a mission to do just that for potato purveyor EarthFresh Foods, wh ...

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Top 5 Things To Do At the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair

Top 5 Things To Do At the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair

June 18, 2018

    The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF) is back for its 57th season! Formerly known as the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Canada’s largest and longest-running juried contemporary art event has rebranded to reflect its new vision. This year’s ...

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Work From Our 2018 Design Awards Judges

Work From Our 2018 Design Awards Judges

June 12, 2018

Karolina Loboda, creative director and co-founder of The White Room, shares this picture from her agency's recent project—an image campaign for Valentine Rouge.     The Summer 2018 issue of Applied Arts is about to hit newsstands across t ...

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john st. Lets You Eat Pizza in Bed

john st. Lets You Eat Pizza in Bed

June 12, 2018

  Can pizza get any better? If you’re creative agency john st., then the answer is yes. Their newest innovation for Boston Pizza is a series of limited-edition pizza boxes that turn into self-supporting tables—allowing customers to eat their ...

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10 Truths We Learned at DesignThinkers 2018

10 Truths We Learned at DesignThinkers 2018

June 12, 2018

At the first 2018 instalment of DesignThinkers last month, designers were dropping a lot of industry truth bombs. RGD rounds up 10 of the best   THIS SECTION SPONSORED BY     “Wow, that looks great!” Lie.   “We made a few tweaks to t ...

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New Changes for Stocksy United

New Changes for Stocksy United

June 11, 2018

 © Santi Nuñez   Attention, image makers: The artist-owned, Victoria-based photography and cinematography co-op Stocksy United has made some significant changes to its business model.   Since its beginnings in 2012, Stock ...

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Sneak Peek of Our Summer 2018 Issue

Sneak Peek of Our Summer 2018 Issue

June 6, 2018

© Pol Turgeon   Our Summer 2018 issue drops mid-June, and it's packed with inspiration!   The Design Awards annual features 120+ pages of winning work from studios and freelancers across Canada and beyond in a special awards section sponsore ...

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Living the Dreamscape

Living the Dreamscape

June 5, 2018

When graphic design meets fine art   Larry Rossignol, The Struggle Continues   While attending an event at the venerable Toronto jazz haunt Hugh’s Room last week, I found myself enchanted by a body of work hung on the walls there as part of ...

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Poster Series: The Most Iconic Bridges in America

Poster Series: The Most Iconic Bridges in America

May 31, 2018

    In terms of transportation, bridges play a major role in the movement of people, goods and vehicles. They shape the landscape where they are built and are often seen as landmarks. However, many people are unaware of the background of these ...

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 Zulu Alpha Kilo Brings the Truth to DesignThinkers 2018

Zulu Alpha Kilo Brings the Truth to DesignThinkers 2018

May 29, 2018

  DesignThinkers is back again and this year they are bringing the truth with them.   The annual DesignThinkers conference, hosted by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD), has officially kicked off with its second Vancouver of ...

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New Stamp Set Features Great Canadian Illustrators

New Stamp Set Features Great Canadian Illustrators

May 29, 2018

  Canada Post is recognizing the work of five prolific artists with its new Great Canadian Illustrators series.   The stamps, which were released in April, each feature a single, high-impact past work by Anita Kunz, Blair Drawson, Gérard DuBo ...

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Deadline Extension for the 2018 Community Awards!

Deadline Extension for the 2018 Community Awards!

May 29, 2018

  Community, Population above 500,00, Hyr. Entire Design Program- Campaign, 2017.      We’ve heard your concerns and acted! The 2018 Community Awards deadline has been extended until June 1. That means you still have a few more days to pick ...

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DESIGN ARMY'S NEW WORK FOR HONG KONG BALLET

DESIGN ARMY'S NEW WORK FOR HONG KONG BALLET

May 29, 2018

Design Army's photo-heavy campaign for Hong Kong Ballet celebrates culture   In its new campaign for the Hong Kong Ballet, Washington, DC–based creative agency Design Army combines the classic imagery of ballet against the backdrop of Hong Kong ...

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2018 Student Awards Deadline Extended to June 1!

2018 Student Awards Deadline Extended to June 1!

May 24, 2018

Heli Prajapati, Humber College, EATS: 2011 Annual Report. Design-Editorial-Single, 2012.     Have you been rushing to submit your work for our 2018 Student Awards? Take a breather—the deadline has been extended for another week!   You’v ...

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3 New Graphic Design Books to Perfect Your Technique

3 New Graphic Design Books to Perfect Your Technique

May 24, 2018

 Layout Work by Kristin Cullen with Dennis Puhalla     Looking for a new summer read? Interested in taking your work to the next level? With countless design books out there, it may be hard to narrow down which one is a worthy read. So we’ ...

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Future by Design AI, Type and Inclusivity

Future by Design AI, Type and Inclusivity

May 23, 2018

Panelists discuss inclusivity, communication and how designers should respond to “evil robots” at RGD’s latest Future By Design discussion THIS SECTION SPONSORED BY      On April 24, RGD invited creative industry leaders Lara McCormick, ...

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McCann Canada Gets Digital with New Campaign for Prostate Cancer Canada

McCann Canada Gets Digital with New Campaign for Prostate Cancer Canada

May 18, 2018

    A new advertising campaign by McCann Canada brings humour to a medical test that many find uncomfortable. The digital rectal examination—when a doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to check for irregularities—is one of the mos ...

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 Zulu Alpha Kilo Sheds Light on Mental Health

Zulu Alpha Kilo Sheds Light on Mental Health

May 18, 2018

 Still from commercial    In the world of healthcare, there are many differences between physical and mental illnesses. Not only with diagnosis and treatment, but also with the attitude surrounding them. Mental illness is often stigmatized and ...

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john st. Brands No Frills into a Millennial Dream

john st. Brands No Frills into a Millennial Dream

May 11, 2018

  How do you take something like shopping for inexpensive groceries and make it hip? You create a unique hashtag, tease the advert on social media and throw in a streetwear clothing line. These are the tactics that advertising agency john st. use ...

