campaign · 2026

A bench that gets strangers talking.

D&AD New Blood PencilRole Art direction, campaignTools Nano Banana Pro, Kling 3.0, Affinity, Premiere Pro, After EffectsBrief Canva & Affinity

The Bench Marks

The challenge

We live in the most connected era in history, yet real face-to-face connection has become rare.

So how can design bring genuine real-world interaction back to a distracted society?

The film

The idea

Where you sit makes your opinion visible.

Dog lover

Cat lover

How it works

The answer was a universal urban object everyone already knows how to use: the public bench. Split each one into two opposing sides, and choosing where to sit makes your opinion visible, turning a simple act into a catalyst for conversation. Each bench adapts to where it lives: everyday debates in parks and airports, limited artist editions in galleries and museums.

In the wild

One idea, every setting.

People on a Dog Lover / Cat Lover bench in a park — Park · Dog Lover / Cat Lover

People on a Window Seat / Aisle Seat bench at an airport — Airport · Window Seat / Aisle Seat

People on an Early Bird / Night Owl bench at golden hour — Park · Early Bird / Night Owl

People on a KAWS artist-edition bench in a gallery — Gallery · the KAWS edition

Two friends on a Cappuccino / Espresso bench on a city street — Street · Cappuccino / Espresso

A family on a T-Rex / Triceratops bench at a museum — Museum · T-Rex / Triceratops

Art direction

Bold illustration and high-contrast color cut through the city noise, telling the two sides apart and pulling attention from a distance.

Dog Lover / Cat Lover bench by the Thames

Red Wine / White Wine bench by the Eiffel Tower

Pineapple Pizza / Anything Else bench in New York

Samba / Capoeira bench in Rio de Janeiro

Cappuccino / Espresso bench by the Colosseum

Instagram post of people on a bench in the park

Instagram post of friends at a gallery bench

For & by the community

Anyone can design their own bench in Canva or Affinity and submit it. The best ones get voted up, produced, and installed, turning the whole thing into an evolving, community-driven campaign.

A community bench being designed in Canva

For & by the community

Anyone can design their own bench in Canva or Affinity and submit it. The best ones get voted up, produced, and installed, turning the whole thing into an evolving, community-driven campaign.