Brands & Communication Design in the Spotlight | Red Dot Award Ceremony 2026

Images of the award ceremony can be found here.

On 6 November, the international design community gathered in Berlin as the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2026 reached its celebratory finale. Designers, agencies and brands from 38 nations came together to honour this year’s award-winning work and the creatives behind it.

To thunderous applause, the Red Dot: Best of the Best winners took to the stage at the Konzerthaus Berlin to receive their trophies. The evening’s anticipation continued as the winners of the Red Dot: Grand Prix – who, like the Red Dot: Junior Prize winner, had remained a secret until that moment – were revealed on stage, receiving the highest distinction for their exceptional creativity and design quality.

The recognition of Elastique. as Red Dot: Agency of the Year 2026 marked the grand finale of the gala, which was followed by the celebratory after-show party, the Designers’ Night.

A night celebrating creativity and design excellence

The Red Dot Gala brought together creative minds from around the world for an evening dedicated to outstanding brands and communication design. In a vibrant atmosphere of shared appreciation for creative achievement, the winners took to the stage. Professor Dr. Peter Zec, Founder and CEO of Red Dot hosted the ceremony and presented the trophies together with the Red Dot Jury members Daniel Leyser, Mariam Braimah and Sang In Lee.

Red Dot: Grand Prix

The 2026 Red Dot: Grand Prix-winning projects explore the richness of human experience and the many ways design can give it expression. They reveal how creativity and innovation can evoke emotion and create meaningful connections, drawing inspiration from art, movement, nature and craftsmanship. Whether through a deeper connection with the natural world, the grace of dance, the artistry of design or the refined worlds of wine and automotive design, they demonstrate how design can create experiences that move and inspire:

RUTA – On Foot Tours
Client: Vanja Tintor, Croatia
Design: Fabula, Croatia

Jewel
Client: Tenuta Ulisse, Italy
Design: Tenuta Ulisse, Italy

The Biography of Hua Wenyi
Client: Ningbo University, China
Design: Ningbo University, China

KUKA Twinbots – A Synchronised Robot Performance
Client: KUKA, Germany
Design: Elastique., Germany

Polestar 5
Client: Polestar, Sweden
Design: Polestar, Sweden

The Red Dot: Grand Prix is the highest distinction in the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design and is awarded to the best work in a category that is characterised by exceptional creativity and design quality.

The Red Dot: Junior Prize goes to the project “Fasteners: Form-Making Machine”

The Red Dot: Junior Prize went to Yiyang Li (graphic design), Gengsheng Hong (graphic design), Li Ying (artwork) and Zeyu Wu (programming) for Fasteners: Form-Making Machine, a project exploring the creation of diverse typefaces through a system of rules, permutation and combinations. Inspired by the experimental literary group Oulipo, the project translates the principle of rule-based creation into typography, demonstrating how constraints can lead to unexpected design outcomes. Jova Zec, Vice President of Red Dot, presented the Red Dot: Junior Prize on stage alongside Professor Peter Zec.

Yiyang Li, who couldn’t attend the award ceremony in person, addressed the audience in a video message, thanking the jury and everyone who has supported him. He said winning the Red Dot: Junior Prize was the best possible way to kick-start his career.

Elastique. is Red Dot: Agency of the Year 2026

The celebration of Elastique. as Red Dot: Agency of the Year 2026 marked the emotional culmination of the Red Dot Gala, honouring an agency that continuously pushes creative boundaries and reimagines how people experience design.

Prof. Christian Schmachtenberg, Professor of Experience Design at the University of Applied Sciences of Kaiserslautern and a longstanding companion of Elastique., held a passionate laudatory speech honoring the agency for their achievements and unique approach to design experiences: “They dared to explore what others couldn’t yet imagine — and to create what others didn’t yet know was possible. That is the magic of Elastique. Not simply being ahead of the curve but having the courage to draw a new one.”

James Temple, Chief Design Officer at Accenture Song and last year’s title holder, presented the Stylus trophy to Andreas Schimmelpfennig, CEO/CCO at Elastique., who accepted it on stage together with his entire team. Prof. Betty Schimmelpfennig, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Elastique., thanked the entire team, saying that receiving the honorary title felt like a lifetime achievement.

Designers’ Night at the BRICKS Club Berlin

Following the ceremony, the celebrations continued at BRICKS Club Berlin. Guests raised a glass to their achievements, enjoyed a flying buffet and danced to the music of DJ CHRISSI D.

The evening also offered a first opportunity to explore the International Yearbook Brands & Communication Design 2026/2027, which features outstanding projects as well as the creatives behind them. Furthermore, it provides an in-depth look at Elastique.’s work philosophy, featuring an essay and an exclusive interview, alongside presentations of inspiring projects. The cover of the yearbook was designed by Elastique.

The Designers’ Night brought together international designers, agencies and creative minds in an atmosphere of celebration and exchange, with plenty of inspiration and good energy extending well beyond the dance floor.

World’s Best Communication Design: Exhibition opens on 10 December 2026

The celebration of outstanding design continues beyond the gala: On 10 December 2026, the exhibition “World’s Best Communication Design” opens its doors, offering visitors the opportunity to discover and experience some of the year’s award-winning projects. A special highlight is a dedicated exhibition conceived by the Red Dot: Agency of the Year 2026 Elastique. Known for its imaginative approach and playful exploration of new possibilities, Elastique. invites visitors to experience design in unexpected and engaging ways.

Find all winners online

Since 6 November 2026, all winners of the competition can be found in the Winners Section at www.red-dot.org. The best designers and agencies of the year are presented in individual winner profiles: https://www.red-dot.org/magazine/winner-profiles-bcd-2026