In a groundbreaking partnership, D&AD and creative network The Liberty Guild have joined forces to provide young creative talent with unparalleled access to The Liberty Guild’s global network of over 400 award-winning creatives and strategists.
This collaboration aims to transform the opportunities available to participants of D&AD’s acclaimed Shift Programme, helping them to break into the creative industry and leave a lasting impact.
A New Pathway for Rising Stars
The partnership’s innovative approach hinges on The Liberty Guild’s pitch-on-demand process.
Through this process, clients can set a creative brief and select candidates from a diverse pool of talent. This includes not only The Liberty Guild’s seasoned professionals but also the rising stars emerging from the Shift Programme.
This integration ensures clients receive fresh, unconventional thinking while simultaneously giving emerging talent real-world opportunities to showcase their skills.
Aligned Visions: Inclusivity and Innovation
D&AD CEO emphasised the shared vision behind this collaboration, stating that D&AD Shift is dedicated to promoting inclusivity and equity within the creative industry by empowering emerging talent from all backgrounds.
By partnering with The Liberty Guild, D&AD ensures that Shift alumni have the tools and opportunities to succeed long after completing the programme.
This mission is closely aligned with The Liberty Guild’s ethos of embracing global creative talent, as well as their commitment to fostering the next generation of industry leaders.
The partnership offers a powerful synergy, amplifying the impact of both organisations in their shared quest to redefine the future of creative work.
The Shift Programme: A Proven Success
For those unfamiliar with the Shift Programme, it is a night school designed to equip young people with the skills needed to enter the competitive marketing industry.
With schools in cities like London, New York, Sao Paulo, Sydney, and Berlin, the programme has an impressive track record of success. Graduates have gone on to work with leading brands and icons, including Apple, Spotify, Dior, Vogue, Stormzy, and Katy Perry.
This success is rooted in its unconventional approach. Participants often come from non-traditional backgrounds, which D&AD and The Liberty Guild see as a key advantage.
As The Liberty Guild founder and CEO expressed, conventional logic is hopeless in marketing – you end up in the same place as your competitors. What they need instead is more street and less slick, more visceral and less choreographed; essentially more real. That’s what the Shift cohort delivers.
Tomorrow’s Award Winners, Today
The Liberty Guild CEO further highlighted the value of this collaboration, emphasising that this joint venture allows them to give clients access to tomorrow’s award winners today.
What’s more, these rising stars bring fresh perspectives that agencies simply don’t have on their books.
By blending the raw, untamed creativity of the Shift alumni with the experience of The Liberty Guild’s established network, the partnership promises to deliver results that are as innovative as they are impactful.
Conclusion: A Bold Step Forward
The partnership between D&AD and The Liberty Guild is a bold and visionary step toward fostering inclusivity, innovation, and opportunity in the creative industry.
By empowering young creatives to break into the field while offering clients access to unconventional talent, this collaboration is set to redefine how creativity is harnessed and celebrated.
With such initiatives, the future of the industry looks brighter, bolder, and more diverse than ever before.
