What links a paving-tile typeface, a buddy honeymoon and a stock image library? They’re all the subject of entries into this year’s ADCE Greatness Challenge. These varied ideas come from the minds of European advertising’s brightest young stars. Each year, the Art Directors Clubs from around Europe choose a team to represent their country at ADCE Awards Judging in Barcelona. The competition enables these creatives to become a Junior Juror – judging creative work alongside industry royalty. But first they have to get there, and that’s where the Greatness Challenge comes in. Each team is tasked with creating a project to finance their transport, accommodation and expenses for the trip. The competition always inspires surprising and ingenious entries, brought to life with creative flair. And 2017 was no different.
Barna Typeface
Portuguese team Elsa Rodrigues and Inês Coelho’s typographic project ‘Barna Type’ was the overall winner, delighting judges with its original idea and craft focus. By turning Barcelona’s famous panot tiles into a purchasable typeface, the team fit in with the theme of the European Creativity Festival: showing that creativity and business can be two sides of the same coin. When talking about their project, the two graphic designers, based at FUEL LISBOA said, ”From the beginning, we wanted to approach this challenge by basing our project on our creative field: graphic design. It made sense for us spend time on a project about what we like, but don’t usually have time or creative freedom to do.” They went on to explain how the entrepreneurial bug has caught them, “Our project, Barna Type, is also a beginning. We can continue to improve it, sell it and explore it.’ Having participated in the Jury discussions for the main awards, they said, “We understood a lot more about dissecting a case study project, and we felt that we were part of a group with different perspectives that never neglected our opinion. Most of all it was a place to watch, listen and learn carefully about the best of Europe’s creative industry.”
More brilliant ideas
To give a sense of the quality of entries, we’ve highlighted five further teams from across Europe.
Buddymoon
Swiss team Lukas Amgwerd and Ben Staudenmann of Jung von Matt Limmat came up with ‘Buddymoon’. This idea saw them committing to work with each other for life. Then, just like a real honeymoon, they asked friends to fund their celebratory trip.
Send a Smile
Andrea Sarnataro and Silvia Cutrera are two Italian creatives based in Scotland. Their journey was funded by taking Polaroid pictures in Edinburgh and bringing them to Barcelona, transferring smiles to a city that has recently experienced turbulent times.
With cottage to paradise
Slovakian team Jakub Oleš and Lukáš Lukonič convinced a food company to feed (and fund) their entire journey, from Bratislava to Barcelona.
SIMUPACK
This innovative idea capitalized on a user need for advertising creatives, and a proven business model: stock images. SIMUPACK was created by Sabina-Ioana Popa and Teodora Stefan of McCann Bucharest.
Eco-Brandly
The Ukrainian team consisted of Pavlo Pastushenko and Oleksandra Badiia from Tabasco in Kiev. Their Eco-Brandly concept called brands to account, with a website and book detailing the truth behind their eco credentials.
Until next year…
It’s the second year in a row that a team from Portugal has won the competition, further cementing the country’s burgeoning creative reputation. As the team continue to promote their winning typeface, the ADCs around Europe will begin choosing their teams for 2018’s competition. Greatness awaits.