Outstanding design: Automotive color by BASF recognized with renowned Red Dot Award

• The only Red Dot for an automotive coating in this year’s competition
• Coatings formulation is based on innovative polymer structure
• The interplay of aesthetics, sustainability and functionality fascinates the Red Dot jury

The color ZENOMENON, designed by BASF's Coatings division, was the only automotive paint to be honored this year at the Red Dot Award: Product Design, one of the most prestigious design competitions in the world. The innovative technology and the special aesthetics of the coating have impressed the experts on the Red Dot jury in the "Materials and Surfaces" category.

ZENOMENON's coating formulation is based on polymer structures developed by the cooperation partner Cypris Materials from California. Instead of classic pigments, special polymer structures with a high proportion of renewable materials are used. This way, the color represents a more sustainable alternative in the area of surface aesthetics for automotive coatings. The result is a unique color effect that arises from self-assembled layered structures, reflecting light in the visible spectrum with a flop effect. This gives the surface of the paint layer a shimmering, strikingly iridescent shine. With a view to future mobility, these polymers are also suitable for LIDAR or radar sensor systems.

“Being awarded a Red Dot in product design is a very special honor for us – especially as a chemical company. The award underlines our design and technology expertise – and the trust in innovative solutions that our customers in the automotive industry place in us," said Mark Gutjahr, global head of Automotive Color Design at BASF.

At the Red Dot Design Award, all submissions are assessed based on the four basic principles of good design: the quality of function, the quality of seduction, the quality of use and the quality of responsibility. “The development of ZENOMENON is remarkably future-oriented. In particular, the interplay of aesthetics, sustainability and functionality is fascinating”, said the independent Red Dot jury.

All award-winning products, including an exhibit painted with ZENOMENON, will be on display until May 2025 as part of the winners’ exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein in Essen, Germany.

About BASF’s Coatings division

The Coatings division of BASF is a global expert in the development, production and marketing of innovative and sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings, decorative paints as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. This portfolio is supplemented by "Beyond Paint Solutions", which enable new applications with innovative surfaces. We create advanced performance solutions and drive performance, design and new applications to meet our partners’ needs all over the world. BASF shares skills, knowledge and resources of interdisciplinary and global teams for the benefit of customers by operating a collaborative network of sites in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. In 2023, the Coatings division achieved global sales of about €4.4 billion.

Solutions beyond your imagination – Coatings by BASF. For more information about the Coatings division of BASF and its products, visit www.basf-coatings.com.

 

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €68.9 billion in 2023. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.