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Support for young victims
of sexual abuse

NSPCC, Animation

Moving Image / Copywriting

YCN Studio was commissioned by the NSPCC to write and produce an online animation encouraging young victims of sexual abuse to call ChildLine in search of support.

Many young people who have found a way to talk about their problems describe the immense difficulty involved in "finding the words". We decided to focus on this process by staging a conversation between a young person and a ChildLine counsellor, expressed typographically.

We commissioned Buck through Friend to sensitively cell-animate the piece by hand, with delicate sound design produced by Ant Food.

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Advertising for an
original art college

Plymouth College of Art, Campaign

Copywriting / Photography / Film

YCN Studio was commissioned by Plymouth College of Art to come up with an authentic way to promote its diverse courses and facilities to prospective students.

Upon visiting, PCA's tangible culture of 'making' became evident. We decided to place the college's hands-on facilities at the heart of the campaign, using a range of physical processes to forge the headline 'Make Your Mark'.

We worked with photographer Luke Kirwan to shoot static and moving images. Geoffrey Taylor edited cinema adverts for the campaign, with sound design by Dan Pugsley.

A new look for Britain's
biggest independent festival

Green Man Festival, Branding

Identity / Digital / Tone of Voice

YCN Studio was commissioned by Green Man to conceive and roll out a fresh identity and website painting a picture of the festival's uniquely eclectic experience.

To imply the Green Man's omnipresence as an all-seeing deity, we transferred his energy from the singularity of a portrait-based logo into a more flexible visual language of organic elements. We also developed the Green Man's tone of voice, naming the festival's ten distinct areas, each blessed with a unique indigenous symbol.

From website to wristbands, we worked with illustrator Sarah Mazzetti to develop the Green Man's world of pagan-tinged strangeness. We developed a custom typeface for the project; drawn, woodblock-printed and faithfully digitised with help from Colophon Foundry. Poet Kibbo Kift was enlisted to pen poetic folklore for the festival.

A lavish introduction
to a Milanese palace

Knight Frank, Property Showcase

Editorial / Content / Photography

YCN Studio was commissioned by Knight Frank to help introduce a 15th Century palace to a shortlist of the world's most wealthy individuals.

Blending the building's history of Italian artisanship with its modern day fashion credentials, we curated a book to present the property, entombed in a solid oak box nodding to the palace's hand-carved frescos. Each box concealed a gold thimble in homage to the palace's founder, who earned his riches in the textile trade.

We worked with photographer Lee Mawdsley to capture Palazzo Aliverti in its elegance and Danilo Scarpati to shoot a contemporary snapshot of Milan's artisanal industry. Illustrator Thibaud Herem was enlisted to beautify the building's floorplans, with Greg Eason rendering architectural details.

An integrated campaign
fusing art and music

Beck's, Advertising Campaign

Strategy / Copywriting / Experiential

YCN Studio was commissioned by Beck's to strategically conceive, art direct and produce an integrated campaign to cement the brand's connections with art and music.

To deliver the 'music inspired art' campaign, tracks were made available through limited edition packaging, designed to become the heart of the campaign's visual direction. Media was booked creatively, including the visual takeover of pub exteriors as well as 'live' billboards.

We commissioned artists including Inventory Studio, Jamie Brown and Valero Doval to produce limited edition artwork for the bottle labels, also reconstructed physically in the outdoor ads shot by Luke Kirwan.

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A seasonal performance
to surprise fans globally

Arsenal FC, Christmas Film

Film / Digital

YCN Studio was commissioned by Arsenal Football Club to conceive a charming celebration of the festive season to share with fans all around the world.

Taking the club's rich history of vocal expression as a starting point, we re-arranged a number of classic fan chants into one unique choral piece, employing a local choir to sing it from the home terraces.

We worked with Somesuch & Co to produce the piece, directed by Rollo Jackson with a special performance from Islington Choral Society, guest conducted by Guy Protheroe.

A look book & show to
celebrate the summer

Gap, Media Launch

Installation / Print

YCN Studio was commissioned by Gap to design the look book and launch space interior for the launch of its colourful Summer collection.

Building on the collection's sun-bleached East Coast American aesthetic, we developed a laid back look for the project, featuring worn wood and fresh colours. The look book included a custom wooden USB key containing press photos, swinging on nautical string.

We collaborated with production house Scena to build the show's indoor structure and commissioned sign writer John Pope to hand paint the entrance.

A dramatic presentation
of luxury papers

Fedrigoni, Look Book

Photography / Print

YCN Studio was commissioned by Fedrigoni to create a look book with a difference, demonstrating the integrity and purity of its special white papers.

We decided to dramatise the paper's 'power to influence' by casting it as the protagonist in a surreal visual narrative set in a print house. Exaggerating its quality to the point of divinity, the book entitled 'Eternal Source of Light Divine', was distributed to UK Fedrigoni clients.

We worked with photographer Nick Ballon to shoot the series of images on location with styling from artist Nelly Ben Hayoun.

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A short film to help
demystify neglect

NSPCC, Short Film

Film / Digital

YCN Studio was commissioned by the NSPCC to produce a short film helping young victims of neglect to understand that they deserve support.

To create definition around neglect, we focussed on clarifying the distinction between 'wants' and 'needs' in the opinions of young people aged 11-15. By articulating the valid expectations of this age group, we aimed to empower the audience to seek help if they think they're not getting the things they need.

