Logo competition Ends with no First Place Winner
Geneva, June 29, 2001
Press Releases PR/2001/279
The international jury appointed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to oversee an international competition for a new logo for the Organization awarded this week three third prizes to designs from three different countries, noting that none of the entries in the competition met the necessary criteria to serve as a new logo for WIPO.
The three prizes of 10,000 Swiss Francs each were awarded to Mr. Stefan Dublin of Switzerland, Ms. Sofie Engel of Denmark, and Ms. Swon Kang of Australia. The prizes were awarded in recognition of the aesthetic merit shown in their projects.
The jury, composed of representatives of WIPO member states and WIPO staff members, unanimously agreed that none of the logo proposals, received from 58 countries around the world, served as a sufficiently strong symbol for the Organization and its work.
The jury's decision, which is final, noted that while many of the 784 projects received showed significant aesthetic merit, none met the criteria established by WIPO member states last September when they decided that a new logo should be found to better represent the vision and work of the Organization. Member states agreed that a new logo should stand as a symbol of WIPO as a dynamic, innovative, and future-oriented organization, that it should be simple, distinctive, and memorable, and that it should be suitable for use in a variety of media. The existing WIPO logo is more than 30 years old.
The competition ran from March 1 to May 30, 2001 and was open to graphic designers in any of WIPO's 177 member states. WIPO was assisted in organizing the competition by SGD Swiss Graphic Designer Association.
WIPO's member states will be informed of the jury's decision at their annual meetings in September and will decide on the next steps to be taken in finding a new logo for the Organization.
For further information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at WIPO:
- Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61 or (+41 22) 338 95 47;
- Fax: (+41 22) 338 88 10;
- E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int