Youngsters get creative for Express & Star Design An Ad competition - with pictures
Talented school pupils from across the Black Country and Staffordshire have been showing off their artistic flair in the 2017 Express & Star’s Design an Ad competition.
Around 1,000 school pupils put crayon or felt-tip pen to paper to produce their own advertisements for businesses across the region.
From the likes of Jaguar Land Rover to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre and West Midlands Fire Service to Redrow, 30 of the sponsors now have colourful and imaginative new ideas for ads thanks to the lucky winners.
Tracy Pearce, CEO of SIPS Education, which sponsored the competition, said: “We are really pleased to support young people and thank them for their effort in designing very impressive ads, we were pleased by the creativity and hard work invested in each submission.”
Each school was given a different business to create an advertisement for, with judges from each company being given the difficult task of choosing one youngster from each school to take the top spot. Earlier this year, the winning adverts featured in a pull-out inside the Express & Star and readers were asked to vote for their favourite.
The winning 30 artists – including their guardians and sponsorships – were invited to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on Thursday for a special presentation ceremony. Each child was awarded with a book voucher, certificate and a £50 achievement award for their school to use.
And, the overall winner – as voted for by the readers – won a top prize of £500 for their school to use. This year’s winning design came from Erin Weston of Glynne Primary School in Kingswinford who was matched up with sponsor stationary manufacturer Helix Maped.
She said: “It feels really really good to have won. I really like painting and drawing. It’s been amazing.”
Erin – like the other 29 winners – was awarded with her certificate and signed drawing by Express & Star editor Keith Harrison. Hosting the winner’s presentation event at the Grand Theatre in Lichfield Street was the Express & Star’s deputy advertising director, Kim Hazel.
Becky Ostrowski, marketing assistant at Maped Helix, said: “All of the entries were terrific and we were really pleased with the entries we had.
“It was really hard to choose but Erin’s definitely stood out to us.”
The competition, launched in association with SIPS Education, has been held for more than five years now. Among the other winners of the 2017 entries was Callum Colebatch, aged 11 from St Luke’s CofE Primary School in Cannock. His school teamed up with Cash4Clothes, which pay money for people’s unwanted clothes and items that they no longer use.
Callum said: “I haven’t won a drawing competition before so its really good. I do a lot of drawing because my grandad’s a really good artist as well.”
Mr Harrison addressed the crowd before handing out the awards and said the entries were event better than the year previous.
He said: “Every year I do this and every year I say it’s been the best we’ve ever had, he said. Each time I say ‘I can’t say this because it can’t possibly be true’ – but seeing the entries they are, they look absolutely fantastic.”
Kim Hazel said: “It’s a brilliant way for us to bring together children, schools, teachers, parents and local businesses. The designs that we had this year were absolutely fantastic and I can honestly say there are some really talented children amongst us. I think there’s definitely a future career for all of you with us.”
There was one extra special hero who was awarded with a prize and certificate. Adam Jones took part in the competition just a week after open heart surgery. The 10-year-old, who goes to Edgar Stammers Primary in Walsall, design his advertisement for Keepmoat Homes. He said: “I love drawing, I like drawing anything. If I want to draw something then I just go for it.”
His teacher Deborah Farbett said: “He’s an absolute superstar. Adam had open heart surgery and a week after he came back to school and designed his advert. He’s full of confidence and just beaming.
“I am over the moon for him. It was fabulous to watch the children taking part in the competition blossom and not have to worry about work and marking.”
Winners included: Ehsan Haidari, 10, from Rakegate Primary School, Wolverhampton, Katie Haywood, 11, from Redhill Primary School, Cannock, Anna Jenkins, nine, from Muxton Primary School, Telford, Ruman Kaur Lali, 11, from Fibbersley Park Academy in Willenhall, Lily Hammond from Wilkinson Primary School Bilston, Seb Newton, nine, from St Nicholas First School, Codsall, Poppy Frost, seven, from Lutley Primary School in Halesowen, Kyhmi Flash, 10 from Blue Coat CE Junior School, Walsall, Amrit Kaur, 11, of Villiers Primary School Bilston, Jack Bennett, 10 from Haughton St Giles C.E Primary Academy in Haughton, Stafford.
Others were Chloe Mc Elroy, 11, from Chase View Primary in Rugeley, Beth Butler, 10 from Sherbrook Primary School, Cannock, Hannah Budkowska, eight, from Rivers Primary Academy, Walsall and Tristan Adams, 10, of Bilbrook CE Middle School in Codsall, Amiyah Trainer, 10, from Moorcroft Wood Primary School, Bilston, Chloe Helon, 10, from Long Knowle Primary School, Wednesfield, Ester Johnson, nine, from Goldsmith Primary Academy, Walsall, Hugh Moreton, six, from Warstones Primary, Penn, Alfie Mackenzie, 11, from Henry Chadwick Primary School in Rugeley.
Finally, nine-year-old Jacob Luke, from Birchen Coppice Primary School, Kidderminster, Bethany Tibble, 10, from, Newbridge Preparatory School, Wolverhampton, Chloe Muidoon, nine, from Perry Hall Primary School, Wolverhampton, Khanniel Ikechukwu, 10, from Bantock Primary School, Wolverampton, Sheena Parmar, 10 from The Royal Primary School, Wolverhampton, Imogen Charlotte Glover, nine, from St Austin’s Primary School in Stafford and Lydia Smith, aged nine, from Castlecroft Primary School in Wolverhampton received awards.
The sponsors included: Cannock Chase Council, One Stop, Poundland, UTC Aerospace Systems, Worcestershire County Council, Cameron, FBC Manby Bowdler Solicitors, SPV Group, Wing Yip, Cash4Clothes, Jaguar, Land Rover, The Telford Centre, PIA Wealth Management, Wedge, Helix Maped, City of Wolverhampton Council, Keepmoat, Redrow, South Staffs Water, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, whg, Walton Homes, Wolverhampton Homes, Go Ape, Leekes, West Midlands Fire Service, MHA MacIntyre Hudson, Tatton Hall Homes and JJX Logistics.
