Hasta La Ideas

Each year the Design Business Association recognises design projects that have a tangible effect on a client’s business through its Design Effectiveness Awards. The latest winners were announced last night with the Grand Prix going to B&B Studio for the healthy snack brand Bear.

According to the DBA, B&B Studio‘s work for client Urban Fresh Foods has helped the brand see sales rise from £0 to £6.4 million in three years. In 2012, Bear sold 30 million portions of its fruity snacks. B&B were involved at every stage, from initial naming and brand creaton to packaging the brand’s latest products.

Other major award winners include WPA Pinfold and its client Croots which won a Gold. Croots is an upmarket country sports brand making gun cases, bags and accessories.

The company was originally known as AC Supplies. WPA Pinfold renamed it and rebranded it, splitting the product range into City and Country and playing up its English-made heritage and quality (case study here).

The effect was, apparently a massive 17,963% increase in retail sales (which makes us wonder what level sales must have been at before) and export growth of 250%.

In the Design For Society category (recognising design that has impacted people’s lives for the better) The Team and the Gas Safe Register won Gold for the Silent Killer campaign. The Team created a brand from scratch when in 2008 the Health and Safety Executive gave Capita the contract to run the UK’s new gas registration scheme to replace CORGI. According to the DBA, the new Register has “increased the number of higher risk households having annual gas safety checks by a staggering 300%, helping to avoid the devastating and potentially life-threatening effects of unsafe gas work.”

Another interesting award winner was the Science Museum. Universal Design Studio and Barbery Osgerby’s Map were given a Gold for their Fundraiser Desk. This spectacular shiny installation helped the Museum increase donations by 80%.

According to the case study “While studying visitors’ movements, Universal Design Studio and MAP identified an excess of pathways that often caused customers to bypass both the museum’s fundraisers and its information desk. Universal Design Studio and MAP streamlined the reception hall and incorporated a two-stage entry system with bespoke desk installations featuring mirror-polished stainless steel in keeping with their contemporary surroundings.
As a result, visitors approached the fundraising desk before passing through to a central information point.” At that point, museum staff ask visitors if they would like to make a donation whereas before, the only mechanism to donate as by putting money into clear plastic receptacles whihc, of course, many people ignored.

Elmwood was the most awarded agency for the fifth year, winning six awards on the night, including a Gold for Gressingham Duck.

See a full list of the winners and case studies here