Design News South Africa

Student bags Exclusive Books competition

A 21 year old student from the University of Pretoria has bagged first place in the Exclusive Books Shopping Bag Design competition finalised in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, last week. Said Batya Green-Bricker, Exclusive Books marketing manager, of Elske Nel's entry, “The winning bag design answered our brief deftly, with a witty, sophisticated and intelligent drawing that captured the Exclusive Books brand perfectly. The naïve line drawing was simple, playful and unusual, and added a touch of whimsy to the Exclusive Books brand.”
Student bags Exclusive Books competition

Second and third places were awarded to Raees Khan from Vega Brand Communication School in Durban and Samantha Linakis from the University of Johannesburg respectively.

Said Bridget Johnson, creative director from advertising agency, Ogilvy Johannesburg and one of the judges, “There was a wonderful variety of work submitted, showcasing a wealth of talent and different perspectives. There were designs of an extremely high standard, as well as ideas and approaches that are fresh and engaging.”

Added Green-Bricker: “Ideas do matter. Exclusive Books is in the business of ideas, at the cutting edge of culture. Our books are so often the catalyst for great things. Entries to the plastic bag competition proved how even a retailer can inspire imagination, and we were delighted that our shopping bags are the moving billboards for creative talent in South Africa.”

Student bags Exclusive Books competition

The competition was open to all design students across South Africa. Each of the 10 finalists received Exclusive Books gift vouchers to the value of R1000 and the grand prize was an Apple Mac I-Book and merchandise to the value of R20 000 and Exclusive Books gift vouchers to the value of R5000.

The competition formed part of the Exclusive Books Fanatics 10th anniversary celebrations this year, celebrating the success of the loyalty programme, which has over 600 000 members.

The awards took place Thursday, 7 August 2008.

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