As 2023 begins, most of us are looking back on last year’s highlights. We’re filing things away in our portfolios, congratulating coworkers on stellar performance, and getting our ducks in a row for the coming year. There are all kinds of great reasons to look back on the passing year: to survey what worked and what didn’t, give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done, and of course, to find the best work for awards season!
If you work in Branding and you’re especially proud of anything you’ve done this year, you might just have a shot at winning a PRINT Award! Our awards program features an impressive array of judges from all over the world, and the team behind our Branding Identities & Systems category is one of our most exciting yet. We’ve got cutting edge creatives who have worked on some of this year’s most impressive briefs, and they’re on pins and needles to see your work.
But who are they? Let us tell you all about who will be checking out your entries…
David Israel
Chief Creative Officer / M.D. — Sterling Brands NYC
David Israel has worked in just about every angle of the advertising industry, from the large-scale, big-picture work of industrial design and architecture to high-concept creative briefs and digital marketing. The Yale MFA currently leads the creative team at Sterling Brands New York and he’s previously held high profile positions at Fallon / AR, Ogilvy & Mather, and Jack Morton Worldwide. David got his start working with i-D and award-winning design firms like Number Seventeen, 2×4, and Desgrippes Gobé. He’s especially passionate about the kind of narrative-driven, visually compelling branding that starts conversations and lingers in the cultural consciousness.
Jessie McGuire
Managing Partner — ThoughtMatter
If you’re interested in compelling mission-driven work, Jessie McGuire should be on your radar. At ThoughtMatter, she leads a diverse team to create systems for a wide range of clients, from world-renowned brands to community initiatives. Her most interesting recent project was a modern redesign of the US Constitution, and you can also see her sharp, conscious work in the For the People docuseries or the Web3 diversity organization World of Women. Jessie cut her teeth working with giants like P&G, Kimberly-Clark, and Colgate Palmolive, and she’s served as Advocacy Chair on the Board of Directors at AIGA New York.
Lisa Smith
Executive Creative Director — Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR)
If you care about rebrands, you’ve no doubt seen Lisa Smith’s handiwork— she recently led JKR’s critically acclaimed Burger King redesign that design lovers are still talking about. She’s been working for over two decades and has a knack for making groundbreaking concepts feel commercially viable. Lisa has had her hands in all kinds of brand transformations and has worked with companies like Chobani, GrubHub, and The Met. Just to name some of her accolades, Fast Company deemed her one of their Most Creative People in 2021, and the Burger King rebrand earned her a Gold Lion from Cannes.
We couldn’t think of a better group to find the next big thing in Branding, and we can’t wait to see what kind of innovative designs this year’s entrants have in store for our panel. Last year, Uniforma s.c. took home the top honor in Branding for their eye-catching, dynamic identity for Poland’s 2021 Short Waves Festival.
Do you think you have what it takes to be #1 in 2023? If you’re dying to show off the past year’s hard work, what are you waiting for? Enter the PRINT Awards today!