By Martin Vedris
SYDNEY: Royal Philips Electronics dominated the 2008 iF Awards, receiving major acclaim for winning 27 awards in seven categories. The result is a confidence boost for the company which also has products in the running for the upcoming 2008 Australian Design Awards.
The prestigious iF product design award is judged by more than 20 internationally recognised jurors, consisting of designers and entrepreneurs. The award winners are selected following critical discussion and debate to select the winning products from approximately 2,000 competing entries from more than 30 countries.
The iF (International Forum) Awards have been running since their inauguration in 1953. This year’s awards ceremony will take place on March 4, which is opening day of the 2008 iF design exhibition. The iF Yearbook will be launched on the same day. The exhibition runs until August 2008, and approximately 300,000 international visitors are expected to attend during this period. All prize-winning entries will also be shown at the on-line iF exhibition.
Applications for the 2008 Australian Design Awards closed on Friday December 14, with the winners announced on Friday May 30. Philips has entered its Arcitec electric shaver, Aurea LCD TV and Azur ionic iron into the Australian Design Awards.
“As design continues to be a great differentiator for Philips in 2008, Australian retailers can rest assured that the Philips range of FlatTV, Home Entertainment and Personal Care products will continue to stand out amongst the competition and offer a unique point of difference for their consumers,” said Philips Australia general manager, consumer lifestyle, Matt Moran.
“We expect that the likes of the innovative Aurea FlatTV and HTS8100 SoundBar all-in-one home theatre system will continue to receive accolades for design both internationally and here in Australia, providing the extra confidence for consumers who want the latest in both picture and audio enhancements, as well as visual aesthetics to purchase Philips.“
The Philips iF Award winners include:
The Aurea 42PFL9900D LCD TV which uses Ambilight to create a mood and add to the viewing experience. The Philips GoGear Digital Audio Video Player SA9345 has sensory touch keys which light up and the vertical touch pad leaves an illuminated trail. The Philips In-ear Noise Cancelling Headphones SHN7500 reduce unwanted ambient noise by 80 per cent making them ideal for listening to music in planes, trains and buses. The EcoClassic50 is the first ever energy saving lamp purposely designed to suit fixtures where existing energy-savers could not be used.