Computer Arts - UK (2020-05)

NOW IN ITS SEVENTH YEAR, THE BRAND IMPACT AWARDS RETURNS

FOR 2020, WITH THREE NEW CATEGORIES TO ENTER

events

CULTURE

A

mong the range of design

competitions you can enter if you

work in the creative industries,

there’s only one that’s focused on branding.

That’s our very own Brand Impact Awards

(BIAs), which we launched back in 2014 and

has become one of the most important events

in the design calendar.

Now the BIAs are back for 2020, and we’ve

added three exciting new categories. More on

that in a moment, but first – how do the

awards work, and how can you enter?

Unlike many other creative awards,

projects are judged by market sector. This

means your work is put in the context for

which it was designed. Both rebrands and

new brands are accepted, and the panel of

judges – drawn from some of the country’s

top design studios – will be looking for

consistent quality of ideas and execution

across two or more brand touch-points.

Entries must be submitted through the

website – brandimpactawards.com – by

29 May, while you have until 7 April to

enter your projects at the Early Bird

concession rate.

NEW CATEGORIES

This year, three new categories have been

added to the Brand Impact Awards:

copywriting, illustration and typography, all

under the heading of Craft in Branding.

Nick Carson, chair of judges and a former

editor of Computer Arts, outlines why.

“Unlike many other design awards that

span the whole gamut of creative

communication, the Brand Impact Awards

has always been narrow and deep in its focus:

branding, as judged in the context of its

market sector,” Nick explains. “In the first six

years, a special award was presented by the

judges to the best example of collaboration –

and the winner was often an example of an

agency working closely with a craft specialist.

In 2020 we’ve expanded this into three

craft-specific categories, each with its own

specialist jury, to reward the very best

examples of copywriting, illustration and

typography within branding.”

The aim, then, is to open up the Brand

Impact Awards to a broader range of

entrants, without losing the primary focus on

branding. Alongside design agencies, Nick

hopes that there will be direct submissions

from copywriters and writing agencies,

illustrators and animators, and typographers

and type designers.

“Entries to these craft categories must

meet the same exacting standards that the

BIAs are renowned for: a compelling, original

idea; beautiful and consistent execution; and

work that stands head and shoulders above

its market sector,” Nick adds. “But the

specialist juries will be laser-focused on that

craft discipline’s role in the overall success of

the project, and in particular how it expresses

the brand’s values and contributes to its

overall personality.”

KEY INFO

• Closing date: 7 April
  (early bird); 29 May
  (final)


• Entry cost: From £179
  plus VAT


• Main judges: Lynsey
  Atkin, Aporva Baxi, Sean
  Thomas, Dilys Maltby,
  Garrick Hamm, Lisa
  Thomas, Max Ottignon,
  Donna Payne, Peter
  Knapp, Jane Rosier, Paul
  Belford, Emma Booty,
  Richard Danks, Chris
  Bradley
  Craft in Branding judges:
  Nick Asbury, Mike Reed,
  Vikki Ross, Kate van der
  Borgh (copywriting);
  Shaun Bowen, Rebecca
  Sutherland, Anna
  Charity, Alan Dye
  (illustration); Tom Foley,
  Caterina Bianchini,
  Bianca Berning,
  Domenic Lippa
  (typography)


• Date: 10 September


• Location:
  Fabric, London

brandimpactawards.com

As well as chairing the

judging panel, Nick

Carson is also the host

of the award ceremony.