/ WIN WIN Award

Win Win Won

The Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development is given annually in recognition of outstanding achievements towards a sustainable future. With a prize fund of one million Swedish kronor, it is the leading award of its kind.

Direction

A brand survey revealed that awareness of the award was alarmingly low – even though it had been presented since 2000. A new name was a must. One that was snappy, descriptive and memorable. On its own, The Gothenburg Award said very little about the prize or its significance. And the graphic identity was neither differentiating nor optimised for modern media. We had a challenge on our hands to make the award inviting, fun and unlike any other.

The definition of win-win is a situation or outcome where everyone comes away happy.

Creation

Sustainability is all about satisfying our demands today without jeopardising future generations’ ability to satisfy theirs. Win win, in other words. And there it was – the name. The planet wins, humanity wins and whoever picks up the award also wins. One problem solved. Now we needed to visualise the solution. To communicate sustainability over time, the new logotype is dynamic, not static. After all, win-win requires give and take – against a complex backdrop of societal, geopolitical and climatic factors. Our aim is ultimately to inspire thinkers and doers around the world to even greater efforts. The prize itself is a radical departure from the usual trophies and gongs. The basic shape is a cube, but each year it is made of a different sustainable material. One year it might be seaweed, the next volcanic ash, the year after that recycled ocean plastic – and so on, until one day sustainability is so ingrained in our collective behaviour that there is no need for an award. But until then, we try to win win.