Project 4 → Useful. Beautiful. Morris.
BRIEF
D&AD, Morris & Co.: Bring the history of Morris & Co. to a new audience by creating an illustrated/animated social media campaign. Communicate the values of the company – authenticity, craftsmanship, heritage reimagined.
CONCEPT
Morris’ tapestry design, The Orchard, which my concept stemmed from, was a celebration of the beauty of the natural world and the changing seasons. Building on this spirit, the Useful. Beautiful. Morris. campaign encourages its audience to recognise the potential for transformation within their home, inspiring them to bring new life to their old (but still functional) items, rather than buying completely new: up-cycling using Morris & Co.’s thoughtfully crafted fabrics, wallpapers and home furnishings. This reimagines the ubiquitous Morris quote, “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
SOLUTION
The campaign sets out a series of home-based scenarios and potential items that could be ‘Morris-ed’. Using digital collage, fragments of past and present are woven together. Photographs of Morris and his contemporaries involved in the beginning of the firm are combined with joyful moving illustrations that bring Morris & Co.’s long, rich heritage into the home of a contemporary audience. The handmade, analogue feel of the stop motion as opposed to a smooth, more obviously digital animation style reflects the importance Morris placed on craft, and the distinctive character of Morris & Co.