Regarded as the British Oscars of advertising, the D&AD Awards (British Design & Art Direction Awards) will be celebrating forty years of activity in 2003. To mark this, they have decided to highlight some of the most important moments in an extensive retrospective at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (until 2 February). On display, advertising in all formats – from street hoardings to graphics in sophisticated magazines – and of all kinds – from product design to radio, cinema and television advertising.

Classics such as the well known campaign for the prevention of unwanted pregnancy. Created in the seventies by Bill Atherton from Cramer Saatchi, it shows a pregnant man alongside the words “Would you be more careful if it was you getting pregnant?”

The exhibition also includes controversial campaigns which at the time when they were launched created much debate, such as that of David Bailey in the eighties for Greenpeace against fur. Also a number of gems taken from the association’s archive such as the poster “Chelsea Girls” designed by Alan Aldridge for an experimental video by Andy Warhol.

Today, with 26 categories and 161 sub categories, the award has become the main point of reference at an international level for the best in graphics, advertising and communication.

until 2.2.2003
Rewind: 40 years of Design and Advertising from the D&AD Awards
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road, London
T +44-020-79422000
https://www.vam.ac.uk
https://www.dandad.org