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Here Be Monsters Creates a Snappy New Campaign

Here Be Monsters Creates a Snappy New Campaign

May 10, 2018

 Still from video   Here Be Monsters, Vancouver’s newest creative agency, just released its first campaign for client SnapQuote.   In an age where information can be found at your fingertips within seconds, companies need to be ahead of th ...

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lg2 Celebrates the Creative Process with DeSerres

lg2 Celebrates the Creative Process with DeSerres

May 9, 2018

How do you redesign a 110-year-old company that’s been rebranded several times over and get something new and fresh? DeSerres, one of Canada’s leading art supplies stores, tapped lg2 to take on the task. And the creative agency had a lot of grou ...

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Advertising the Bad News

Advertising the Bad News

May 8, 2018

The Centre for the Study of Political Graphics stages a show of posters designed solely by women   Barbara Kruger, 1989   Focused on the collection, preservation and study of political posters, The Center for the Study of Political Graphics i ...

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Eighty-Eight's New Brand Positioning for Cannabis Company Lift & Co.

Eighty-Eight's New Brand Positioning for Cannabis Company Lift & Co.

May 7, 2018

  Ahead of the legalization of cannabis in Canada this summer, Toronto creative agency Eighty-Eight just completed a brand repositioning for its first cannabis client, Lift & Co.   Lift & Co. is an online cannabis review resource that ...

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The White Room Creates a Luxe Look for Julie Charbonneau Design

The White Room Creates a Luxe Look for Julie Charbonneau Design

May 7, 2018

Custom Folder   When Julie Charbonneau Design (JCD), a luxury residential interior design firm based in Toronto, decided they needed a new promotional kit to draw in prospective clients, they looked to The White Room to execute the project. Acco ...

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nabs Art Auction 2018

nabs Art Auction 2018

May 3, 2018

Auction piece by Jack Neary    The National Advertising Benevolent Society (nabs) has officially kicked off its month-long awareness and fundraising event called nabs month. Nabs month concludes with an art auction on May 30. “During the mont ...

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Getting Frank with a Canadian ad legend

Getting Frank with a Canadian ad legend

May 2, 2018

He’s well into his 70s, but with a new biography and more business to be won, Frank Palmer shows no sign of slowing down   We’re already 55 minutes into a discussion about his new biography, Let’s Get Frank, a rambling conversation that has ...

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Q&A: Anthony Ricciardi

Q&A: Anthony Ricciardi

May 2, 2018

   A piece from Anthony Ricciardi's Enjoy the Moment exhibition   The Toronto-based artist stages a new mixed-media exhibition exploring celebrity   Toronto-based artist Anthony Ricciardi hasn’t been in the art world for very long, but t ...

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DDB Canada Addresses Human Trafficking

DDB Canada Addresses Human Trafficking

May 1, 2018

© DDB Canada Toronto    Last week Toronto Crime Stoppers and design firm DDB Canada Toronto launched a campaign to shine a light on human trafficking in areas where it is most prevalent—airports. The campaign aims to educate the public on s ...

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3 Top Exhibitions to See at Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival 2018

3 Top Exhibitions to See at Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival 2018

April 30, 2018

Photo © Nichole Sobecki   The annual Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival is back in Toronto through the end of May.   This event is the largest of its kind it the world, and features more than 200 exhibitions and happenings throughout th ...

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Casey House Premieres June's Documentary

Casey House Premieres June's Documentary

April 25, 2018

  When Bensimon Byrne started working with Casey House, a standalone hospital for people living with HIV/AIDS, the team made a startling discovery. While HIV cannot be transmitted through food preparation or food sharing, in a survey of Canadians ...

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A New Design Era For Firmex

A New Design Era For Firmex

April 25, 2018

Firmex's old (left) and new identities   Toronto-based Firmex, a virtual data room provider, has undergone a major brand makeover. Under creative director Philipp Boltz, the Firmex design has been reinvented to showcase the company’s success a ...

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Two for One: Winners of the Annual Double Vision Competition

Two for One: Winners of the Annual Double Vision Competition

April 25, 2018

  Image by Giovaninna Colalillo   The annual Double Vision competition, hosted by The Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators (CAPIC), has released its winners. The national competition, which was exhibited earlier this month at the ...

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What to Do at Digifest 2018

What to Do at Digifest 2018

April 19, 2018

  Digifest, the three-day creative technology festival, is back at Corus Quay this April 26-28. For this year’s festival, the theme “Hello Tomorrow: Our Creative Cities” will address the many problems that future cities will face.   As t ...

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Community Awards Deadline is May 25

Community Awards Deadline is May 25

April 18, 2018

Justin Kowalczuk Design, "Tegler Youth Centre Mural."    The call for entry for the second annual Applied Arts Community Awards is in full swing! The contest is open to freelancers and studios operating in Canada who are producing work for loca ...

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Underline Studio Publicizes the Migrant Crisis with Newspaper Design

Underline Studio Publicizes the Migrant Crisis with Newspaper Design

April 18, 2018

  Underline Studio is back with its third newspaper campaign in three years highlighting human rights issues in Central America.   “Lines Breaking” focuses on the Central America migrant crisis and is the latest instalment to join 2015’s ...

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2018 Design Awards Winners Announced

2018 Design Awards Winners Announced

April 17, 2018

An entry by Sid Lee from last year's Design Awards competition   We have the winners' list for the 2018 Design Awards!   A big thanks goes out to our panel of judges, who collectively reviewed all of the entries and made their selects. The wo ...

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Q&A: Natalia Dolan on Turning Passion Projects into Business Growth

Q&A: Natalia Dolan on Turning Passion Projects into Business Growth

April 11, 2018

  As with many passion projects, it was something in Natalia Dolan’s day job as an editorial and commercial portrait photographer that led to a great idea. While photographing women for clients such as Ryerson University and Google Canada, she ...

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Get Inspired While You Prep for the Student Awards - Deadline May 25!

Get Inspired While You Prep for the Student Awards - Deadline May 25!

April 11, 2018

 "All My Relations," Ashlee McCurdy, Savannah College of Art and Design. Design - Series, 2017 As the school year comes to a close, there is one last thing students in creative advertising, graphic design, interactive media, photography and illustr ...

