W Conran Design’s graphic design for last year’s Paris Olympics has won D&AD’s highest accolade. The Black Pencil is reserved for “truly groundbreaking work” and some years none are given out. But this year’s juries awarded three Black Pencils, including the Paris games’ visual identity. The judges called it a “breakthrough for traditional sports marketing aesthetics” and praised the design for being “playful and scalable, with a unifying but distinctive feel that blends heritage and sport.” W Conran Design co-founder and creative director Gilles Deléris called working on the Olympics and Paralympics, “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a designer.” “We are so proud and honoured by this recognition, which celebrates five years of collaboration with the Paris 2024 Organising Committee teams,” he said. “It was a shared commitment to excellence and a design system that is fresh, joyful, and popular.” W Conran Design’s work for the Paris Olympics It is only the fifth time a graphic design project has won a Black Pencil, joining Johnson Banks’ Fruit and Veg stamps for Royal Mail (2004), the new UK coin designs for the Royal Mint (2005), TBWA’s Trillion Dollar Flyers for the exiled Zimbabwean Newspaper (2010), and Hans Thiessen’s provocative annual report for the Calgary Society for Persons with Disabilities (2012). One rebrand has previously won the top honour – Made Thought’s 2015 work for GF Smith. This year, the Paris design was joined on the Black Pencil podium by A$AP Rocky’s music video Tailor Swif, by Iconoclast LA, and FCB New York’s Spreadbeats, which hacked spreadsheets as a way to promote Spotify’s ad offerings. Its Black Pencil was for digital design, and this award caps a fine couple of weeks for that work, which also cleaned up at the ADC Annual awards, where it was named Best in Show. This year, 11,689 entrants from 86 countries submitted 30,000 pieces of work to the D&AD awards. But JKR global executive creative director Lisa Smith, who is also a D&AD trustee, said that judging was tricky due to a level of creative sameness. “Too many entries follow the same established design codes and trends, making everything start to look and feel alike, regardless of category,” she said. “The work that stood out – and was ultimately awarded – was the kind that breaks away from the expected: inspiring, well-crafted, and truly fit for purpose.” The Yellow Pencil is the highest award in each category. There were 48 in total, 11 of which went to the main design categories. These were: Brand Identity Refresh: Porto Rocha’s Nike Run rebrand Porto Rocha’s work for Nike Run New Brand Identity: Meat Studio for Pangmei Deserts Meat Studio’s work for Pangmei Desserts New Brand Identity: Scholz & Friends Berlin for the Tiroler Festspiele Scholz & Friends Berlin’s work for the Tiroler Festspiele New Brand Identity: Angelina Pischikova and Karina Zhukovskaya for mud Angelina Pischikova and Karina Zhukovskaya’s identity for their mud pet care brand. Graphic Design and Packaging Design: Serviceplan Germany’s Price Packs for PENNY Serviceplan Germany’s Price Packs for PENNY Graphic Design and Spatial Design: Circus Grey Peru’s Sightwalks for UNACEM Magazine and Newspaper Design: Uncommon Creative Studio covers for Port Magazine Uncommon Creative Studio’s work for Port Magazine Typography: DutchScot’s work for Danish textile company Tameko DutchScot’s work for Danish textile company Tameko Type Design and Lettering: TypeTogether’s Playwrite for Google TypeTogether’s Playwrite for Google Overall there were 107 pencils awarded in the design categories, led by graphic design (21%), packaging design (17%) and type design and lettering (15%). There were 31 pencils awarded in the branding categories, with double the number of awards in the new brand category (21) compared to brand refresh (10). There were 26 pencils for illustration, 20 for experiential, 12 for typography, and seven for writing for design. Across the board, the winners demonstrate “the power of design not just as a form of art, but as a catalyst for commercial success and behavioural change,” says D&AD CEO, Dara Lynch. “The resurgence of craftsmanship stands as a reminder that in an era of automation, true excellence lies in the thoughtful execution of ideas,” she added. You can see all the D&AD winners here.