Unique design and outstanding creativity - this is what unites the brands and works that were honoured by the jury of the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2020. 6,992 projects by designers, agencies and companies from 50 nations were entered for the competition this year. The Red Dot Jury evaluated all submissions in an online jury at the end of June. The car manufacturer "Polestar" particularly impressed the experts and received the highest award "Red Dot: Brand of the Year". In the "Communication Design" category, the excitement continues until the end of October: only then will it be announced who will be awarded a Red Dot: Grand Prix.
This year, all entries were evaluated online under the motto "In search of good design and creativity". Over several days, the 24 international experts evaluated each brand and work professionally, individually and comprehensively. "The fact that such a large number of high-quality works reached us this year again clearly shows the relevance of the Red Dot Award for companies, designers and agencies around the world. I would like to thank the jurors for taking the new path of digital judging with us and congratulate all the prize winners most warmly on their achievement," said Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator and CEO of the Red Dot Award.
This year's online jury session was a new experience for the Red Dot jurors. Jury member Kelley Cheng, owner of the publishing and design consultancy "The PressRoom", said of the evaluation: "Of all the jury sessions worldwide, I can safely say that Red Dot has the strongest evaluation culture, where the jury members have become an extended part of the family over years and decades. We have deeply internalized Red Dot's values and principles, which enables us to make informed and empathetic decisions. And with the strong bond between us, it makes no difference whether we judge online or on location. The same values and principles prevail, we will continue to judge fairly as we do every year, and as always, it is our duty as Red Dot gatekeepers to ensure that the best submissions win the competition.
This year, 854 of the registered trademarks and communication works were awarded a Red Dot. The jury awarded the Red Dot: Best of the Best for very high design quality only 55 times - this corresponds to only 0.8 percent of the submissions.
In the "Brands" category, the experts awarded the highest distinction "Red Dot: Brand of the Year" only once: The Swedish car manufacturer "Polestar" impressed the jury with the design quality of its brand presentation. Prof. Michel de Boer, Red Dot juror and Creative Director at De Boer & Wang Studio, explains the experts' decision: "Introducing a new brand to the already saturated automotive market is no easy task. Polestar has convinced us that the brand did not emerge overnight. The brand image is cool, electrifying and stylistically durable - very clever, as it is intended to be a subsidiary of the 'Volvo' brand, which has its roots in the north. Polestar is simple, but at the same time rich in subtle details. The clear brand message and the purity of the design is what convinced the jury to nominate it as Red Dot: Brand of the Year.
Who is among the top names in the "Communication Design" category will be revealed in October: The winners of the "Red Dot: Best of the Best" award are nominated for the highest award in communication design, the Red Dot: Grand Prix. In 2020 the special award will be given to seven creative works. At the same time, it will be announced which young designer can look forward to the Red Dot: Junior Prize worth 10,000 euros. A very special highlight will be the announcement of the coveted honorary title "Red Dot: Agency of the Year". Every year, Red Dot honours an agency that has impressed with above-average design achievements either in the current competition or over several years. Nobody can apply for this title, which is why the announcement is awaited with particular excitement every year.
From October 2020, all award-winning brands and communications work will be presented in the online exhibition on the Red Dot website. The achievements of the award winners will also be on display in various exhibitions and in the International Yearbook Brands & Communication Design 2020/2021, which will be published in November.
Results of the competition at a glance
Submissions: 6,992
Participating nations: 50
Awards:
Red Dot: 854
Red Dot: Best of the Best: 55
Red Dot: Brand of the Year: 1
Red Dot: Grand Prix: 7
Red Dot: Junior Prize: 1
www.red-dot.org