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New Work from Les Evades

New Work from Les Evades

April 11, 2018

  Montreal agency Les Évadés shares a new set of posters for client Cinema du Parc (see more of their work for the client on the cover of our Spring 2018 issue!).    The theatre started a new program called Matins au Parc for Kids, which sc ...

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Q&A: Natalia Dolan

Q&A: Natalia Dolan

April 11, 2018

The photographer tells us how her Girl Friends project combines a personal interest with a sound business opportunity   As with many passion projects, it was something in Natalia Dolan’s day job as an editorial and commercial portrait photograph ...

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Evolution: Life in the Land of the Dead

Evolution: Life in the Land of the Dead

April 4, 2018

Behind the scenes of Coco with animator Brendan Beesley   Seneca College’s School of Creative Arts and Animation is clearly doing something very right: Six alumni recently celebrated their visual effects and animation work on the Academy Award-w ...

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It Takes All Types

It Takes All Types

April 4, 2018

In praise of the erudite typographer     For whatever it’s worth, I’ve taken the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—better known as the standard IQ test—twice in my life, at a 20-year interval. Both times, the score was the same and was ...

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Blueprint: Toronto

Blueprint: Toronto

March 27, 2018

The city of the future will one day rise—and Sidewalk Labs aims to be chief architect with its tech-heavy design vision for a “smart” neighbourhood in Canada’s biggest city   Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabe ...

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2018 Grad Show Calendar

2018 Grad Show Calendar

March 26, 2018

Design work by Capilano University's IDEA School of Design graduate Mitch Hopkins Congratulations to the class of 2018! The end is almost in sight—but before graduation comes the grad shows! Students in creative arts programs across Canada are exh ...

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Build a Better Homepage

Build a Better Homepage

March 23, 2018

The humble homepage: give it a single goal to see success   smashLAB's homepage for SNAP   When you redesign your website, the homepage seems like a blank canvas. It’s your company’s “Hello, World!” and you can put anything on it.   ...

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Recent Work from our Photography & Illustration Awards Judges

Recent Work from our Photography & Illustration Awards Judges

March 21, 2018

Tom Murphy, creative director at Target, shares one of his agency's recent projects—a photo of the Viking Huts at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site for Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism   The Spring 2018 issue is now on newsstands, ...

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Connecting the Dots with The White Room

Connecting the Dots with The White Room

March 20, 2018

  Toronto’s The White Room recently unveiled a brand revamp for Connect, an interior design and facility management firm that primarily deals with corporate clients.   Neil Rodman, creative director at The White Room, says that after 20 year ...

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Arrive Alive Brings Back Wrecked Car Coasters for St. Patrick's Day

Arrive Alive Brings Back Wrecked Car Coasters for St. Patrick's Day

March 16, 2018

  Ontario sober-driving charity Arrive Alive is bringing its Applied Arts Award–winning “Wrecked Car Coasters” back for a second year in order to educate drivers on the dangers of impaired driving on one of the year’s biggest party weeken ...

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The Life and Work of W.A. Dwiggins on Mar. 20

The Life and Work of W.A. Dwiggins on Mar. 20

March 15, 2018

  Design history buffs—if Dwiggins delights you, Bruce Kennett is giving a free talk on the prolific artist and designer at The Arts & Letters Club in Toronto on Tuesday, March 20.    Kennett, a designer himself, recently published a b ...

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The 2018 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners' Galleries are Live!

The 2018 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners' Galleries are Live!

March 12, 2018

"Summer SPF Campaign for Sephora," Gabrielle Sykes. Fashion & Beauty Photography - Series   The 2018 Photography & Illustration Awards winners are published in the new Spring 2018 issue! To see the winners online, head to our Winners Ga ...

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The Spring 2018 Issue is Published!

The Spring 2018 Issue is Published!

March 12, 2018

  The first issue of the year is making its way to newsstands and mailboxes this week! Trying to find us? Check our list of stockists or download the digital edition.    This is our highly anticipated Photography & Illustration annual, fe ...

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Collective Agreement

Collective Agreement

March 11, 2018

Creative collectives are cooking up a culture shift, allowing independent artists to join forces. Whether it’s highlighting diverse voices, supporting passion projects or amplifying social issues, this new model of working shows there is power in n ...

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2018 Design Awards Deadline Extended to Mar. 16

2018 Design Awards Deadline Extended to Mar. 16

March 9, 2018

"Semiconductor Industry Association 2007 Annual Rep," Methodologie. Annual Report - Single, 2007 Design Awards   Happy Friday! We've extended the deadline for the 2018 Design Awards until Friday, March 16. Entering is easy and only takes a few ...

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Designing with Data

Designing with Data

March 9, 2018

Blending narrative, numbers and new technology, data visualization turns information science into an art form    Financial companies, NGOs and media organizations have used rudimentary data visualization tools for decades, publishing maps, bar gr ...

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Plastic Mobile Reimagines Google's Image Search for International Women's Day

Plastic Mobile Reimagines Google's Image Search for International Women's Day

March 8, 2018

Photo © Filip Mroz, Plastic Mobile   It’s well documented that the technology industry is one of the holdouts when it comes to better gender representation in the workforce. A 2017 ISACA study indicates women hold only one in four technology jo ...

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BBDO Shows Greatness is Rare for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games

BBDO Shows Greatness is Rare for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games

March 6, 2018

  When the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games kick off on Thursday, March 8, BBDO Toronto and the Canadian Paralympic Committee plan to make them most-watched yet.   Led by the insights that 50 per cent of Canadians plan to engage with the ...

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Happiness is a Warm Gun

Happiness is a Warm Gun

March 5, 2018

How the U.S. gun industry uses tired tropes to brand itself       There is an old frontier saying in America: “God created men. But Colt made them equal.” And if that sounds like a tagline, that’s because with the possible exception of ...

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Q&A with Stefan G. Bucher

Q&A with Stefan G. Bucher

February 28, 2018

  Designer parents looking to teach their kids about letterforms and type would do well to pick up the recently released LetterHeads book by LA-based designer and illustrator Stefan G. Bucher. Bucher, who runs his own studio, 344 Design, creat ...

