2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Background

The Black and White Report, an independent non-profit organization that recognizes, supports and nurtures creativity and talents emerging in MENA. Every year it plays host to the Black and White Portfolio night, an evening that pairs top emerging talent in the region with advertising and design industry veterans allowing them to evaluate their body of work and guide them on how to make the most of their respective talents. Often there is a huge disconnect between what these students learn at universities and the on-ground realities of the advertising and marketing industries. This night aims to bridge that gap and provide context and support for a new generation of creatives to become new rising agency stars.

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

The only way to learn is to fail repeatedly. This poster series celebrates those glorious failures by calling on artists to toughen up in the face of their own creative misfires. We must learn that it's okay not to be perfect, to embrace failure as a part of the learning process, dust ourselves off and try again. Because the only time your really fail is when you stop trying.

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

These posters used Japanese calligraphy brush and silkscreen techniques to create ersatz amateur yet stylishly composed pieces that call on the viewer to embrace their inner failures, to celebrate the misfires as a means of growth.

List the results (20% of vote)

Since its inception, BWR portfolio nights have been fully attended and has grown in size with each subsequent year. It has spread to other cities in the region, including Beirut and Riyadh, with many people from across the region flying in to attend the event.