When the ADC Annual Awards were first presented in 1921, the only mediums with winners were illustration and photography. As creative professionals embraced new tools and technologies in the following decades, ADC has been there to acknowledge and honor the craft that defines each era, says the ADC.

Continuing its 105-year legacy of recognising evolving creative craft, the ADC introduces the AI Visual Design-Dreamina AI category, honouring modern creators who are using AI as a creative partner to expand the boundaries of visual expression, adds the ADC.

Dreamina AI is powered by its world-leading proprietary models, including the Seedream generative image model — which produces and refines high-quality 4K visuals from text prompts and up to 10 image references — as well as the Seedance video generation and OmniHuman AI avatar models. Acting as a "camera for an imagined world", Dreamina AI enables creators to transform ideas into high-quality, production-ready visuals within seconds using simple text prompts, says the ADC.

Deadline for free entry in the new category is Monday, 16 March, with no extension. Work will be judged by a dedicated jury of top designers and industry leaders on the basis of idea, craft, and execution and top winners will be awarded as follows:

  • One First-Place Winner — ADC Gold Cube and USD$6 000 cash prize
  • Three Second-Place Winners — ADC Silver Cube and USD$4 000 cash prize each, and
  • Six Third-Prize Winners — ADC Bronze Cube and USD$2 000 cash prize each.

"AI doesn't replace creativity, it inspires it," says Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club. "The Art Directors Club has spent 105 years honouring the craft behind ideas, and Dreamina AI gives today's creatives a new way to explore imperfection, experimentation and human expression through technology."

Entry Brief: "Imperfection"

Creativity can lose its spark when every element is perfectly polished and optimised. Therein lies the opportunity to celebrate the messiness, contradictions and lived experience that provide fuel for better AI tools and more creative ideas, says the ADC.

For the new ADC AI Visual Design-Dreamina AI category, entrants will be asked to create work that honours imperfection and uses AI to complement, not erase, those qualities. Entries can take a variety of forms, including video, motion graphics, animation or poster, adds the ADC.

As the Presenting AI Partner of the ADC 105th Annual Awards, Dreamina AI serves as the primary engine for this challenge, inviting professionals to prove that even in a digital age, the human spark remains the most essential component, says the ADC.

By harnessing the advanced generative capabilities of Dreamina AI to address the "imperfection" brief, entrants will demonstrate how the world's most sophisticated technology can be used to amplify the soul and contradictions of professional artistry, adds the ADC.

Entrants must be older than the age of 18, and register on both the ADC 105th Annual Awards and Dreamina AI platforms to create accounts in order to use the AI tool. After registration, entrants get 1 000 credits added to their linked Dreamina AI account, which they will use on the platform to generate images and videos for competition entry, concludes the ADC.

For more information, visit www.oneclub.org. You can also follow The One Club on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or on TikTok.

*Image courtesy of contributor