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Q&A: Stefan G. Bucher

Q&A: Stefan G. Bucher

February 28, 2018

The designer sculpts 3D letterforms in his new book   Designer parents looking to teach their kids about letterforms and type would do well to pick up the recently released LetterHeads book by LA-based designer and illustrator Stefan G. Bucher. Bu ...

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A Sneak Peek of the March Issue

A Sneak Peek of the March Issue

February 21, 2018

Photo © Luis Mora   The first of this year's four issues is just around the corner, and we want to give you a sneak peek of what's inside!    The Photography & Illustration Awards annual features more than 100 pages of winning work from ...

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Q&A: Anna Peftieva, Moon Man Magazine

Q&A: Anna Peftieva, Moon Man Magazine

February 20, 2018

A new publication out of London, UK celebrates the intersection of art, design and culture   Feast your eyes on this new production-heavy project out of London, UK’s Moon Man Studios. The creative agency launched its own culture publication, Moo ...

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COFO Launches Design Challenge and New Brand Identity

COFO Launches Design Challenge and New Brand Identity

February 15, 2018

Designer Trish Roque, selected for the first collaboration, along with COFO partner Randy Simmen   We’re big believers at Applied Arts that Canadian design can easily compete on an international level. So too is COFO, the country’s newest de ...

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Happy V-Day! 3 Projects That Will Have You Loving Creativity

Happy V-Day! 3 Projects That Will Have You Loving Creativity

February 14, 2018

  Happy Valentine's Day! Here are a few Cupid-inspired creative projects that landed on our desk this week.   "Love Lost" (pictured, above) is a sweet digital piece from Jam3. Adrian Belina, partner and executive creative director, says the t ...

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Future by Design

Future by Design

February 13, 2018

Democratic, intangible & human-centred: industry experts discuss shifting perspectives for the role of design in 2018     On January 30, Debbie Millman (Design Matters), Carissa Carter (Stanford d.school) and James Lovejoy (Google Experime ...

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McDonald's Canada Earns Some Street Cred

McDonald's Canada Earns Some Street Cred

February 12, 2018

  McDonald’s Canada is riffing on millennial culture with its latest “Big Mac x Bacon” campaign to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac.   The “limited-edition collaboration” developed by Cossette introduces the iconic sandw ...

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In Praise of Older Women

In Praise of Older Women

February 6, 2018

Armed with a solid niche strategy and well-crafted design, small companies like Ralston Williams can flourish in the marketplace   Photo by Chris Chapman   There is something very satisfying when great design meets a great brand. Especially w ...

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2018 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners Announced

2018 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners Announced

February 5, 2018

A winner from last year. Wonderlust, "Teen Mental Health - Pathway Through Care," Motion - Single, 2017 Illustration Awards   The winners' list of the 2018 Photography & Illustration Awards is here!   Winners will have their work and cred ...

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Mount Seymour's Unofficial New Identity

Mount Seymour's Unofficial New Identity

January 31, 2018

  Designer Ken Paul, CGD shares a recent personal project with us:   A poster to celebrate the mountain bike trails of Mount Seymour. Located in the District of North Vancouver, BC and the Mount Seymour Provincial Park, the mountain bike tra ...

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Beyond the Brief

Beyond the Brief

January 30, 2018

Giving a client what they need should be as much a priority as giving them what they want   When I was in school more than a decade ago (where does the time go?), I had an epiphany. I'd been given a poster assignment and a “client” brief, so I ...

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Applied Arts Helps to Select RGD's Top Case Studies of 2017

Applied Arts Helps to Select RGD's Top Case Studies of 2017

January 25, 2018

  We recently participated on an RGD jury to determine the best design case studies of 2017 for the association's annual round-up. Our Judges' Pick went to the in-house design team at the National Gallery of Canada for their innovative treatm ...

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FCB/SIX Visualizes Equality with Destination Pride

FCB/SIX Visualizes Equality with Destination Pride

January 24, 2018

  PFLAG Canada, with the help of digital brand experience agency FCB/SIX, is giving the pride flag an extra level of meaning with its new "Destination Pride" campaign, which assigns each bar of the flag to a metric measuring freedoms for LGBTQ ...

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Carter Hales Design Lab's Poetic New Identity for Bard on the Beach

Carter Hales Design Lab's Poetic New Identity for Bard on the Beach

January 24, 2018

    “To thine own self be true”—Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival really took their namesake’s words to heart with their recent rebrand.   The company, which stages summertime Shakespeare plays under tents in the cit ...

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Q&A: FCB/SIX Visualizes Equality with Destination Pride

Q&A: FCB/SIX Visualizes Equality with Destination Pride

January 24, 2018

The brand experience agency creates a real-time pride flag visualization of global LGBTQ+ rights    PFLAG Canada, with the help of digital brand experience agency FCB/SIX, is giving the pride flag an extra level of meaning with its new "Destinati ...

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Blending In with Joseph Ford

Blending In with Joseph Ford

January 17, 2018

  Photographer Joseph Ford's quirky ongoing "Knitted Camouflage" series brings the art of camouflage to urban environments.   Ford worked with his friend Nina Dodd, who knitted custom sweaters for models that would perfectly match the backgrou ...

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Creative Agency Wunder on Meat-ing Expectations

Creative Agency Wunder on Meat-ing Expectations

January 17, 2018

  A simple way to boost a brand is to show the effectiveness of its product in action. Or, you can go viral, of course.   Nova Scotia Webcams recently managed to do both. The company maintains more than 75 cameras around the province, most of ...

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Ten Picks from the Photography & Illustration Archive - Deadline Jan 12!

Ten Picks from the Photography & Illustration Archive - Deadline Jan 12!

January 10, 2018

"Mexico - Palliative Care," Ed Kashi. Photojournalism Photography - Single, 2015   This Friday, January 12 is the extended deadline for entry into the 2018 Photography & Illustration Awards! We always get a little nostalgic ahead of deadline ...

