Pepsi and POPAI, the global association for marketing at retail, announced the launch of the 2012 Student Display Design Competition.

Photo: POPAI

Understanding the importance of visual look of its product in stores, Pepsi teamed up with the connoisseur of the industry to encourage students’ achievements in design in the retail setting.

The 2012 Student Display Design Competition is the first of its kind for the marketing at retail industry and challenges students to design in-store marketing materials that leverage shopper insights to help promote Pepsi products at the critical point-of-purchase.

«As in-store marketing grows in importance and marketers focus more at winning over shoppers at the shelf, one discipline is seeing its star rise: design,» said Leslie Nagy, Senior Director, Marketing Services & Licensing at Pepsi Beverages North America. «Great design has always had its place in the retail environment, but great design that leverages critical shopper insights is the path forward and we’re happy to help blaze that trail.»

All students who are of 18 years of age or older and are currently enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs in advertising, communications, creative arts, engineering, graphic design, illustration, and new media can apply on the program’s website.

The effective use of the latest display techniques, materials, and overall creative ingenuity will be the main criteria by which submissions will be judged.  In addition, judges will consider the real-world applicability of the design, evaluate the utilization of marketing and branding strategies reflective of Pepsi, and examine how the design coincides with the shopper point of view provided by Pepsi in the creative brief.

The top 10 finalists will be announced on January 31, 2012.  The competition winner will receive $1500 and flight and accommodations to GlobalShop. Second winner will receive $1000 and the third—$500.

Now Pepsi is running the Pepsi Max Film Competition 2011 for London.