As artfully predicted, no-one seems have done their SCABs throughout New Blood (it has been bit of a weird death march and time crunch…). It definitely feels like it hasn’t gone to how I planned and hoped, and now it’s all just… over.

There’s this hype of D&AD. All the alumnus entries you’re shown throughout the course to set the pace and expectation. The EA Peace Days. The Airbnb Streets. The Blacklists and Where the Sun Don’t Shines. There’s where you think you’d be, what you’d be thinking you’d be doing, how you might fare in future SCA folklore, when it all became your turn.

Le sigh.

So many of us started New Blood all twinkly-eyed, maybe having the outrageous folly to peruse and consider 3-4 briefs.

Le ha.

With an AD deficit across the cohort (Où sont les Français?), that twinkly-eyedness soon died. Along with our sleep (my Fitbit reckons 35hrs total for the seven days prior to NB…).

Having tried to self-teach advertising/Adobe for maybe 9 months pre-SCA, I failed epically last year doing New Blood solo with Burger King. I had high hopes of rectifying that and exacting some sweet, sweet HFSS revenge (where for art thou, BK and Fer Machado?) with my new SCA Superpowers, and make placement and a job just a little bit easier.

But the way AD split (and French exchange students…) went, I had to pull up my Johnny Bigbollock AD leggings (Sondico), butt heads with Illustrator and After Effects (forever Taylor Swift break up/make up vibez), and prove I’m (maybe) hybrid to keep the AD going on an entry to get over the finish line (“Do you even Adobe, bro?”).

It’s been pretty frustrating and gutting, having to prove you’re hybrid—the double-lifting, keeping a project alive for someone else—where the brief you really wanted to slipped away form you.

Shout-out to all the mentors that gave their time for projects that we had to kill; pouring out some multicoloured New Blood pencil shavings for you.

Bring on being led around the back of the barn or shed, and put out of our misery with a gunshot in May.

So off the back of my Friday Reflection and **authentic* Adobe 2018 Suite doing some legit spooky shit at 3.35am some nights, here’s a brief (hmm) D&AD New Blood Tarot reading.

The Devil Duolingo:

The Devil Duolingo
Upright: addiction, materialism, playfulness
Reversed: freedom, release, restoring control

“Get people motivated to do their daily lesson.”

Wasn’t a serious brief consideration, but currently using Duolingo with a possible perk being able to convince Lewandoswki to sign for Palace, so felt fair to at least give it some props.

The GiffGaff Hermit:

The GiffGaff Hermit
Upright: contemplation, search for truth, inner guidance
Reversed: loneliness, isolation, lost your way

“Help giffgaff give back.”

After a WIP idea that got a great reaction, had to kill this. Gutted to not chase some of my OHH appreciation. Rest in peace, Bad Squirrel/Good Squirrel.

The 21 Grams of Death:

21 Grams Death
Upright: end of cycle, beginnings, change, metamorphosis
Reversed: fear of change, holding on, stagnation, decay

“Help caregivers prioritise their own health.”

For various reasons, this one stung to drop.

The Walkers Fool:

The Walkers Fool
Upright: innocence, new beginnings, free spirit
Reversed: recklessness, taken advantage of, inconsideration

“Inspire 18-30 year olds to break the ‘I’m fine’ autopilot.”

I’m fine. You’re fine. This is fine. We’re all fine.

Bang.

@terencejamese