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Branding Abuse

Branding Abuse

January 8, 2018

The powerful branding behind movements like #TimesUp benefit the "plural sector"     Watching Elisabeth Moss accept the Golden Globe last night for her lead role in The Handmaid’s Tale, you sensed the feeling of a grassroots movement catchin ...

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Next Gen Dinner Series Deadline is January 15

Next Gen Dinner Series Deadline is January 15

January 3, 2018

Next Gen Dinner Series 2017   Designer Maddie Brown knows firsthand the importance of networking in the creative industry. When she landed her UX gig at Nurun in June 2017, immediately after earning her postgraduate certificate in web design fro ...

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Q&A: Bringing Your Whole Self

Q&A: Bringing Your Whole Self

January 2, 2018

An interview with designer and maker Laci Jordan    This is the third in a series of Q&As in which art director Joel Derksen chats with international designers about their craft. Also be sure to read his interview with Barbara Franz, senior d ...

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Design Project Marks 100 Years Since the Halifax Explosion

Design Project Marks 100 Years Since the Halifax Explosion

December 6, 2017

Ekistics Planning & Design and Form:Media come together to tell a tragic story through landscape and design   OVERVIEW For the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion, the Halifax Regional Municipality commissioned Ekistics Planning & ...

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Create What Matters

Create What Matters

September 11, 2017

Forget demography and embrace ethnography   If you work in strategy in advertising today, chances are, like mine, your family has a hard time explaining what you do for a living. That got me thinking, why is it so hard? Part of it is that the ...

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DesignThinkers is a Feast for the Eyes

DesignThinkers is a Feast for the Eyes

August 22, 2017

  When the RGD’s DesignThinkers conference headed west for the first time earlier this year, Vancouver stalwart Rethink made sure the event was the most eye-catching one in town.   The agency worked with the RGD on an event theme and visual ...

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2017 Student Awards Winners Announced

2017 Student Awards Winners Announced

July 6, 2017

From last year's competition: Thibault Magni, UQAM. "Fanzine: Summer," Student Awards 2016   We're excited to present the list of 2017 Student Awards winners below.    A big thanks goes out to our judges! They evaluated each entry independen ...

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2017 Advertising Awards Winners Announced

2017 Advertising Awards Winners Announced

June 7, 2017

The in-person jury for the 2017 Advertising Awards hangs out at Centennial College at a well-known spot used in the TV series Degrassi High.   We are pleased to reveal the list of 2017 Advertising Award winners!   This year, due to th ...

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Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction

May 8, 2017

During a small-scale branding exercise for Earls, two Vancouver design firms helped the restaurant realize it needed something much bigger—a company-wide rebrand   Objectives Ever since Earls launched 35 years ago as “Earls Tin Pa ...

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Tourism Nova Scotia Sees it Both Ways

Tourism Nova Scotia Sees it Both Ways

April 21, 2017

Tourism Nova Scotia launches the second phase of its "If You Only Knew" campaign   If you think Nova Scotia is all fishing and lighthouses, think again.   A recently launched marketing effort by Tourism Nova Scotia in conjunction w ...

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NOCTURNALTOURIST: Q&A With Cosmo Campbell

NOCTURNALTOURIST: Q&A With Cosmo Campbell

April 17, 2017

DDB Canada's EVP, CCO shares his personal photography project #nocturnaltourist   By day, Cosmo Campbell heads up the creative department at DDB Canada. By night, he applies what he's learned in his 30 years in graphic design to the ...

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2017 Design Awards Winners Announced

2017 Design Awards Winners Announced

April 12, 2017

2017 Design Awards in-person jury   Drumroll, please! It's time to reveal the winners' list for the 2017 Design Awards.    This year, due to the volume of entries, we had an online jury and an in-person jury (above). Online ...

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A Beer Rebrand on National Beer Day

A Beer Rebrand on National Beer Day

April 7, 2017

  Before you crack a cold one today for National Beer Day, check out this brand-new rebranding project for Stanley Park Brewing by Vancouver creative agency Will.   The beer company’s packaging has always paid homage to its names ...

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The March Issue is Published!

The March Issue is Published!

March 1, 2017

  The long winter wait is over—our first issue of 2017 is making its way to mailboxes soon!    Our March/April issue has been published, and it's the first-ever Community Awards annual, celebrating work from Canada's re ...

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2017 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners Announced

2017 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners Announced

February 17, 2017

A winner from last year. Ethan Pines, "At Home With Ra." Advertising Photography - Series, 2016 Photography Awards   We're pleased to reveal the list of 2017 Photography & Illustration Awards winners!   Winners will have their wor ...

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2017 Community Awards Winners Announced

2017 Community Awards Winners Announced

January 25, 2017

  The first Applied Arts Awards program of the year is complete and we are eager to share the results for the first-ever Community Awards!    We launched this new program on the eve of Canada's sesquicentennial, and to celebr ...

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New Work from Baillat

New Work from Baillat

December 2, 2016

Dig deeper into two recent projects by Montreal design studio Baillat   Digital Arts Biennal/Elektra Festival   Elektra, Montreal’s annual digital arts festival, has a long-standing commitment to poppy visuals for its event collateral, and th ...

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The November/December Issue is Available Now!

The November/December Issue is Available Now!

November 1, 2016

Calling all students! The popular Student Awards annual has been published and is on its way to subscribers and newsstands. This edition features nearly 100 pages of winning work by student artists in Canada and beyond, plus valuable insight on how ...

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The September/October Issue is Published!

The September/October Issue is Published!

August 31, 2016

  Good news—the September/October issue has been published and is on its way to newsstands and mailboxes this week!   The magazine is chock full of content about the advertising and interactive disciplines, in honour of the Adverti ...

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2016 Student Award Winners Announced

2016 Student Award Winners Announced

July 7, 2016

From last year's competition: Meaghan Chapin, George Brown College, Advertising - Single, 2015   We're pleased to present the list of 2016 Student Awards winners below.    Thanks to our team of judges who got through all the entr ...

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Celluloid Dreams

Celluloid Dreams

June 8, 2016

Shayne Laverdière’s narrative, cinematic style and A-list clients catapult him into the spotlight   Shayne Laverdière says he still pinches himself every day, amazed at how his photography career has taken off.   &ld ...

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2016 Interactive Awards Winners Announced

2016 Interactive Awards Winners Announced

June 2, 2016

Magic Mirror by Leo Burnett Toronto won an Interactive Award in 2015 in the category of Augmented Reality.   We're pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Interactive Awards!   Our panel of senior-level creative pros spent the las ...

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Getting Real with Images

Getting Real with Images

May 31, 2016

How to shoot the new "authentic"   Let’s face it, the word “authenticity” has lost all meaning. More accurately it's become offensive, instilling laughter from audiences by the sheer mention of the word with the mockery ...

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If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Redesign It

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Redesign It

May 17, 2016

Sometimes, the only thing that needs fixing is the brief   In the pre-Internet days of advertising, there was a lament voiced whenever a client asked for a new campaign to replace one that was only a few months old: The client got tired of the ...

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McMillan's New Look

McMillan's New Look

May 16, 2016

  We’re not the only ones who had a milestone birthday this year and decided to change our look!   Ottawa agency McMillan recently marked 20 years in the business and debuted a brand overhaul to celebrate.   The new look i ...

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Applied Arts Marks 30 Years with the Golden AACE Awards

Applied Arts Marks 30 Years with the Golden AACE Awards

April 27, 2016

Anita Kunz, Golden AACE Image recipient.   Last night, Applied Arts magazine honoured three creative industry legends with the Golden AACE Awards at its 30th anniversary celebration, a private event held in Toronto.   The Golden AACE Awards re ...

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2016 Design Awards Winners Announced

2016 Design Awards Winners Announced

April 27, 2016

The judges of the 2016 Design Awards   We're pleased to reveal the winners' list for the 2016 Design Awards.    Our panel of judges (above), reviewed hundreds of entries and made their selects over two weeks in April, which ended ...

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Makers of Things Aren't Always Makers of Sense

Makers of Things Aren't Always Makers of Sense

April 20, 2016

Just because they can doesn’t mean they should   I’ve just learned that LinkedIn has 749 members who describe themselves with the title Maker of Things. A review of these members suggests that the only things some of these folks ma ...

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30 years, 30 Typography winners

30 years, 30 Typography winners

April 5, 2016

Since our post on 30 famous faces was a fan favourite, we decided to round up 30 of our favourite typography winners!   Get ready to scroll through some eye-catching images in honour of our 30th anniversary.   If that’s not enough and you’d ...

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Another Bad Week for Women in Advertising

Another Bad Week for Women in Advertising

March 22, 2016

Our industry could have learned a lot from the Neil French debacle. It chose not to   As recently as 1970, female musicians made up less than 5 per cent of the top five orchestras in the United States. By 1980, that figure had crept up to the ...

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Our 30th Anniversary Issue is Published!

Our 30th Anniversary Issue is Published!

March 1, 2016

  Well, it's finally here! Our 30th anniversary edition is packed with more editorial than ever before. Join us down memory lane as we revisit work from our awards archive and discuss 30 ways the creative industry landscape has changed since ...

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2016 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners Announced

2016 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners Announced

February 19, 2016

Nuit Magique, Leda & St-Jacques, from our 2015 program   The results of our first awards program of the year are in!    Our panel of judges spent weeks combing through thousands of entries. We just tallied their scores and ar ...

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Applied Arts Announces Creative Collaborators for 2016

Applied Arts Announces Creative Collaborators for 2016

December 7, 2015

Edmond Ng and Emily Tu, Tung   On the eve of our 30th anniversary year, Applied Arts is pleased to announce the appointment of Toronto-based creative studio Tung as its new creative collaborator. Emily Tu and Edmond Ng, the award-winning duo behin ...

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Meet the Maker

Meet the Maker

December 4, 2015

For the newly minted Maker Pizza, that means crafting the best-tasting delivery pizza — and looking good while doing it, too. Pizza joints are abundant in Toronto, so if you’re going to open a new one, you’d better have something that sets you ...

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Liking Isn't Buying

Liking Isn't Buying

November 16, 2015

Technology is a powerful force in marketing. Just look how it's blinded us to reality   It's been a busy few weeks for people who question the wisdom of putting technology in charge of marketing. First, the great Dave Trott took on the ambitious t ...

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DesignThinkers on the State of Canadian Design

DesignThinkers on the State of Canadian Design

November 12, 2015

We're at the RGD's DesignThinkers Conference in Toronto today and tomorrow, November 13.    Back in May, Claire Dawson, a designer and partner at Underline Studio in Toronto, wrote an article for Applied Arts titled "Reclaiming Canadian Design." ...

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The November/December Issue is Published!

The November/December Issue is Published!

November 2, 2015

The November/December 2015 issue is published! We're thrilled to reveal the cover of the Student Awards annual, wonderfully illustrated by Michael Zavacky, the art director at McMillan. The Ottawa-based branding agency was our guest art director for ...

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The 21st Century Belongs to PR

The 21st Century Belongs to PR

August 17, 2015

PR firms aren't just eating advertising's lunch. They're already looking forward to dinner Just last week, it was announced that Andrew Simon was leaving his role as chief creative officer at Cundari to join Edelman Canada as its executive creative ...

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Becoming KD

Becoming KD

August 7, 2015

Behind the rebrand of Canada's favourite mac 'n' cheese   When I was a kid and my dad went out of town on business, I looked forward to Kraft Dinner night, when my mom would throw on a pot of the mac ‘n’ cheese and add chopped wieners. What wa ...

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Writers Needed

Writers Needed

July 21, 2015

Advertising has never been more in need of good writing. Why aren't more of us doing it?   Another edition of Cannes has come and gone and, whatever its faults, it does continue to serve as a bellwether of advertising and its priorities. Consider, ...

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Stamp of Approval

Stamp of Approval

July 17, 2015

A decade-old postage project gets a new life  Sometimes getting client approval is a monumental process, one that can take weeks, months, even a year or two. When it finally happens, it’s a huge relief. So how does it feel after 12 years?  LA ...

