Brand Licensing Europe has unveiled the nine finalists which will battle it out to win one of three Kelvyn Gardner License This! awards.
There are three categories for 2021, including a new Product Design award launched in partnership with Mojo Nation, where designers have been tasked to invent a desktop accessory inspired by Aardman’s Morph IP.
The Character & Animation and Brand & Design categories are both aimed at unlicensed brands and properties, with judges looking for new creative concepts which have the potential to spread across multiple product categories.
“The standard of entries this year for the Kelvyn Gardner License This! competition was very high,” commented Ian Downes, director of Start Licensing and chair of the judging panel. “It was encouraging to see so many original ideas and concepts. The entrants put a lot of effort into the competition crafting some compelling entries and it was tough to draw up a shortlist.
“Based on the quality of entries it is clear that there is no shortage of creativity in and around licensing at the moment and the industry can be assured there is plenty of fresh thinking going on.”
The finalists are:
Brand & Design
- Pencil & TIE – best friends who live in Shibuya, Tokyo, Pencil, a graphic designer, is never seen without his pencil, while Tie is his one-footed, cheeky friend. Designer Mark creates one-fold, witty stationery which manifests itself in the (paper) product design and/or illustrations used.
- Sophie Jonas-Hill and Tea for Tattoo – a series of hand-drawn motifs which bring together the colour palette and style of traditional blue and white ceramics, with the aesthetic and cheeky edge of old school tattoos.
- Aline Cervo – Aline Bea is a surface pattern designer, illustrator and digital nomad. Inspired by nature, simple things in life, and her own journey, she draws everything from flowers to buildings and abstract compositions.
Character & Animation
- Els Morris – Els Doodles: Rosie Roars’ is an illustrated little one’s story book. Rosie is three and her favourite animal is a lion, she even wants to be one when she grows up.
- Stacy Moore – Eat Dirt: a series of humorous stories and poems for children aged 2-5 years old, designed to inspire a love of veggies, gardening, and outdoor play, served up with a big dose of pure silliness.
- Joel Mercer – Seeding Cards & Gifts: developed by the creative team behind Seedlings Cards & Gifts; a lovable range of characters, who care for our native habitats and wildflower seeds.
Product Design (the three designers in this category will pitch their concepts to the judges during the live final on Friday 19 November).
- Jon Morse – Tomato Source
- Chris de Junien – Imagine8
- Wayne Lindsay – Imaginnovation
BLE takes place in person from 17-19 November at ExCeL London followed by an online event running from 30 November to 1 December. It’s free to register at www.brandlicensing.eu.
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