D&AD launches 2017 Professional Awards campaign

The instantly recognisable D&AD Pencil trophy is one of the most revered awards in the industry. If you've always dreamt of winning one, now's your chance as D&AD throws it doors open for the D&AD Professional Awards 2017 entries.

Open to work that has been commercially released between 01 January 2016 and 18 March 2017, and produced in genuine response to a client brief, hopefuls have until 15 February 2017 to submit their entries in their original language. Awarded work will be announced during the D&AD Festival 2017 which takes place on 25 – 27 April. Full entry details and criteria can be found on their site.

Winning a Pencil is often seen as the highlight of a career, so to mark the launch of the D&AD Professional Awards 2017 the charity wanted to look at what it really means to those artists and creative directors who win.

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And who better to ask than the people that know the designers best -– their mums. Working for a second year with creative company Lucky Generals co-founder Danny Brooke-Taylor, D&AD sent a film crew all around the world to capture stories that only a mother could tell.

"Your mum," explains Brooke-Taylor, "no-one's prouder of you than her. And imagine how proud she'd be if you won a Pencil."

Watch the mums share their stories in the video below.