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2015 Student Awards Winners Announced

2015 Student Awards Winners Announced

July 15, 2015

Yoshino Aoki, a student at Concordia University, won a 2014 Student Award for her animation Drumroll, please! The results of the 2015 Student Awards are in! Our team of judges have finished sifting through the submitted work and it was no easy tas ...

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A Cup in the Life of an Ad Exec

A Cup in the Life of an Ad Exec

July 14, 2015

The next time you're filling your coffee cup during a long day at the office, you'll wish you had one of these cheeky mugs designed by Zulu Alpha Kilo. The Toronto-based agency recently kitted out its in-house cafe with the drinkware, each detailin ...

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The July/August Issue is Published!

The July/August Issue is Published!

June 30, 2015

They'reeeeeeee baaaaaack!   We've returned to our guest art director program this year, and we're delighted to introduce Jacknife as our first of 2015. The Toronto-based design studio took it upon themselves to come up with our theme for the issue ...

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Photographs, Remixed

Photographs, Remixed

June 25, 2015

Two artists are better than one! Toronto photographer Koby and New York illustrator Gary Fernández brought their talents together for "Bojana," a photo illustration project that celebrates spring.    Koby stumbled across Fernández's work onlin ...

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How S8 Turned Cannes into a Creative Playground

How S8 Turned Cannes into a Creative Playground

June 24, 2015

Gary Thomas with S8's gala video. Photo courtesy S8 When Toronto creative collective S8 was tasked with producing the filmic montages for the opening and closing galas of the Cannes Lions festival this year, it was a boon not only for the creative t ...

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Drawing Canadian Identity

Drawing Canadian Identity

June 17, 2015

Photo courtesy Aquil Virani Montreal artist Aquil Virani creates a collaborative art piece on what it means to be Canadian using hundreds of crowdsourced sketches On Canada Day, July 1, Montreal artist and designer Aquil Virani will unveil his larg ...

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On the Genius of Wrongheadedness

On the Genius of Wrongheadedness

June 15, 2015

Counterintuitive thinking has built and rescued countless brands. How come we don't do more of it?   Probably the single most famous story in advertising lore concerns the late-1970s pitch for British Rail by the now-defunct London agency Allen Br ...

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2015 Advertising Awards Winners Revealed

2015 Advertising Awards Winners Revealed

June 8, 2015

john st. won an Advertising Award in 2014 for "No Way," in the Young Blood Television - Single category One of our most heated competitions of the year has wrapped up! The scores have been tallied after an intensive judging process that involved onl ...

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The Problem With the $50 Logo

The Problem With the $50 Logo

June 8, 2015

The Internet and its proliferation of cheap brand executions may have changed the business of graphic design, but ultimately, you get what you pay for   My face went pale with fear and I didn’t know what to say. I was staring at Tailorbrands.com ...

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2015 Interactive Awards Winners Announced

2015 Interactive Awards Winners Announced

June 4, 2015

Cineplex Digital Solutions won an Interactive Award in 2014 for "Performance Court Video Wall," in the Experimental/Artistic category   Today is the day! We're happy to announce the winners of the 2015 Interactive Awards!  Our team of judges ha ...

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So Fresh, So Clean

So Fresh, So Clean

May 4, 2015

Valentine's Day campaign for 7-Eleven Whether in a linen factory or on the Palais, ad agency 123w scrubs the traditional agency model in favour of a tidy new approach In little over a year, One Twenty Three West (123w) went from operating out of an ...

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2015 Design Awards Winners Announced

2015 Design Awards Winners Announced

April 20, 2015

The results are in for the 2015 Design Awards and we hope you get the rush of seeing your name included in the list of winners!  Our panel of ten esteemed judges (see above, and access the full list here) spent days poring over the digital entries ...

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This Book Is Not a Toy. Except It Kinda Is...

This Book Is Not a Toy. Except It Kinda Is...

April 8, 2015

Just like the eponymous exhibition before it, the new editorial retrospective of This is Not a Toy is a feat of mammoth proportions. The 448-page book, created by Toronto’s Blok Design in a follow-up to its exhibit design of This is Not a Toy at T ...

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Creative Directions: RGD's Top 10

Creative Directions: RGD's Top 10

March 18, 2015

Emerging professionals learn how to benefit from criticism, stand out to employers and build strong portfolios at RGD’s annual Creative Directions Career Conference   THIS SECTION SPONSORED BY        On March 6 and ...

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Putting the House in Order: The Curling Canada Rebrand

Putting the House in Order: The Curling Canada Rebrand

March 3, 2015

Inside Hulse & Durrell's new identity for the national sport assocation Curling Canada   If there were an Olympics for brand identities, this one for Curling Canada would definitely be on the podium.   Vancouver-based branding firm ...

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2015 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners Announced

2015 Photography & Illustration Awards Winners Announced

February 18, 2015

  They're here, they're here! The final results of the 2015 Applied Arts Photography & Illustration Awards are in and we're delighted to present the winners, listed below.   If you're still reading this and haven't scrolled down ye ...

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Art and Beer. Are We in Heaven?

Art and Beer. Are We in Heaven?

February 9, 2015

Left: Jackie Besteman, Toronto. Right: James Livitski, Toronto   Art and beer — we couldn’t think of a better pairing. And neither could Collective Arts Brewing, it would seem.   The Ontario-based craft brewer, which ...

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Drawing the Creative Process

Drawing the Creative Process

February 4, 2015

In the Montreal market where competition between restaurants is high, one stalwart establishment known among foodies for its gastronomic delights needed a way to communicate its creativity to new patrons.   Ad and branding agency Carl took o ...

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Winners of the 3rd Annual AACE and Young AACE Awards Announced

Winners of the 3rd Annual AACE and Young AACE Awards Announced

January 27, 2015

Advertising Young AACE winners (and our Feb/March issue cover models) Shauna Roe (centre left) and Rachel Kennedy (centre right), along with Stuart Payne (left) and Brian Sheppard (right) of Saatchi & Saatchi   Well, the night finally ar ...

