ASIA-PACIFIC – PHUKET, THAILAND, MARCH 2011 – ADFEST and D&AD have announced a partnership to jointly host the ADFEST + D&AD Academy in March 2012 and a subsequent tour of three other Asian cities. The partnership will give Asia Pacific creatives under 30 the unprecedented opportunity to attend sessions run by leading practitioners in advertising and design.
"We’re looking forward to our cooperation with ADFEST–it’s a step towards what we hope will be an increased presence for D&AD in the region," said Tim O’ Kennedy, chief executive at D&AD and former managing director at Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam.
At the press conference at ADFEST 2011, ADFEST President Jimmy Lam shared that D&AD and ADFEST share three common characteristics: creative excellence, not for profit, and education. For ADFEST 2012, the professional development program will center on Creative Detox, which will allow creatives to find the root source of creativity and remove blocks to creativity. The session was chosen for its universal thrust and non-cultural specific topic. Creative Detox will be open to small groups of 30 and will be held simultaneously with next year’s festival.
The UK-based D&AD is an educational charity that sets the benchmark for creativity during the annual D&AD Awards, the most coveted advertising and design awards in the world.
