Switzerland-Korea
Logo Design Project
Introducing Cool Friends
The Embassy of Switzerland in the Republic of Korea and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Switzerland are excited to announce the official logo to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and South Korea which falls in 2023. The logo will be used throughout next year for official anniversary events.
The logo has been selected from over 70 applications from design studios of the two countries, from which six entries have been shortlisted. In May, the Swiss Embassy in Seoul invited design studios from both countries to apply to a design exchange program and submit logo proposals to commemorate the 60th anniversary.
The six proposals went through a thorough screening and evaluation process by a jury consisting of university professors and designers. The jury’s choice for best design went to Balmer Hählen, a Swiss design studio based in Lausanne, for their playful flower characters. The studio has transformed the representative flowers from the two nations – Edelweiss of Switzerland and Mugunghwa of the Republic of Korea – into two flower friends walking side by side with their arms around each other. Balmer Hählen’s humorous and fresh approach to these natural symbols won over the jury’s heart. A round-trip flight ticket from Switzerland sponsored by Lufthansa will be awarded to Balmer Hählen. Congratulations to Balmer Hählen! Five other design entries that have been shortlisted will, along with the selected official logo, be exhibited at the Seoul Design Festival in December.
Coinciding with this announcement, the Swiss Embassy in Seoul launched an open call for projects, in order to provide an opportunity to everyone who is interested in contributing to strengthening Swiss-Korean relations. If the projects meet the criteria and are selected by the Embassy team, they can be part of the anniversary events-program. The Embassy will provide limited logistical and financial support to selected projects with contributions from the Swiss Fund Korea. More information about the application can be found here.
Switzerland and Korea, connected by design
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Korea in 2023, we are looking for “Cool Friends” (멋 벗) to design a special anniversary logo and participate in a design exchange project between the two countries. A total of 6 designers/studios - 3 Swiss and 3 Korean - will be selected to join a design conversation for the logo of the 60th anniversary of Switzerland-Korea diplomatic relations and exchange of their respective design cultures while also participating in a logo exhibition. Selected as the best design, the logo will become the symbol of friendship between Switzerland and Korea. It will be used in all activities celebrating the 60th anniversary. This will be a unique opportunity for Swiss-Korean designers to be creative and explore other design horizons. We are looking forward to your application!
Schedule
- Online Application: May 4 – June 3, 2022
- Announcement of selected Participants: June 10, 2022
- Orientation & Workshop: June 21, 28, 9 AM – 12 PM CEST / 4–7 PM KST
- Announcement of Best Logo: August 29, 2022
Programs
- Exchange of design cultures in Switzerland and Korea
- Design of the logo of the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations
- Exhibition and open talk of the “cool friends” project
Benefits for selected participants
- Designers/studios selected as “Cool Friends” receive a fee of KRW 1,000,000 as a token for their participation
- The designer/studio selected as the best logo receives a prize of KRW 3,000,000 in addition to the participation fee
- One individual from the studio or the designer who is selected as the best logo receives a Lufthansa return flight ticket between Switzerland and Korea
- Exhibition at Swiss hanok (Swiss Embassy in Seoul) and Seoul Design Fair 2022
Notice
- The “Cool Friends” program activities and logo design process can be filmed and used for promotional purposes
- Participation in the two-day-orientation & workshop held in June is mandatory
- IP rights of the final design outcomes are subject to FDFA general terms and conditions if the designer/studio is based in Switzerland and to the guidelines of Korea Copyrights Commission if the designer/studio is based in Korea.
Host / Patronage
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