On 18 April, I spent the day judging the Packaging Design competition entries for this year’s D&AD Student Awards. Winners have now been announced, and their competition entries for this category can be seen here.

I wanted to set a brief that would be inspiring, challenging and multi-layered. Not just a straight packaging project, but the creation of a new brand – a reflection of the professional real world of branding and packaging and the blurring of boundaries in our industry.

In a nutshell, the brief was:

It’s time for a new generation of Scotch whisky. Leave behind the heather and weather, we want a 21st Century Scotch that challenges category convention and appeals to an international female consumer.

I was thrilled to see a record amount of entries come in from across the world. The students had all really dug deep to understand the category, gather insights and address issues.

The attention to detail, quality of thinking and, ultimately, the storytelling and naming skills shown across all winning projects were outstanding, and incredibly mature. The storytelling shown in the two entries shortlisted for a Baby Pencil award - Melissa Preston and Batya Raff  - was particularly impressive.

They all certainly created thought provoking category challengers! I look forward to meeting the winners at the awards ceremony on 26 June.

Asa Cook, Design Director joined me at this year’s panel, saying:

“It felt like a big responsibility for me because I can remember so vividly what it was like as a student and how much effort you put in to it. I was aware that there are so many entries and that proper attention would need to be paid to the thinking and depth of a design, looking at the detail. I wanted to make sure each entry was thoughtfully considered and that the panel was engaged by the student’s rationale.

We were quite taken aback by the sheer number of entries. In previous years it has been more challenging to judge this category because of a low response, but our brief was downloaded around 2000 times, and we had around 280 entries to judge.

We asked people specifically to break the rules and you don’t get much opportunity to do that. The real advantage of this being an agency rather than a client created brief is that we weren’t scared of what people would do to our brand, we wanted them to think differently. I was looking for designs that were innovative about the conventions of whisky, to see something that represented a big breakthrough in the category, and was forward-thinking.

I think the brief generated real excitement because it was open enough to inspire the imagination, while still having a clear deliverable and encouraging people to break category rules. We were surprised by the quality of research into the category and the standard of naming. One thing to remember: Just because your stuff didn’t get in the book, doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. It’s so difficult to win, everyone who entered this year should be proud of their work.”

Working together on the awards this year is part of the spirit of Design Bridge, as Graham concludes,

We believe firmly in growing our own talent at Design Bridge, and encouraging the next generation of creators. The D&AD Student awards and New Blood events are a fantastic way for us to give a little time, inspiration and encouragement back into education.

Well done you lot, great work!

Graham

As Sony battles its worst ever deficit and announces global redundancies, Monocle 24 radio guest contributor Simon Black talks about how the brand can move forward and offer something different to emerging markets. When managing issues like brand credibility, technology and innovation, leadership can be a difficult space to inhabit- click on the link above to hear Simon’s take on how competing with Apple through brilliantly designed products doesn’t have to be a losing proposition if you engage with the consumer’s environment.

We are delighted to announce Design Bridge has been crowned a global winner at Diageo’s Marketing Brilliance Awards, held on the 21st March in London.  The awards recognise Diageo’s continued move to embrace innovation in its brand campaigns.  Design Bridge won in the category of Design & Gifting for Mahiki Coconut, Bill Goodenough, Group Executive Chairman and Graham Shearsby, Group Creative Director attended the event to pick up our award.

From left: Andy Fennell, Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo, Bill Goodenough, Group Executive Chairman, Design Bridge, Syl Saller, Global Innovation Director, Diageo, Graham Shearsby, Group Creative Director, Design Bridge Photo: Neil Turner/Timbismedia

Since launching in June Mahiki Coconut has created real excitement in the market and this will be its second award with hopefully more to come!  We are thrilled our design has been recognised by Diageo as the best in design and gifting across its global portfolio. Graham Shearsby, Group Creative Director, Design Bridge says,

“We are delighted to receive this award, it’s a testament to a great client-agency relationship and a belief in backing creativity, challenging conventions and bravely taking some risks.”

Andy Fennell, Diageo Chief Marketing Officer, commented,

“All the marketing recognised fundamentally changes the nature of our engagement with consumers through our brands…Our agencies have truly shown their skill and dexterity in developing innovative work that continues to build our brands. I am delighted to be able to recognise and celebrate their creative ideas and achievements.”

Frank Nas, Managing Director at our office in Amsterdam, was interviewed by leading financial Dutch newspaper ‘Het Financieele Dagblad’ on 6 March about his view on the current challenges to the threatened pharma sector and the opportunities for the industry as a whole. Here is a synopsis of the piece, translated from the Dutch version.

Pills beckon from the shelf

Now that more medication is on shelf, manufacturers are trying to seduce consumers.

Without warning, they appeared in the Etos (a Dutch chain of chemist), the I Say: packs. A line of 8 products, as yet, for home, garden and kitchen ailments such as fungal infections and vaginal dryness. The name and prominent Black/White photography stands out amid bland packs with incomprehensible texts. That is precisely the intention. “We want to distinguish ourselves”, says Pieternel Bouters of Medical Brands, the manufacturer in Amsterdam. “We have yet to see if it works, but if that is the case, the products will be launched in other countries such as England, France and Germany.”

