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Reinventing creativity with Annual 2020 Gold winners Junction Eleven - #AnnualSpotlight

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Production and creative content agency Junction Eleven is a master of simplicity and creativity. The team's approach to creative production is a pleasant breeze of fresh air in an industry much too focused on growth at all costs – a beacon of authenticity and humanity. Which is really a huge gift in the times we live now.

Junction Eleven had never entered The Annual before 2020. The moment they did, the team was able to grab one of our incredibly prestigious Gold prizes in the 3D category, later winning a Bronze in Photography and being shortlisted in a few others. Junction Eleven's passion for creativity speaks for itself and shines through the few works we were able to share in the piece below, highlighting a neverending love for creating content that leaves a mark, makes an impact and drives positivity.

For this Annual Spotlight, we had a chance to chat with Managing Director Ian Gathard to learn more about the team's experience with Annual 2020. We can't wait to see what they are going to submit this year.

Annual 2021 is still accepting standard submissions until midnight Pacific Time, today! Not long left. Enter now to grab your slice of creative immortality!

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What feels unique about The Annual?

The Annual has always seemed like a unique award prospect as it feels much more focussed on the creative community rather than the larger industry. That’s an important distinction for me as it encourages creative expression and freedom by giving a home to ideas of all shapes and sizes. It heroes the approach of judging by creative merit and artistry regardless of whether the idea is part of a global campaign, a small piece of reactive social or a passion piece. I think that opens up the Annual to a lot more people than some traditional awards, and from a community perspective allows us to see a lot of brilliant creators and artists in ways we wouldn’t usually.

How does it feel to have won the Creativepool Annual Awards?

Amazing. In fact, the awards we won in 2020 perfectly illustrate my point about the variety of work you can enter. We won for work that was a cross collaboration with amazing creators and agencies, but also for smaller more intimate projects created by our in-house Studio team. So it was a lovely mix of recognition across the creative spectrum.

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Will you be entering again this year? If so, what are your hopes?

100% yes, and my hopes are to win again. We produced some awesome work last year that will allow us to enter some different categories and put a spotlight on new areas and team members.

Can you tell us more about your winning submissions and what you think impressed the judges?

“Alive” was a CGI piece for Shell Helix Ultra. The intent was to produce a powerful, stylish and exciting film by creating visuals that had a technological, yet organic feel.

We decided to focus on the beast like raw power of the car and the cutting-edge tech that flows through it veins.

The team working on it really took it an extra step further and created a stunning animation. This went down brilliantly with the judges, which Is no surprise when you think about the artists we were lucky enough to collaborate with- RSA, Shynola, Analog Studios, Echo Lab and Burson Cohn & Wolfe. All great talents and great people too.

Our other winning piece “Renaissance in revolution” was a much more personal project, created by our studio team and regular make-up artists. This project was so much fun to work on, because it gave everyone room to play and create. Hellavagirl is a brand that challenges themes of sexuality, beauty and tradition, so this was a big part of our approach. This allowed us to create a modern sexually liberated narrative that would collide with and overpower the sentiments of a different time

Why did the judges like it? It was a simple idea, crafted into beautiful images. A lot of love went into creating each photo and I think the viewer can sense that.

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What advice would you share with other agencies and individuals looking to grab a prize?

1:  You don’t always need to spend a lot of money to make something award worthy. Sure, it helps but your passion for the subject is more important.

2: Be sincere about your reason for creating. Make it because you love it, not because you think the judges wil.

How do you feel Covid has impacted the creative landscape in 2020?

Simply put, Covid has separated people. So, the community the Annual fosters is more important than ever.

What are your hopes for 2021 and beyond?

After the bleakness of 2020 all I want from 2021 is to see my team create and grow. Anything else is a bonus.

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What is your most exciting project in the next year?

We have a lot of exciting projects coming up in 2021… although I can’t talk about them yet. As for the boost from the Annual, our 2020 wins have already been put to good use and have helped towards our business growth.  Hopefully a couple more wins in 2021 can keep up the momentum.

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