Ravensbourne University London students secure multiple honours at D&AD New Blood Awards and Festival
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Students from the BA (Hons) Advertising and Brand Design course at Ravensbourne University London have once again been recognised at the prestigious D&AD New Blood Awards, securing two coveted Yellow Pencils, two ‘Ones to Watch’ honours, helping the university achieve ‘Best in Show ‘at this year's festival.
D&AD New Blood Awards is one of the world's most respected competitions for emerging creative talent, celebrating excellence in advertising, design and related disciplines.
This year, more than 7,000 entries from across the globe responded to industry-set briefs, with responses judged by leading industry professionals from some of the world's top agencies, studios and brands.
Advertising and Brand Design students were recognised for their responses to briefs from Tuborg and giffgaff x Big Issue, demonstrating their creativity and strategic thinking in the process.
Commenting on the win, Paula Williams Course Leader BA (Hons) Advertising and Brand Design said: “Our Advertising and Brand Design students continue to perform at the highest level. With only 24 Yellow Pencils awarded from more than 7,000 entries worldwide, this recognition places these students amongst the very best emerging creative talent globally. The course has won at least two D&AD New Blood Pencils every year for the past decade, an exceptional achievement for a single course at an independent university.”
“D&AD and Ravensbourne University (then Ravensbourne College of Art) were both founded in 1962, so it was brilliant to see Ravensbourne Design recognised this week with 'Best in Show'. Both organisations have been championing emerging creative talent since 1962”, she added.
Winning campaigns
Better Unbottled – Tuborg
Jordan Wynter, Matilda Olsson and Lucrezia D'Amato were awarded a D&AD New Blood Yellow Pencil for Better Unbottled, a campaign created for Tuborg that transforms workplace frustrations into music.
The concept centres around The Borg, a digital platform accessed through QR codes on packaging and in-store displays. Users record voice notes about the stresses of their working day, which are then transformed into shareable songs. By turning bottled-up frustrations into playful self-expression, the campaign positions Tuborg as a brand that encourages creativity, connection and emotional release.
D&AD New Blood awards
The Second Network – giffgaff x Big Issue
Diana Jablonskaite, Shirley Yip and Harvey Stroud received a second D&AD New Blood Yellow Pencil for The Second Network, developed in response to a brief from giffgaff and the Big Issue.
The campaign addresses the challenges faced by young people experiencing poverty who often become trapped in cycles of short-term employment.
The Second Network is a community-oriented mentorship platform designed to help youngsters build networks and unlock their long-term career opportunities.
By repositioning networking as a more accessible and inclusive tool, the campaign is aiming to transform connections into meaningful beginnings and improve social mobility for the next generation.
