Kingston University student scoops prestigious D&AD New Blood Award for creative campaign showcasing microprocessor technology

Posted Friday 25 September 2020

The DandAD New Blood Awards challenge young creatives to respond to briefs set by real clients

A Kingston University creative economy student has won a prestigious New Blood Pencil from the D&AD Awards, for designing a campaign for computing giant Intel that features magnified images of microprocessors alongside the global challenges the technology firm is trying to solve.

The D&AD Awards recognise creative excellence in design and advertising and attract entries from around the world. The New Blood category is a platform for budding students and young creatives to showcase their talent on briefs set by real clients and judged by the industry's top creatives.

The brief set by Intel challenged entrants to devise a digital campaign to encourage customers to prioritise Intel technology when buying a PC or laptop.

Gaby Traboulsy, who is studying for an MA in Managing in the Creative Economy, proposed a virtual exhibition in collaboration with museums to explore visual similarities between Intel microprocessors and large scale, global innovations such as sustainable energy production and the fight against Covid-19. The result is a series of stunning and thought provoking images under the banner of Look for Intel, to be deployed across social and digital platforms and potentially used for outdoor advertising.

The 26 year old, originally from Beirut, Lebanon, worked on his submission for almost five months, and brainstormed several different ideas with his fellow students before he hit on the idea of using the image of the microprocessor, almost by accident. "I was looking at the microprocessor online and happened to think that it looked like a city viewed from above," he explained. "The whole campaign idea spiralled from there."

The D&AD Awards are typically won by students on arts or design courses, so Gaby is particularly proud to have won for Kingston Business School. Although not a graphic designer, he had some experience of working with design packages such as lllustrator and Photoshop from his bachelors' degree in interior architecture and product design. However, he had a steep learning curve to produce his final submission to the required professional standards, including learning the art of video editing and online presentations.

Janja Song, course director for the MA Managing in the Creative Economy, explained that the D&AD New Blood Awards are a proactive way to stay on top of the latest industry standards, market and consumer trends. "Our MA course bridges the gap between creativity and business," she said. "We encourage our students to explore their ambitions and creative skills, and to apply their business knowledge to overcome real challenges in the creative economy context. The D&AD competition gives them chance to put their learning and skills to the test on a real client brief."

"It is a global excellence award and the competition is tough, so we are extremely proud of Gaby," she added.

Gaby is now planning to stay in London to complete a professional placement before returning to Beirut. In the long term he wants to launch his own start up business.

Categories: Enterprise and business, International, On campus, Students