MANCHESTER.- From design greats like Neville Brody, Vince Frost, Michael Johnson, Bob Gill, and Tony Meeuwissen, the Annual chronicles the best in creative communications as judged worthy of a Yellow Pencil each year at the D&AD Awards. “PENCIL – 45 Years of Creativity from the D&AD Annuals” will display the complete set of books together for the first time. The exhibition will run from 20 January until March at Urbis, Manchester.

Exclusively for the exhibition, each of D&AD’s past Presidents, including Michael Wolff, Sir Alan Parker, Sir John Hegarty and Simon Waterfall, has selected their favourite piece of work from ‘their’ Annual. Two copies of each book will be on display, one closed to show the uniquely designed cover and one open to the work chosen by the President. Alongside the books will be a piece of text by the President explaining the rationale behind their choice.

“PENCIL is a unique chance for visitors to see a slice of some of the world’s best work going back to the 1960s,’ said Ben Casey, Creative Director at The Chase Manchester and D&AD North Committee Chairman. ‘Every designer, art director and copywriter wants to see their work in a D&AD Annual. Not only is it incredibly hard to get in, each book is itself a beautiful (sometimes bizarre) piece of design.”

The exhibition launched at the London Design Festival in 2008. It has been designed by Crystallise and curated by past D&AD President Simon Waterfall. Visit www.dandad.org/pencilexhibition/ for further information.