Calling all young graphic designers and graphic design students! Can you design a unique road safety poster aimed at young European drivers? The European Commission wants your creativity to help spread the message about responsible driving among young people, one of the most vulnerable groups on the roads. The winning poster will be translated into the EU’s 23 official languages, distributed in all 27 EU countries and used for a communication campaign in Brussels and possibly for similar campaigns across all 27 EU Member States!
Can I participate?
The competition is aimed at young people with an interest in graphic design. You must be an EU resident and born after 1985. You don’t have to prove your age and residency when you submit your poster, but you will be asked to do so if you get to the finals.
What do I have to do?
Using any technique you like, you should create a poster for use in promoting the EU’s action for road safety in all European countries. Your work should reflect one of the 12 themes listed in the briefing. There’s no imposed slogan, just an imposed ‘baseline’ – Safer roads in Europe. Yes we care! – This must appear somewhere on your work and will be kept in English regardless of the other word’s on the poster. Feel free to interpret one of the 12 themes as you wish. Do be aware though that word puns that work in your own language might not necessarily translate well into other languages, so this is perhaps best avoided. All that remains now is to choose which of the 12 themes your poster will focus on. If your poster does include text, it must be in one of the EU’s 23 official languages (see list here). It would be helpful if you could however provide a translation in English or French, and there’s a place for this on the entry form. Your work must conform to the A2 paper standard (420 × 594mm). The winning poster will eventually be printed with the EU logo – a small EU flag and the words ’The European Union’ – and the Road Safety logo “ON THE MOVE – for safer roads in Europe” at the bottom. You don’t have to include the logo but you may wish to take it into account when creating your poster.
How do I submit my poster?
It’s easy. Just send your work electronically (via the competition website) before midnight Brussels time on 21 October 2011. You can use JPG or GIF format, but if you reach the final 10 stage you will be asked to send your project in PDF and InDesign format so that high-definition prints can be made. The file must be no larger than 3MB (megabytes). You must provide your name, address, telephone number, date of birth and e-mail address. The contest complies with EU provisions on user privacy.
How will my work be evaluated?
10 finalists will be chosen by representatives from DG MOVE, the coordinator of the European Youth Forum for Road Safety and an expert Art Director from EURESIN. Apart from originality and artistic quality, jurors will be looking at how well your work represents the themes and whether it will also appeal to your fellow European citizens. From 31 October to 18 November the 10 pre-selected posters will be put to an online public vote (via the competition website) and anyone will have the opportunity to vote (just once though!)
When will the winner be selected?
The 10 finalists will be selected between 21 and 28 October and will receive a letter to that effect. The online public vote will be held from 31 October to 18 November. The winner will be invited to Brussels for an award ceremony on 24 November at the European Youth Forum for Road Safety. The two runners-up will be notified by post of their prize.
What happens if I win?
The winning design will be used for a communication campaign in Brussels and possibly for similar campaigns across all 27 EU Member States by the European Commission.
The winner will receive €2 000 and will be invited for an award ceremony to Brussels at the European Youth Forum for Road Safety on 24 November. The two runners-up will each receive €1 000 and will be notified by post of their prize. The 10 finalists’ posters may also be used in exhibitions organised by the European Commission or EU representatives in EU countries and in promotional material (i.e. mouse pads, postcards, etc.).