The WIA2024 Advertising category showcases illustration’s role in creating engaging, empathetic and exciting campaigns.
Image Credit: Sebastiano Fossali Marvis – Marvel Your Routine
Illustration in Advertising features in our everyday lives, whether we’re catching a train, watching a new film or grabbing a drink.
Illustration adds a playful human element to campaigns, that raises brand awareness and connects with audiences worldwide.
Our WIA2024 Advertising Category highlights some of the best work across this sector. We’ve pulled together a curated list of stand out projects, along with our category judges thoughts and illustrator insights!
Su Yun Song – Absolut Me!
New Talent
Originally created as a school project at The Rhode Island School of Design. This vibrant Absolut Vodka campaign showcases an artist using the iconic bottle as its muse.
Combined with subtle humour and playful characters the piece feels energetic and new.
Su Yun is an illustrator based in the USA.
You can view the full project here
What Our Judges Think
“This is a great example of how you can use illustration to convey a brands tone of voice with no words – it’s cheeky, charming and fun. The Absolut branding feels part of the image and doesn’t feel at all forced or out of place. It’s full of personality and executed really well.”
Anna Loveland – Art Director TBWA MCR
Ciel Chen – Girls in New York City
New Talent
Created as part of a series for Art On Link. This body if work was featured around the streets of New York.
Capturing the style and individuality of women in New York, featuring iconic locations such as The Metropolitan Museum and Coney Island.
Ciel Chen is an illustrator based in the US.
You can view the full project here
What Our Judges Think
“This was so beautiful to look at… The illustrator has a lovely art style and I love the way they have created these frame-able shots of New York using a bold colour pallet on B&W. I can see they have perhaps had inspiration from art-nouveau portraits with their character’s profile. Looking at Art on Ink it’s also a perfect ad. Love it.”
Ariana Balsaras – Integrated Creative Producer, VCCP Blue
Commissioned as a movie poster from director Haiwei Sun.
The piece has a melancholic mysterious feel. With desaturated colours and an overall gloomy feel.
The tone hints to the darker subject matter, exploring the dynamic of a high school girl facing the pressure from her mother and all of life’s pressures. The key acting as a symbol of hope.
Warn G is an illustrator based in China.
You can view the full project here
Hoan Phan – BYVU – 1 year anniversary poster art
New Talent
This beautiful poster was commissioned by a fusion restaurant in Munich, Germany.
Showcasing the two cuisines, Vietnamese and Japanese, Hoan picked iconic details from both cultures. Fusing them together with harmonious patterns from folk paintings.
Hoan Phan is an illustrator he was born and raised in Vietnam, currently based in Japan.
You can view the full project here
Sebastiano Fossali Marvis – Marvel Your Routine
This 60-meter arch billboard across Milan Central Station brings bursts of energy to Marvis toothpastebrand.
The dreamlike, surreal illustrations reflect how Marvis toothpaste turns brushing teeth into something unexpected and extraordinary.
You can view the full project here
What Our Judges Think
“This idea is like nothing I have ever seen before for something as boring as toothpaste, it’s engaging, fun and put a massive smile on my face. The illustrations have brought the idea to life in a totally original and fun way – making a toothpaste full of personality.”
Created for Innoble Wine festival and magazine, these illustrations are both surreal and eye-catching.
Using a playful use of scale and dynamic composition.
The illustrations preserve the elegance wine festival with a powerful but harmonious colour palette.
Xavier Mula is an illustrator based in Spain.
You can view the full project here
Inma Hortas – Pride Illustration Collection: Inma Hortas x Playbook
Professional
Commissioned by Playbook Inc, this tender set of illustrations and animated gifs were created for Playbook’s Members to celebrate Pride.
With a diverse range of couples the illustrations are uplifting and joyful.
Celebrating how love is love.
Inma Hortas is an illustrator based in Spain.
You can view the full project here
Alyah Holmes – Period Poverty
Professional
Alyah created illustrations for Plan International, the non profit organisation campaigning for equality for girls.
For Menstrual Health Day, Alyah illustrated a series based on their research around period poverty.
They created concepts around the fact that access to period products is a right, not a luxury.
Alyah Holmes is an American and Canadian illustrator
You can view the full project here
Sofie Lee – Rockin’ Through the 80’s: Neon Decade
Professional
Inspired by the commissioners love of 80s rock, these illustrations visually interpret iconic songs with lively characters in neon hues.
Capturing the vivid essence of the era with vibrant gradients and punchy colour palettes.
The piece shares the dynamic spirit of the 80s with today’s generation.
Sofie Lee is an illustrator based in South Korea
You can view the full project here
Illustrator Interviews
We’ve also been asking some more of our amazing shortlisted illustrators about their practice and their shortlisted projects.
Elisa Vendramin
Shortlisted for Professional Advertising Category for their project
A Beautiful Mess
Why did you make this work?
“This image is inspired by a quote from Walt Whitman’s poem,‘Song of Myself, 51’.It is a celebration of all the contradictions that coexist in a single individual. If you zoom in, the only thing you can see is a chaotic mix of colors and textures. But then, zooming out, you realize all these fragments are in perfect balance with each other and that eachcontribute to creatingthe central figure.”
Read the full interview here
Nausicaa Dalla Torre
Shortlisted for Professional Advertising Category for their Commercial advertising campaign for Naty’s
What is your best tip for other illustrators?
“Always be willing to learn by cultivating passion and curiosity. Build connections with other creatives. Maintain authenticity in one’s own style.”
Read the full interview here
Be sure to check out all of the Meet the Illustrator Interviews
WIA2024 Meet the Illustrator
If you enjoyed reading this curated list, be sure to keep explore the rest of theWIA2024 Shortlist Showcase.We will be adding new materials all throughout August.
Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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