We worked with Somesuch & Co to produce the piece, directed by Luke Seomore & Joseph Bull. Casting agent Kharmel Cochrane was instrumental in recruiting the right young people for the film. Sound design came courtesy of Luke Seomore.

A unique musical
collaboration on location

The National Trust, Music Partnership

Content / Packaging / Film

YCN Studio director Alex Ostrowski curated a unique musical collaboration with the National Trust in partnership with the band Kotki Dwa, turning period properties into recording locations.

Described by The Guardian as "delightfully inventive", the visually rich project saw Kotki Dwa immersing themselves in the stories and acoustics of ancient attics, forests and mansions to record their album 'Staycations'. The process showed a new approach to funding an independent release.

Packaging features the Gower Peninsula's rugged landscape, photographed by Alex Edouard. The project's bespoke typeface 'Holiday Sans' was developed in collaboration with Jonathan Lister, inspired by British railway posters of the 1950s.

An identity & website
to empower creative talent

Futurising, Branding & Website

Identity / Digital

YCN Studio was commissioned by the University of the Arts London to develop a flexible identity system and website for its festival 'Futurising', founded to connect creative graduates with industry professionals.

Developed through a series of collaborative workshops with UAL's MA Branding students, we developed an identity for the festival based on its networking facilitation. Spin were tasked with applying the identity to festival signage.

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Online animations to
feed young imaginations

Gap Kids, Animations

Moving image / Digital

YCN Studio was commissioned by Gap Kids to produce a series of playful stop frame animations to support a programme of crafty activities in stores nationwide.

Each short animation shows youngsters how to make something colourful at home, from yarn art to cardboard treasure chests. The animations ran as part of Gap's 'Shine on Saturdays' campaign.

We commissioned set maker Hattie Newman to create the set and props, animated by Kevin Walton of Fantasic Mr. Fox fame. Box of Toys were commissioned to produce original sound design.

A digital platform to
power a stylish business

Streeters, Website & Application

Digital / Application

YCN Studio was commissioned by Streeters to design and build a digital interface showcasing its impressive roster of fashion professionals.

The highly visual content led us to develop a website and application that would allow the user to browse work with minimal navigational obstruction. Client teams in London and New York make daily use of the platform to organise content internally and publish to the web. The site showcases diverse portfolios from photography to set design and choreography.

A simplified approach to
sharing market research

GfK, Printed Literature

Print / Infographics

YCN Studio was commissioned by research company GfK to distill some best-practice market segmentation into print, demonstrating GfK's methods to prospective clients.

With so much information to communicate, this was an exercise in making data accessible and visually digestible. We divided the overall content across a group of complimentary formats which fitted together as one, including animated content held by a DVD.

We commissioned Chris Clarke to design accessible infographics for the materials, and worked with Adam Hancher to illustrate profiles of each market segment.

A brand landscape
for an all American beer

Bud66, Branding & Advertising

Strategy / Copywriting / Digital

YCN Studio was commissioned by AB InBev to strategically develop the brand and advertising surrounding Budweiser's new beer Bud66.

Moved by the romantic vernacular of midcentury American signage, we visualised a mythical homeland for Bud66 to inspire the beer's young British audience. Referred to implicitly but never explicitly, 'The Land of The Long Sunset' became a place of intangible allure and twilight magic to intrigue the audience through an integrated campaign.

A commemorative book
for loyal supporters

Arsenal FC, Book

Editorial / Print

YCN Studio was commissioned by Arsenal Football Club to produce a book commemorating The Spirit of Arsenal for fans.

Drawn together from diverse sources, the book charts the club's historical journey from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium, as well as its active role in the community, players and managers.

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An animated short to tell
a young girl's true story

NSPCC, Animation

Moving image

YCN Studio was commissioned by the NSPCC to animate a young girl's true story as part of the 'Protect and Respect' project, which helps young victims of sexual abuse.

The project began with a sensitive interview process resulting in audio recordings, edited into a succinct portrayal of the young girl's story. We worked with animator Xaver Xylophon to bring the story to life and help young viewers understand the journey. We enlisted Dan Pugsley to add ambient sound design.

An in-store concept
to surprise shoppers

Gap, Retail Installation

Installation / Print / Apparel

YCN Studio was commissioned by Gap to produce an immersive piece of in-store theatre at their European flagship store in Milan, coinciding with the city's furniture fair.

Our concept was to build a 'bright ideas' machine to compliment the 'Be Bright' campaign running globally. The machine was a playfully elaborate device producing creative ideas in the form of illustrations, which found their way onto limited edition Gap T Shirts. A giant T Shirt cloud was also installed as part of the piece.

We collaborated with product designers Oscar Narud and Andrew Haythornthwaite to design and build the interior structures, bearing imaginative illustrations by Ryan Todd.

A bound compendium
of management wisdom

Merlin, Book

Editorial / Print

YCN Studio was commissioned by Merlin Entertainments to curate a series of creative workshops with senior management staff, yielding new thinking and ideas.

To capture the outcomes from the workshop, we designed a theatrical hardbound book to share the results company-wide. The books were distributed along with a series of limited edition prints to celebrate the very best of the team's ideas.

To show everybody involved, we commissioned illustrator Ellie Foreman-Peck to create portraits of each.