Applications are now open for AWARD School 2026, with the 12-week part-time program set to run from March to July.
The course is open to anyone with a strong interest in creativity and ideas, from marketers, creatives and account managers to designers and career switchers, and includes weekly lectures and tutorials led by local and international creatives.
Students respond to a series of practical briefs across multiple mediums, developing creative thinking and problem-solving skills that are essential for commercial work.
But you might wonder, what does this work actually look like?
As part of B&T’s ongoing support of AWARD School, below you’ll see some of the top work and quotes from students behind the work in the Outdoor/Billboard category. In the coming days, we’ll be looking at the work from the Print, Film/TVC, Audio, and Social categories.
“If you’re curious, motivated and prepared to put the work in, this is the moment to apply. AWARD School is about understanding how strong ideas are built and refined, and gaining perspectives that can shape where your career goes next,” said AWARD School head Josie Fox, creative director at BMF Australia.
Applications close on 19 February 2026. AWARD School 2026 is supported by Meta, Outdoor Media Association, Commercial Radio & Audio and, as we mentioned, B&T.
Brief 1: Outdoor/Billboard
- What they had to sell: Standard Procedure, SPF 50+ Sunscreen
- How: An outdoor billboard.
- The proposition: Australian sunscreen for Australian conditions.
- Target audience: Sun-loving Australians.
- Mandatories: Logo or product image with clear branding and the web address – standardprocedure.com
James Willis, 1st place, Online program, ‘Smooth Enough for Mates’
“I really wanted to lean into humour. If something makes you laugh, you remember it, and that feels very true to Aussie culture, which made sense for a brief about sunscreen made for Australian conditions. I kept coming back to how awkward it can be when a mate asks you to put sunscreen on their back, and started thinking about how that could be flipped. If the product really feels good, how do you show that in a funny way? That’s where reimagining the Ghost pottery scene with two typical Aussie mates came from,” said Willis.
“I wanted it to make people smile first, then quickly get the point. Seeing mates that comfortable with each other is unexpected and funny, while still making it clear the product can handle tough Australian conditions.
“It’s simple and very visual. You get the joke straight away, which is exactly what outdoor advertising needs to do. It doesn’t over-explain itself and lets the humour and product truth do the work.
“AWARD School gave me more confidence in my own thinking and a bigger appreciation for the creative process.
Seeing how differently everyone tackled the same brief was a good reminder that everyone brings their own perspective, and that’s kind of the point.”
Bethia Connolly, Top 10, VIC, ‘I Thought You’d Last Longer’
“I’m a very pale British expat, and when I moved to Australia, I genuinely hadn’t grasped how brutal the sun is here. The first time I got burnt, it felt like the sun was actively taking the piss out of me. That sent me down a YouTube rabbit hole of comedic roast battles, and suddenly it clicked – what if the sun itself was the roaster? From there, the idea of a bitchy, taunting headline literally burned into someone’s back felt like the most honest way to tell that story,” said Connolly.
“The core message is simple: never underestimate the sun – it has absolutely no mercy. The line is designed to make you chuckle first, then wince. That mix of humour and visceral discomfort is what makes people pause, absorb the message, and actually think twice about sun protection. The idea works so well because it operates on multiple levels. It calls out our own overconfidence and stupidity, while simultaneously showing just how unforgiving the sun can be. Despite those layers, the message lands instantly.
“AWARD School taught me to let loose and not be afraid to pull out the crazy moves in this ecstatic dance we call advertising. Being silly, absurd, or slightly unhinged isn’t a weakness; it’s often the fastest way to uncover something genuinely powerful. Sometimes the wild thought trail is exactly the one you need to follow.”
Brendan Marshall, 1st Place, WA