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasingly selling their products through pharmacies, gas stations or supermarkets. It’s an attempt to protect their revenue stream now that many of their best-selling drugs are losing their patents or reimbursement and face competition from other brands and generics. When there is no physician or pharmacist involved, consumers are left to make the choice themselves. As a result, drug companies turn to agencies that have experience with consumer marketing. Frank Nas, Director of design agency Design Bridge in Amsterdam, has clearly observed this trend. “It’s easier for us to permeate Pharmaceutical companies. These types of assignments have without doubt doubled in the last two or three years.”

He understands their position though. The out-dated business model of the pharmaceutical industry follows stalls. With the loss of Blockbuster drugs, the enormous costs of research needed to develop new bestsellers, cannot be raised. The drug manufacturer AstraZeneca, Nas points out, announced thousands of layoffs last month when expensive new drugs did not make it to the market. Large pharmaceutical companies are still betting on the next blockbuster drug, but Nas thinks their time and money are better spent building their brands. ”There are almost no brands among the bestsellers.” In 2010, Lipitor was the only brand among the top ten, but in 2011 when it lost its’ protection, Pfizer saw profits immediately plummet to less than half their former value.

Standing at the self medication shelf, one can tell that the majority come straight from the world of the pharmacist says Nas. They are crammed with information on active ingredients and medical jargon. Not very suitable for the hurried Saturday morning shopper who just wants to find out quickly if Palergonium Sidoides drops can help his cold. Apps have since appeared on the market that aid consumers navigate the maze of self-care medication. In the US and UK where self-care is more developed than the Netherlands, there are already examples to be found of manufacturers that help steer customers with the help of packaging or product design.

The American brand Help Remedies is one such example, performing well in up-scale shops, hotels and drug stores. Fresh packaging, recognizable colour-coding, concise information and names that indicate exactly what the medication is intended to treat. Names such as “Help, I have an Aching body” or “Help, I have a headache” leave little room for confusion.

Better yet, says Nas, is to accentuate the solution, not the problem. Sominex, a sleeping aid from British manufacturer Actavis, leaps off the shelf by means of a striking design, yet it adds a positive emotion to it: ‘I want a good nights rest’ instead of ‘I cannot sleep.’

i-Flex, designed by Design Bridge for DSM, is a rosehip supplement that keeps the joints supple. The name in combination with an illustration of a Slinky on the packaging, (opposed to the usual images of painful joints), emphasizes the result: more freedom of movement. The design, differing from the usual images of painful joints, helped I-flex become the best selling brand in its segment in the first year of its introduction.

Some drug manufacturers make use of brand positioning, says Henry Neels, former director of drug manufacturer Wyeth in the Netherlands and now a consultant. “For consumers and patients, the advantage is that it is clear to them which products to use and there are no mistakes in use of the products. You often see this with OTC manufacturers, but it is not so obvious in prescription medication.”

Now that antacid prescriptions are no longer reimbursed, manufacturers of nonprescription drugs (OTC), have released a new generation of antacids on the market, such as Losecosan from Bayer. “It is too early to tell if consumers themselves will buy and pay for these antacids,” says Neels. “It’s an example that signals the beginning of the government plan for people to further manage their health care themselves.”

Nutricia directly approaches consumers or patients with regards to prescription medication, with a newly redesigned line of medical food products. The drinks, from which patients often live off for months, have been made friendlier, for example NutriniDrink now features pink elephants. If the product looks tastier, patients take their medication more dependably.

“I do not see many pharmaceuticals that have really taken on marketing yet,” says Bouter of Medical Brands. “I think they believe that the medical look works.” That may also apply to pharmacies. In any case, they had to properly explain the different message of the I Say: products. “It’s a positive approach. We believe that people would rather see a girl with a toe in her mouth than Schimpie (a character created to personify Fungus)’, she refers to an advertisement for a treatment of onychomycosis.

Sometimes there are branding challenges that come about for the most horrific of reasons. The tragic sinking of the Costa Concordia and the deaths of at least 25 people have, along with a more recent fire aboard another of their ships, presented the most challenging situations for the Costa cruising brand and its parent company – Carnival. In the end, agencies like ours have to work with these brands and businesses to ensure business continuity and give the people who work there the best chance of keeping their jobs and moving their businesses on whilst learning the lessons from what has gone before. Simon Black our Group Strategy Partner, muses over these issues on Midori House, the daily news review show on Monocle 24 Radio. Not all brand challenges are design and creative focused. Some are strategic from start to finish.

Design Bridge was doubly effective at the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards, winning silver and bronze awards in the packaging design category.  Tate & Lyle’s Limited edition ‘To Have & To Hold’ Royal Icing Sugar won a silver award.  Our Amsterdam Studio share the celebrations, winning bronze for Dutch fruit juice By Hoogesteger, proving Design Bridge consistently delivers results from centres of excellence worldwide.  The awards were revealed at the ceremony on 16 February at The Brewery, London.  Our MD, John Morris was there to collect the awards with Client, Hoogesteger Fresh Food, and our talented creative team.

