Jet black, high-gloss pillar trim covers, bright red taillights, and brilliant headlamps are all made possible by the special properties of one of the world’s best known brands of plastics: PLEXIGLAS®.
Since 2017 the Molding Compounds Product Line has been conducting an international campaign to further publicize the many possibilities offered by PLEXIGLAS® molding compounds; for this it has now been named the winner in the Campaign category of the Automotive Brand Contest. The contest, organized by the German Design Council, recognizes outstanding product and communication design. The award was presented in Paris at the Mondial de l'Automobile, one of the most important international motor shows, on October 2, 2018. “The aim of our campaign is to raise our visibility in the market and reinforce the brand’s image in the minds of important decision-makers in the automotive industry,” says Siamak Djafarian, head of the Molding Compounds Product Line in Evonik’s Performance Materials Segment. “This is why we made the campaign emotionally appealing, and we’re happy this has been well received—not only by the jury of the Automotive Brand Contest but also in the automotive industry itself.”
Focus on emotion
In the Black & Bright campaign, technical details take a back seat while the campaign designers focus on the emotional appeal of the special features of PLEXIGLAS®. The advertising motifs present the advantages of PLEXIGLAS® in a humorous, light-hearted way. One of the total of five automotive motifs shows an elegantly dressed woman using a mirror to refresh her lipstick. The crux here is that the “mirror” is a raised engine hood, which in turn brings to mind a black concert grand piano. “Our molding compounds are used for injection-molded body parts. These are jet black and high gloss—just like piano lacquer,” says Djafarian. The ads are published in leading trade journals of the plastics and automotive industries worldwide and are supplemented by technical articles and case studies in various publications.
An inspiring material
In other elements of the campaign, the Product Line relies on dialog, for example through presentations at industry events. In addition, PLEXIGLAS® also presented itself to the public at large in an exhibition (since closed) in the well-known Red Dot Design Museum in Essen. “We want to address our target groups at various levels in creative and forceful ways and so to arouse their curiosity about the versatile properties of PLEXIGLAS®,” says Doris Hirsch, one of those with major responsibility for the campaign. PLEXIGLAS®, for example, guides light very well, is resistant to wind and weather, and with its gloss maintains a sophisticated appearance over the long term. “Thanks to their versatility, our branded molding compounds have been sparking ideas and creativity in vehicle construction for more than 60 years—and will remain a driving force for innovation in the future,” says Djafarian.
The Automotive Brand Contest
The Automotive Brand Contest is the only neutral, international design competition for automobile marques and within a very short time has developed into one of the world’s most important competitions in the sector. With the contest, the German Design Council honors outstanding product and communication design and draws attention to the fundamental importance of brands and brand design in the automotive sector. The focus here is on the overall and consistent presentation of the brand over all media and products.
Two brands, one product
Evonik is a worldwide manufacturer of PMMA products sold under the PLEXIGLAS® trademark on the European, Asian, African and Australian continents and under the ACRYLITE® trademark in the Americas.
About Evonik
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-orientated innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees. In fiscal 2017, the enterprise generated sales of €14.4 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.36 billion.
About Performance Materials
The Performance Materials Segment is managed by Evonik Performance Materials GmbH. The segment focuses its global activities on developing and manufacturing polymer materials and intermediates, especially for use in agriculture and in the rubber and plastics industry. In 2017, the segment’s roughly 4,400 employees generated sales about €3.8 billion.
