Entering the Prolific North Creative Award is not just about taking home a trophy, it can help “amplify” important campaign work and bring “urgent social issues” to wider and often unexpected audiences.
That’s according to Karl Doran, founder and creative director of Flow Creative, after his Manchester-based creative studio picked up the Motion Graphics & Animation award last year for its campaign for anti-poverty charity Trussell.
Flow’s powerful, and important, animated film, produced as part of a digital assembly programme, explores the lived experiences of secondary school children growing up in poverty and hardship. The film has since been shown in hundreds of schools across the UK.
The win highlights how awards recognition can extend the reach of purpose-driven campaigns and give important work greater visibility.
Reflecting on the creative behind Stand for Change and how the project developed, Doran said: “Trussell worked closely with a group of 11–17-year-olds with experience of financial hardship, to better understand their experience, and the challenges they faced in the school day. This film tells some of those stories.
“The aim was to help break down the barriers, stereotypes and stigma that young people facing financial hardship often experience, and to better understand the effects it can have on children in their school day.”
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROLIFIC NORTH CREATIVE AWARDS 2026
On the decision to use animation for the campaign, he added: “Animation is the perfect tool for telling complex or nuanced stories, making a difficult subject accessible and engaging. It worked really well for this project as we wanted to communicate children’s real life experience, whilst protecting their identities,” he explained.
“It allows you to tell a story that is emotionally powerful, without being intrusive, protecting real children’s dignity while still feeling authentic. The hand-drawn style, and clever visual storytelling, turn abstract feelings like hunger, anxiety, and stigma into something tangible and relatable.”
For Doran, award recognition also helps to showcase the “amazing work” from purpose-led organisations.
“Awards like this shine a spotlight on stories and ideas that might otherwise live quietly within a campaign cycle. When that work is for organisations like Trussell, the recognition extends the reach of the message, bringing urgent social issues to wider and often unexpected audiences.
“We work with lots of charities, NGOs and public sector organisations, helping to tell their stories and share their missions. If we can do that with care and craft, we can help them to make a positive impact in the world, giving important causes the visibility and momentum they need to drive real change.”
READ MORE: Leith highlights ‘huge’ team impact of Prolific North Creative Awards win
He adds that awards can become an “important platform” as when more agencies and studios enter — especially with purpose-driven work — the “collective bar gets higher”.
“It pushes everyone to think more ambitiously, craft more carefully, and tell stories that genuinely connect. Recognition brings visibility, and visibility brings impact. For organisations like Trussell, that spotlight can translate into awareness, support, and real-world change. The more great work that enters, the more these issues are amplified across the industry and beyond.
“Creative work can be a hard, unpredictable, and (for animation especially) laborious process. These moments give teams a chance to step back and recognise what they’ve achieved. That builds confidence, attracts talent, and strengthens creative culture within studios.”
Entries are now open for the 2026 Prolific North Creative Awards – enter here.
