Entry Information

Entries are welcome from design consultancies, branding agencies, ad agencies, in-house design teams and brand owners.

Entries can be branding programmes and campaigns that have been commissioned and implemented either nationally or internationally.

• Benefit from the prestige of having the work in print. All shortlisted entries will appear in the Benchmarks Book.
• If you are shortlisted, images of your work will be displayed on the Design Week website from October and information about the project will be added after the Awards Ceremony.
• The Benchmarks Book is sent to top client companies. Inclusion in it will demonstrate that you are more than a 'logo and literature merchant' in the branding arena and are capable of delivering winning design within brand guideline constraints.
• Show clients that you have a 'joined up' approach to their branding needs.
• Celebrate the collaboration between yourself and your client that has resulted in great branding work - a sure way to win repeat orders.
• Gain recognition within the industry and beyond for the talents of your team.
• Show your peers a fuller picture of what you can do and demonstrate your point of difference and so enhance your reputation.

If you are entering a branding programme your entry must demonstrate skill in creating a total brand experience on behalf of the client. It is imperative to show THREE OR MORE treatments, created or commissioned by your consultancy, of the branding or campaign, each one across a different communication platform.

If you are entering a one-off campaign to enhance or extend the brand please ensure that you demonstrate how the branding was applied to MORE THAN ONE communication platform.

Your entry can comprise work across any of the following communication platforms:

• Advertising - poster / press / outdoor advertising created or commissioned by your team
• Digital media - website / intranet / extranet / email communication / CD / DVD
• Direct marketing - direct mail / direct response advertising / SMS text / email
• Environments - retail / office / hospitality / other environments
• Exhibitions and events - all forms of exhibitions and events
• Literature - all forms of printed material that focus on delivering a brand, corporate or product message (annual reports / promotional brochures / design manuals)
• Merchandise - sales promotion and incentive items that support the brand experience
• Packaging - structural and branded packs for any products relevant to the category
• Point of sale / purchase - branded items that support a campaign
• Publications - magazines / newsletters / books
• Stationery - letterheads / compliments slips / business cards / envelopes displaying the brand
• Other platforms - items that fall beyond the stated examples but clearly demonstrate delivering a brand message through design.

• Entries can only be submitted online using the official entry form. Entries will not be accepted by any other means.
• Each entry must have its own entry form (this can be downloaded from the categories page), detailing the answers to all the questions (up to 350 words in total - this can be bullet pointed).
• The launch date of the project must be provided during the online entry process.
• The Awards are open to any business or project that has launched, been redeveloped or shown substantial, measurable progress since September 2008.
• Each entry must have supporting visuals. You will need to show the branding pre and post re-brand and what each individual piece of finished work looked like (please ensure that images are labelled accordingly). Regardless of whether you send supplementary physical samples, you will need to upload digital images with your entry (or send them on a USB stick to Lorraine Stinson at the address below if they exceed the 5MB online upload limit). These images are for the benefit of the judges and, if the entry is shortlisted, for inclusion in the Benchmarks Book and on the Design Week website.
• If you have physical samples to support your entry please do send them in, so they can be taken into consideration at the judging day. Having clearly marked each piece of supporting material with the entry reference number (which will be issued in your entry confirmation email), please post it to:
  Lorraine Stinson, Event Coordinator, Benchmarks Awards 2010
  C/O Centaur Events, St Giles House, 50 Poland Street, London, W1F 7AX
  ENTRANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT PHYSICAL SUPPORTING MATERIAL WHERE POSSIBLE.
• Contact details of the client/brand owner must be supplied during the online entry process. Design Week reserve the right to contact the client/brand owner if necessary.
• Entries must be accompanied by full payment via Credit Card online or by cheque through the post.
• If appropriate, projects may be entered into more than one category, but an entry fee must be paid for each category entered.
• The judges reserve the right to re-categorise entries if they consider another category to be more suitable. However, they cannot be expected to routinely re-categorise projects that are entered incorrectly.
• The information provided during the online entry process and the entry form will provide the basis for information included in the Benchmarks Book and on the website, if the entry is shortlisted. If any of the information within the entry is commercially sensitive please contact Lorraine Stinson (+44 (0)20 7970 6524 or benchmarks@centaur.co.uk).
• Any entry may be withdrawn for any reason until 5.30pm on Wednesday 14th July upon written request to the organisers. Please note that the entry fee is non-refundable.
• Supporting material cannot be returned, but if requested during the online entry process, it will be available for collection at the end of September. If you do wish to collect your supporting material please ensure that you indicate this in the relevant place during the online entry process.
• Benchmarks and Design Weekaccept no responsibility for loss of or damage to material submitted.
• The judges' decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding them.

1 entry £240 + VAT per entry
2 - 4 entries £190 + VAT per entry
5 + entries £165 + VAT per entry

1. When submitting your entry please ensure that you have read and fulfilled all of the Conditions of Entry.
2. Complete an entry form (this can be bullet pointed) for each entry that you wish to submit. Please see the Categories page for further details about the entry criteria.
3. Please return to the website and go to the 'Submit an Entry' page, complete your contact details, nominate into Client of the Year if appropriate and click 'Proceed'.
4. Select your category / first category from the list.
5. Fill in your client contact details. In the section marked 'Credits', please list any consultancies or individuals who have had creative input e.g. architects, photographers, illustrators and designers.
6. Then upload:
   • Your entry form (this can be bullet pointed).
   • Digital images to support your entry.

     Please ensure that you upload at least three images to represent your project for the judging process and in event material such as the Benchmarks Book, the Design Week website and at the Awards. You will need to show the branding pre and post re-brand and what each individual piece of finished work looked like. Please ensure that the file name clearly indicates the image content. Images must be submitted as an Illustrator EPS or a high resolution JPEG (minimum 300 DPI). The maximum size for file uploads is 5Mb per entry.

     NB Any additional images or supporting material should be clearly labelled with your entry number (which you will receive on your confirmation email) and sent to:
     Lorraine Stinson, Event Coordinator, Benchmarks Awards
     C/O Centaur Events, St Giles House, 50 Poland Street, London W1F 7AX.
     ENTRANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT PHYSICAL SUPPORTING MATERIAL WHERE POSSIBLE.

7. Once you are on the Entry Summary page please either click 'Add another Entry' or 'Proceed' to the payment stage.
8. Please note your individual Entry Number/s, which you will receive on your confirmation email, and quote this/these on any future correspondence.

Please click here to submit your entry/ies.

Submit an Entry