Media Information
Aerosol Climbing Concept helps Climbers get a 'Grip'
18/07/2007
David Michie of Northumbria University has won the BAMA (British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association) sponsored Product Design & Innovation Category of The D&AD* Global Student Awards 2007.
The brief asked for students to choose a consumer brand and design a new aerosol-based product that better ‘expresses the brand through its look, feel and above all function’.
The winning design called ‘Grip’ designed for Petzl - supplier of outdoor sports equipment - offers rock and mountain climbers a lightweight replacement to the current chalk bags for use on palms to avoid slippage. ‘
Grip’ is a small casing made from anodised aluminium and a rubber core which holds the aerosol in place. The aerosol can hold the chalk or other degreasing products currently used for climbing. The consistent and controlled function of the aerosol spray avoids creating clouds of chalk dust, providing a more effective and less intrusive piece of equipment for climbers.
The D&AD Global Student Awards seek to identify the best creative talent at undergraduate and postgraduate student level. This scheme allows students one academic year to complete their projects. David Michie receives the sought-after D&AD Student Yellow Pencil, £1,000 cash and a paid work placement at a leading UK product design agency.
Second prize winners are Jack Godfrey Wood and Thomas Ballhatchet, both studying at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Jack Godfrey Wood’s concept is an E-bay Spray – giant silly string that seals awkward shaped parcels ready for posting. Thomas Ballhatchet’s Easy Plant Miracle Seed Spray is designed for the Miracle-Gro stable of garden products. This aerosol concept dispatches a seed and instant gel surround directly into soil. The gel protects the seed from insects and provides a nutrient source for it to flourish. Runners-up in the category receive the D&AD Student Yellow Pencil, £400 and a D&AD certificate.
Sue Rogers, BAMA’s director says: “The standard of entries this year was refreshingly high and the winning concept is on brand, innovative, functional and presented in a simple and attractive format. With manufacturing in the UK becoming increasingly competitive, we feel that it is important to support creativity and innovation in a tangible way. We also want to ensure that designers of tomorrow are aware of the flexibility and convenience of the aerosol format and how it can benefit product performance”.
Garrick Hamm, Creative Director of Williams Murray Hamm and D&AD Education Chairman, adds: “…..the students’ work just gets better and better every year. In some cases we questioned if they were actual students entering and not professionals desperately trying to get their hands on a D&AD pencil!”
ends
* D&AD - Design and Art Direction Notes to editors D&AD is a not-for-profit organisation that represents the international design, advertising and creative communities. More than any other organisation, D&AD sets industry standards, educates and inspires the next generation and promotes the importance of creativity, innovation and ideas within the business community. D&AD Student Global Awards showcase the best emerging design and advertising talent from hundreds of colleges and universities around the globe, and promote it to the creative community worldwide. Every year, college and university students across the globe tackle live briefs from some of the world’s biggest brands. The briefs are set by the world's foremost designers, advertising and business professionals and cover a wide spectrum of creative disciplines and industry sectors.
Visit http://www.dandad.org/ for more information.
For further press information on BAMA please contact:
Gill Shaffer or Jo Jacobius
Axiom Communications
Tel: 020 8347 8206
e-mail: gill@axiom-uk.com or jo@axiom-uk.com F
or further press information on the D&AD Global Student Awards please contact:
Maeve O’Sullivan, Media Relations Manager Tel: 020 7840 1125 e-mail maeve@dandad.co.uk