From left: Michiel van't Hek, General Manager, Hoogesteger Fresh Food, with Deborah Dawton, CEO, DBA and Bas Van Herten, Client Services Director, Design Bridge Amsterdam

Judged exclusively by a panel of senior marketers, the DBA Awards are the only awards in the industry that use commercial data as the key judgement criteria.  A winning entry not only demonstrates a well executed design strategy but also an effective client-agency relationship.  As recognition of design’s commercial impact the awards reflect Design Bridge’s core aspirations for our clients and ultimately, their business.  An aspiration that is perfectly articulated by winning limited edition To Have & To Hold, an idea Design Bridge proposed to coincide with the opportunity of the Royal Wedding which launched from idea to shelf in just under seven weeks.  Group Creative Director, Graham Shearsby, says:

“To Have & To Hold  is a great example of intuitive thinking. We  seized upon an idea that fitted perfectly with the brand’s personality and tone of voice, coupled with the perfect product – literally the icing on the cake.  The most effective branding and package design lures you in and emotionally captures your imagination. We spend time to truly understand the truth and the personality behind brands we work with, it inspires great ideas and truly effective design.”

We are very proud that our design By Hoogesteger won a bronze award, Claire Parker, Creative Director Design Bridge Amsterdam said:

“It is wonderful to see that our commitment to the Big Idea resulted in such commercial success. The simplicity and restraint of the design really proves that a little can go a long way. Without any additional media or marketing support the pack really had to work hard, winning this award proves what a well thought-out and professionally executed design strategy can achieve. “

Client Michiel van’t Hek, General Manager, Hoogesteger Fresh Food attended the ceremony to collect the award, commending Design Bridge’s approach to reposition the brand in a new category:

“With a sales increase of 42% and a 10% increase in market share less than 8 months after launch, the design has had some juicy returns. Winning the award proof that Design Bridge is a true partner in terms of strategic and effective design to build commercial successful brands.”

Ceremony images courtesy of DBA.

Mahiki Coconut has won a First Place statuette at the Mobius Awards. For over 40 years the Mobius Awards have honoured the most outstanding creativity across all media and design platforms in the world. Not only has Mahiki Coconut been awarded first place in the Food & Beverage packaging design category, it was also shortlisted for Best of Show.

“One of those special projects” for Group Creative Director, Graham Shearsby,  Mahiki Coconut is the result of a strong relationship and belief in creative challenge with client, Diageo.  Steve Honour, Design Manager, Diageo affirms:

“This brand’s only been launched recently so it has done really well in sparking excitement and conversation – exactly what we wanted.”

A Mobius award is a hallmark of a very successful first year for the brand. Design Bridge is immensely proud and honoured. Mobius has recognised  the inspiring results of an outstanding partnership with our client, Diageo.

Last Friday our Head of Strategy, Simon Black, was interviewed live for Monocle 24′s business breakfast show, the Globalist. Click the arrow above to listen to the interview.

The hot topic of the moment is fair trade. Fair Trade USA have announced a split from Fair Trade International from 2012. To ‘increase impact’ and consumer awareness Fair Trade USA are launching an innovation strategy “Fair Trade for All” which will add new categories, including coffee plantations and estates and certify products with a minimum of 10% fair trade ingredients, half of the 20% minimum threshold of Fair Trade international.
Since Fair Trade International was established in 1997 to implement worldwide standards and certification, sales in the UK alone have reached £1bn a year and the global fair trade brand mark has become the most widely recognised ethical label.
How will brands begin to differentiate themselves in the fair trade market? Simon discusses how a duality of fair trade branding with different standards could affect consumer trust, and how this ‘Fair Trade Lite’ approach could raise debate for both organisations, and question the minimum threshold.

“The high standard of packaging design at the Pentawards shows hows how the industry is upping its game as it becomes an ever more important part of the marketing mix.  It’s not about the dominance of western agencies, inspiring creativity is challenging the industry from all corners of the world.

For Design Bridge to cut through the competition and win four awards is truly outstanding and I’m really proud of it. Our awards from markets in Holland, Egypt, Mexico and Camel worldwide, show the international perspective of Design Bridge as one company, creating inspiring brands for any country in the world.”

Having been part of the jury this year, Group Creative Director, Graham Shearsby, joined an international panel to assess 951 entries from over 50 countries.  Our winning projects include by Hoogesteger fruit juice (Gold), Camel worldwide duty free Cassettes (Silver), ID Black Onyx Edition premium vodka and Bohemia beer (Bronze).

Winning a gold trophy in a highly competitive category is a great achievement for by Hoogesteger.  In just its first year of launching, the winning design has had strong success in the market, proving great design gives brands great results.

Love 2 Bake was created for Julia Barclay to launch a simple home baking kit as a premium brand. Using traditional techniques, our design combines calligraphy with a heartfelt logo and is letter-pressed on to uncoated paper then hand-sealed for a crafted finish. The honesty and quality of the design resonates with the spirit of the brand and also reflects a trend towards authenticity in the industry. Read more about the project here.