ADC Awards, ADC Young Guns December 9, 2015
Nick Misani’s Spare Nipple
ADC Young Guns 12 winner contributes to ADC 95th Annual Awards campaign
The ADC 95th Annual Awards are here! Yes, the Call for Entries for one of the oldest and most respected industry award shows in the world has been launched, with the help of BBDO New York‘s “Rare For A Reason” campaign, featuring beautifully designed ads which highlight just how uncommon it is to win a top honor.
To create the campaign, BBDO New York tapped into the talents of various artists from around the world. We at ADC love to shine the spotlight on creative talent, and so we will be featuring the artists throughout the Call for Entries season.
Even when the project is simple, it’s always a bonus to get a renowned typographer involved, and that’s what BBDO did when it reached out to designer and ADC Young Guns 12 winner Nick Misani.
NICOLAS MISANI
Senior Designer, Louise Fili Ltd.
New York, NY
Let’s start at the beginning: when did you enter this world of creativity?
I was born into a family of jewelry designers, so art was a bit part of my life from the very beginning. Eager to explore a different way of expressing myself artistically than what I grew up with, I went to college for music and graduated with a degree in classical harp performance. The job prospects as a musician after college didn’t sound appealing, so I re-explored design as a possible career choice.
How would you describe the kind of work you do?
The elevator pitch is “historically-inspired, bespoke typography, with a penchant for ornament and detail.” That said, I’m finding my style evolving of late. I’m becoming more interested in simple forms, patterns, and geometric shapes.
Walk us through this project.
I didn’t choose the factoid, though I found it fascinating! The concept and execution was fully ironed out, and I just had to provide the lettering that BBDO then arranged in that shape and within that context.
What various mediums did you bring to the finished piece?
I really just used a Sharpie to get the rougher quality the art director wanted. I chose an Art Nouveau type style that suited itself to being boxy, but remained elegant.
Any thoughts on the finished work?
I like it. I wish it could have been more about the type, like most of the other pieces were, but it was envisioned as more of a conceptual piece, and I respect that.
What’s on the horizon for you in terms of other projects?
I’m working on a handful of projects I’m really excited about, both for Louise and on my own. One of my favorites is a lavish, gold-encrusted book jacket for Knopf about the Romanov family. I’m also trying to make time to design and hand-print the New Year’s card I send to my friends every December.
As rare as an ADC Cube is, an ADC Young Guns Cube is even rarer. How has life in that super-rare club been treating you since your own win?
Life as the proud owner of a Young Guns Cube has been great so far. I’m really excited to see what’s next.
Compare winning an ADC Cube Compare to having a third nipple.
Aside from their rarity, they actually have quite a bit in common: they are both things I wouldn’t readily mention in polite conversation (unless asked, of course); I might blush a bit when confessing to having one or the other; and they could both be used as unique pickup lines.
The ADC 95th Annual Awards Call for Entries is now open.