smart Design Contest Winner Announced

The design contest launched by smart in January finally designated a winner, after attracting more than 50,000 designs for the exterior of the smart fortwo. For six week and after more than 600,000 online ratings, only one winner was selected.

"Also after the contest the website still lives on. The community can continue to rate designs and add new ones. The results clearly show that the passion for personalisation and creativity is boundless on Web 2.0," stated Dieter Feder, Project Manager in the Business Innovation division at Daimler AG.

Of the 8,000+ participants from more than 100 countries that took part in the contest, the grand prize winner is Tamir Shefer from Jaffa, Israel, who will be awarded 1,500 euros.

“The contestants exchanged opinions and commented on and evaluated each other's designs with the same enthusiasm and passion that they put into their own designs,” a company statement reads.

An expert jury consisting of five judges selected the four best designs based on the community ratings. The jury members were Annika von Taube, Editor in Chief of the international art and fashion magazine "sleek", designer Rolf Sachs, Steffen Köhl, Mercedes-Benz Designer and Head of the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio, Nicole Israng, Senior Manager Global Marketing Communications & Brand Management smart and Marc Langenbrinck.

"The response to this competition greatly exceeded our expectations – in terms of both quantity and quality," Marc Langenbrinck, Managing Director smart brand and Head of Sales & Marketing smart, said in a release. "It shows the enthusiasm that the smart brand generates."