ADC Young Guns is claimed to be the industry's only international, cross-disciplinary, portfolio-based awards competition that identifies today's vanguard of young creatives, and is open to ADC members and non-members. Last year's competition drew entries from 43 countries, with 41% of entries coming from outside the US (this year's call for entries will be available in English, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish). A total of 50 winners are selected each year by a jury of past ADC Young Guns.
The program is open internationally to creatives age 30 and under who have been working for at least two years, full-time or freelance. Eligible entrants can submit a combination of professional and personal work in graphic design, photography, illustration, advertising, art direction, environmental design, film, animation, motion graphics, interactive design, typography, architecture, copywriting, product design, package design, fashion design, furniture design, interior design, sound design and industrial design.
Online entries through http://www.adcyoungguns.org will be accepted starting on 13 March 2012 (entry fee: US$135, US$99 if submitted by the early bird deadline of 17 April, 11:59pm EST), with a deadline of 8 May 2012, 11:59 pm EST. Late entries will be accepted through 22 May 2012, 11:59pm EST, with addition of a US$40 late entry fee.
ADC Young Guns recognises creatives who excel at breaking boundaries and dare to be different on their path to success. This year's call-for-entries campaign, created by Dress Code partners Andre Andreev and Dan Covert, leverages that spirit by focusing on the Roman numeral "X" (representing 10) as a mark of rebellion against mediocrity and traditional boundaries.
"We've always viewed ADC Young Guns as representing the hungry, young talent that wants to make its mark on their industry," said Andreev, who along with Covert is a YG5 winner. "The X imagery connects that rebellious energy and determination with this 10th edition of the program."
The campaign kicked off with a viral video depicting the outside of the ADC Gallery in New York being "vandalised" with giant spray-painted graffiti Xs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0NM9nZazjg). Subsequent print and video components continue the theme with appearances from 15 past YG winners including Scott Stowell, Emily Oberman, Kevin Brainard, Anne Paas, Lindsay Ballant, Menno Kluin, Silas Munro, Jessica Walsh, Elizabeth Weinberg, Mike Perry, Zach Gold, Lotta Nieminen, Tomi Um, Dora Budor + Maja Cule and Michael Schachtner.
The "X" is also a major part of the ADC Young Guns 10 opening party with a show of original "X"-related artwork prints from noted creatives, including Barcelona-based typographer Alex Trochut, The New York Times Magazine design director Arem Duplessis, Amsterdam-based designer Irma Boom, former Ogilvy & Mather co-president/CCO and director of VCU Brandcentre Rick Boyko, director Tom Kuntz and others. The "X" prints, created with help of program sponsors Neenah Paper and Aldine Printing, will be on exhibit and sale the night of the launch party with proceeds going to ADC Education Programs.
The ADC Young Guns 10 launch party takes place on Tuesday, 13 March 2012 at the ADC Gallery, 106 West 29th Street, New York. Admission is free to ADC members, US$10 for non-members, beer/cocktails and food will be available. To RSVP, go to http://www.adcglobal.org/adc/events/calendar.
ADC Young Guns 10 jurors, who are all past YG winners, are as follows:
All 50 ADC Young Guns 10 winners receive the following:
Past ADC Young Guns include then-rising stars who went on to become leaders in their chosen fields, including AKQA global creative director and ADC board member Rei Inamoto, graphic designers Stefan Sagmeister and James Victore, illustrator Deanne Cheuk, photographers Jeremy Floto and Cassandra Warner (aka floto+warner), brand strategist and creative Alexander Gelman, film and video director Mike Mills, typographer Alex Trochut, animation artist Todd St. John and others.
ADC thanks Dress Code, BitFire Studio, Aldine Printing and Neenah Paper for their support of ADC Young Guns.
For complete details and to enter, go to http://www.adcyoungguns.org.