International advertising festival Cannes Lions has announced that it will introduce a product design category at this year’s event.
According to the official press release, the product design category aims to “recognise the applied use of physical products in aiding the communication of a brand ethos as well as its use to have a positive impact on improving people’s lives.”
Cannes Lions CEO Philip Thomas said in an interview with Dezeen, “Over the past few years we have seen a desire and a need from marketers to include product design in their brand communications. Brands who are looking for creative communications solutions are no longer just looking for advertising, in fact they don’t even talk in those terms anymore. They are looking for the whole brand experience which does of course include design.”
The product design category is divided into four subsections: Consumer Goods, which focuses on the visual impact and design of a product and encompasses electronics, lighting, furniture, homeware, fashion, and lifestyle; Wellbeing and Environmental Impact, which judges a product on how it makes lives better through design; Solution, which focuses on ergonomic and innovative solutions, and Interface, which emphasizes a product’s user experience and ability to convey information.
The 61st Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity will be held from 15 to 21 June in Cannes, France. The deadline for entries is 28 March.
[via Dezeen, image via Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity]