We had to drop off our things, get changed, freshen up a bit, and make it to a ceremony where we were double-nominated. Zero pressure. But in the end, we made it. And we didn't just make it; we had time to snap a burst of photos right in the golden hour. Because look, you might be pressed for time, but if the light is right, you strike a pose.
A few hours later, we walked out with two Laus awards for two homegrown projects: the Workoholics website and Work in Progress 2025. The next morning, at the airport heading back to Bilbao, we'd discover that the awards might just have to stay grounded—and not exactly because of overbooking.
Two in-house projects awarded at the Nit ADG Laus
For those who don't have them on their radar, the Laus Awards are one of the most important recognitions for graphic design and visual communication in Spain. Organized by ADG-FAD, every year they gather agencies, studios, designers, creatives, digital profiles, and a lot of people doing pretty incredible things in this thing we call an industry in Barcelona.
This year we arrived with two nominations, and both had something special. They weren't client projects; they were our own. The kind that are born in-house, amidst enthusiasm, doubts, shifting priorities, endless iteration, and above all, a whole lot of love for what we do.
The Workoholics website received a Bronze Laus in the Self-commissioned or Self-promotion category, within digital design. A project where we rethought our brand and translated it into our main digital asset to better tell the story of who we are, what we do, and how we do it.
Work in Progress 2025, on the other hand, received a Laus InBook in Self-commissioned or Self-promotion, within the advertising graphic communication category. A nod to the identity of the fourth edition of our event, created to give visibility to emerging creative talent.
Two in-house projects. Two ways of continuing to explore how we tell our own story. And also two pretty beautiful reminders that when the brief comes from within, the pressure multiplies, but so does the affection.
Stickers, socks, and lovely people
One of the things we like most about the Nit Laus is everything that happens around it. The awards, yes, of course. But also the encounters, the familiar faces, and that feeling of being in a place where everyone understands the same language, even if everyone speaks their own.
We networked the best way we know how: by exchanging a ton of stickers. Way more effective than a business card and a lot more fun. There's no comparison!
There was also a pretty surreal moment. When we went up to collect one of the awards, someone from the organization mentioned they were wearing socks from a previous edition of WIP. We definitely didn't see that coming. Anyway, we don't know if that counts as an impact metric, but it should.
We also ran into speakers from this year's WIP who were picking up their own Student Laus awards. Zorionak (Congratulations), Jon Blanco and Joel Iglesias. It was wild and really beautiful to see people who were just sharing their work at our house picking up an award 613 km away (yes, we actually checked Google Maps). Plus, a few faces from other editions popped up, so for a moment, it felt like a little Barcelona-edition extension of WIP. Very, very cool.
Fish and chips, Moritz beers, and Razzmatazz
After the awards ceremony came the serious part: getting some food, drinking Moritz beers, and pretending we still had some energy left. There was fish and chips, a burger, a vegan burrito, and that moment when everything tastes so much better because the tension is gone and you have two Laus sitting nearby.
Then we kept the celebration going at Razzmatazz, dancing as one does when you've been trying to keep your composure for a long while and then need to compensate with a good dose of the dance floor.
And all of this in under 24 hours in Barcelona. An express, intense getaway. The kind where one minute you're picking up some bonito con divisa sandwiches at Joserra, and the next you're popping up in blurry photos with a beautiful mix of exhaustion and adrenaline.
Blunt objects and heading back to Bilbao
The next morning it was time to head back to Bilbao. A flight that promised to be quick and clean, until the little security checkpoint incident happened. It turns out the Laus could be considered a "blunt object." For a moment, we thought it might have to stay in Barcelona or that we'd have to check it as if it were sensitive material. And hey, it is a bit blunt. By weight, by shape, and by everything it represents.
But in the end, it made it through. And so did we. We came back with two Laus, a few less stickers, new tote bags for the collection, a physical and emotional hangover, and that feeling of pride and satisfaction you get when your work is recognized in the industry.
Thank you to ADG-FAD and the jury for the recognition. Zorionak to all the winning agencies, studios, and projects, especially to our Basque friends.
We hope to be back soon, but next time, with a checked bag. Just in case.
Until next time!
