News

Pepsi, POPAI launch 2012 Student Display Design Competition

September 18, 2011

Visually quenching the shoppers' thirst in the aisles of a store is no simple task - just ask any up-and-coming student designer. Recognizing the importance of engaging shoppers in the in-store environment - both visually and physically - POPAI and Pepsi today announced the launch of the 2012 Student Display Design Competition.

The competition celebrates student achievement, reflecting the powerful convergence of creative marketing and design in the retail setting. The competition, which will showcase individual projects created specifically for Pepsi, honors the most talented and promising student graphic designers, illustrators, and visual communicators from the world's top institutions of higher education.

"POPAI is proud to continue its commitment to supporting education initiatives by encouraging creativity and self-expression in students through the art of design and production," said POPAI President Richard Winter. "This competition will serve to recognize the best and brightest students, as well as the significant commitment of their instructors while introducing the marketing at retail industry to the creative talents of tomorrow, today."

The 2012 Student Display Design Competition is made possible by a partnership between Pepsi and POPAI. The 2012 competition, the first of its kind for the marketing at retail industry, challenges entrants to design in-store marketing materials that leverage shopper insights to help promote Pepsi products at the critical point-of-purchase.

"As in-store marketing grows in importance and marketers focus more at winning over shoppers at the shelf, one discipline is seeing its star rise: design," said Leslie Nagy, senior director, Marketing Services & Licensing at Pepsi Beverages North America. "Great design has always had its place in the retail environment, but great design that leverages critical shopper insights is the path forward and we're happy to help blaze that trail."

The competition is open to all students who are of 18 years of age or older and are currently enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs in advertising, communications, creative arts, engineering, graphic design, illustration and new media.

Each submission will be judged on the effective use of the latest display techniques, materials and overall creative ingenuity. In addition, judges will consider the real-world applicability of the design, evaluate the utilization of marketing and branding strategies reflective of Pepsi, and examine how the design leverages the shopper insights provided by Pepsi in the creative brief.

The top 10 finalists will be announced on January 31, 2012. The competition winner will be honored during the 2012 POPAI Awards Celebration held in conjunction with GlobalShop and the 2012 Outstanding Merchandising Achievement (OMA) Awards Contest on March 1, 2012.

For more information please visit www.popai.com/studentdesign.