Results of the red dot award: communication design 2008

“The current number of entries is proof of how sought-after the ‘red dot’ quality
label is worldwide,” explains Professor Dr. Peter Zec, head of the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen and initiator of the red dot design award. “In fact, only roughly 6.5 per cent of all entries received an award – the competition is tough, and only the best, most creative entries from the twelve competition categories held up under the critical scrutiny of the red dot jury.”

Design instead of trivial advertising messages
This year, there has been a clear trend towards more and better design in the
advertising sector. “Agencies seem to have noticed that bad and trivial advertising misses the advertising target and is only regarded as a nuisance,” concluded the jurors from their observations.

In contrast, good advertising was attempting to offer well-designed information or an entertaining message which did not have an annoying effect. This meant that also in the field of advertising design was receiving a lot more attention.

“Design quality in advertising has improved significantly. While in the past design only played a minor role in advertising, it is now increasingly gaining significance. Trivial advertising messages are passé for the best of the industry,” summarises design expert Zec. “This is also the reason why the red dot design award is increasingly gaining importance with top advertising agencies. They also want to convince consumers with good design in advertising. The advertisers seem to have to understood that consumers have become more demanding. This does not only apply to buying decisions but also to the attention that is paid to advertising. People want more authenticity and less annoyance!”

Awards presentation and exhibition
The award-winners will be honoured at the festive awards presentation in the
gala hall of the Casino Zollverein and at the vernissage of the special exhibition
in the red dot design museum in Essen, Germany. The exhibition “Design on stage – winners red dot award: communication design 2008” featuring all prizewinning works will be on show in the red dot design museum from December 4, 2008 to January11, 2009.

The publication documenting the competition
In time for the awards ceremony the “International communication design yearbook 2008/2009” will be published. The yearbook has become an  stablished reference work of contemporary design. It is published by the in-house publishing company, the red dot edition.

To present the winners of the multimedia categories appropriately, this year for the first time an accompanying CD-ROM featuring all the winning works from these categories will be published.

The red dot design award
With more than 10,000 entries in its disciplines red dot award: product design,
red dot award: communication design, and red dot award: design concept
the red dot design award is one of the leading and largest design competitions
worldwide. Since 1955 the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen,
Germany, has annually selected and officially honoured outstanding design
quality in an exhibition.

Press contact:
Sabine Schnedler
Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen

Phone: +49 - (0)201 - 30 104 - 43
Fax:     +49 - (0)201 - 30 104 - 44

Email: schnedler@dznrw.com
www.red-dot.de/press