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Shooting Blanks

Shooting Blanks

January 20, 2015

Taking its eye off the brand made Target’s failure in Canada inevitable   It’s been less than a week since Target announced that it’s quitting Canada and taking a $7 billion loss in what CNBC’s Jim Cramer called “ ...

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McMillan's Festive Threads

McMillan's Festive Threads

December 9, 2014

  Call them the anti- ugly Christmas sweaters.   Ottawa ad agency McMillan has revealed its 2014 set of holiday cards, which feature four characters each wearing a smartly designed Canadiana sweater.   The “Festive Threads ...

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If Users Aren't Happy, Nobody's Happy

If Users Aren't Happy, Nobody's Happy

November 19, 2014

People online want usability more than anything else. Why can’t they count on getting it?   In light of all we know about best practices in digital, it’s surprising that we still need to talk about what those best practices are. In ...

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Jackpine Creates Sweet Site for SuzyQ

Jackpine Creates Sweet Site for SuzyQ

November 17, 2014

Ottawa-based design and strategy studio Jackpine Digital recently rolled out a new website for SuzyQ Doughnuts after completing a new identity for the brand late last year.   Susan Hamer opened SuzyQ Doughnuts in Ottawa’s trendy Hintonburg neigh ...

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Epic BC Ad Wants You to Find the Wild Within

Epic BC Ad Wants You to Find the Wild Within

November 7, 2014

  If you’ve been to British Columbia, watching the heart-tugging video “The Wild Within” will make you want to board the first flight back out West. And if you haven’t been there, it’ll leave you planning your next vacation. That’s ju ...

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The New Heretics

The New Heretics

November 3, 2014

Apathetic. Self-indulgent. Insubordinate. Pick your stereotype — millennials have been called them all. Some young creative entrepreneurs are silencing naysayers with successful shops and a heady approach to business that may be different, but not ...

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A GUIDE TO THE 2014 Creative Schools Expo

A GUIDE TO THE 2014 Creative Schools Expo

October 29, 2014

The annual Creative Schools Expo returns for its fifth showing   November 17-18, 2014 (9:00 am to 3:00 pm)  Artscape Daniels Spectrum 585 Dundas Street East Toronto, ON Admission: Free   This two-day event is Canada's only expo designed t ...

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Mixing Things Up with Grand Marnier

Mixing Things Up with Grand Marnier

October 24, 2014

JWT Canada recently created a youthful new online film to knock Grand Marnier off its dusty, out-of-reach shelf in your parents’ liquor cabinet and into the hands of millennial males.   “It’s a really fun project when you take an old brand t ...

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On the Mainstreaming of Scam

On the Mainstreaming of Scam

October 20, 2014

The old rules no longer apply, which would explain why advertising is ignoring them If you’re an ambitious advertising person, there’s a good chance you owe a vote of thanks to the late Grace Hopper.  Grace Hopper was a pioneering computer s ...

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What Does Your Future Self Look Like?

What Does Your Future Self Look Like?

October 1, 2014

  Ever wonder what you might look like 20 years from now?   The guessing is over with the cool new #FutureSelf campaign created by a trifecta of creative powerhouses: telecom company Orange, its lead ad agency Publicis Conseil, and Toronto-bas ...

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Beehive Design Launches Novella Magazine

Beehive Design Launches Novella Magazine

September 24, 2014

Photo by Jessie Lau   Beehive Design can add another line to its already-stacked resume with the publication of Toronto’s newest style and culture magazine, Novella.   A brainchild of the team at Beehive, the fledgling publication recently ho ...

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Q&A with Design Firm Art & Mechanical

Q&A with Design Firm Art & Mechanical

September 5, 2014

The newly minted Art & Mechanical breaks into Toronto's design scene with a tough-as-nails promo video and a seriously cool approach to business   Watch out, Toronto — there’s a new design agency in town. Ad industry vets David Adams and A ...

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Of Brand Cowards and Missed Opportunities

Of Brand Cowards and Missed Opportunities

September 2, 2014

When the City of Toronto and Publicis recently pulled their effective anti-littering ads, they allowed brand owners to take control of the conversation     Last week we noticed that the City of Toronto, in response to the negative reactions o ...

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Arctic Edge

Arctic Edge

September 2, 2014

Nunavut illustrator, motion designer and woodworker Jonathan Wright tells stories of life (way) north of 60   “It’s easy to feel isolated,” Iqaluit illustrator Jonathan Wright tells me over a somewhat crackly phone line. As t ...

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2014 GDC National Scholarship Winners

2014 GDC National Scholarship Winners

August 25, 2014

Who won this year's awards? We discuss project design with the winners and honourable mentions   Young talent is something we actively promote at Applied Arts, which is why every year we partner with the Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC) to fund a ...

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Identity Crisis

Identity Crisis

July 30, 2014

Has the web created irresponsible logo design?   To say the Internet has profoundly impacted the modern graphic design industry is an understatement. No other force has so radically changed what we do and how we do it — except perhaps t ...

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Killer Bee Design by Hired Guns

Killer Bee Design by Hired Guns

July 23, 2014

Hired Guns Creative has done it again.   The award-winning, Nanaimo-based branding and design studio, which creates packaging for wineries, breweries and distilleries, shared with us their latest work for Wayward Distillation House.   The brand ...

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On Advertising's Self Esteem Issues

On Advertising's Self Esteem Issues

July 21, 2014

Last week, I got an interesting flyer from Bed Bath & Beyond.     The flyer is devoted to helping university students outfit their dorm rooms for the coming school year. As such, most of its audience is too young to recognize the source fo ...

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2014 Student Awards Winners Announced

2014 Student Awards Winners Announced

July 7, 2014

Matteo Capaldi's winning image from our 2013 Student Awards   Our dedicated Student Awards judges had their work cut out for them this year! In 2014, we saw a big jump in the number of entries and entrants than in previous years.   Students fro ...

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Man on Fire

Man on Fire

July 4, 2014

Benjamin Von Wong (n.): Content creator, visual engineer, photo manipulator, media strategist, documentarian, fire breather, scuba diver. See also: self-taught wunderkind   Last winter, Benjamin Von Wong was at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Li ...

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