BASF’s Automotive Color Wins Prestigious Red Dot Award

BASF's Coatings division achieved prestigious recognition at the Red Dot Award: Product Design for its automotive paint color ZENOMENON. This unique color stood out in the "Materials and Surfaces" category, impressing the expert jury with its innovative technology and distinctive aesthetic qualities. The award underscores BASF's commitment to advancing automotive coatings that not only meet high-performance standards but also set new benchmarks in design excellence, contributing to the company's reputation as a leader in innovative solutions for the automotive industry.

ZENOMENON's formulation integrates polymer structures developed in collaboration with Cypris Materials from California. Instead of traditional pigments, these structures incorporate a significant portion of renewable materials, offering a more sustainable option in automotive surface aesthetics. The result is a distinctive color effect created by self-assembled layers that reflect light across the visible spectrum, producing a dynamic flop effect. This imparts a shimmering, iridescent sheen to the paint surface. Beyond aesthetics, these polymers are engineered to support future mobility needs, including compatibility with LIDAR and radar sensor systems.

Mark Gutjahr, global head of Automotive Color Design at BASF, expressed that receiving a Red Dot in product design is a significant achievement for their chemical company. The award not only highlights their prowess in design and technology but also underscores the confidence that their automotive industry customers have in BASF's ability to deliver innovative solutions.

The Red Dot Design Award rigorously evaluates each submission against four core principles of effective design: functionality, attractiveness, usability, and sustainability. These criteria ensure that winning products not only excel in their intended function but also captivate users with their aesthetic appeal, offer seamless usability, and uphold responsible practices in their design and production processes. The independent Red Dot jury emphasized the forward-thinking nature of ZENOMENON's development, noting its innovative blend of aesthetics, sustainability considerations, and functional performance as particularly compelling in the competitive "Materials and Surfaces" category.

In recognition of its achievement, ZENOMENON will be prominently featured alongside other award-winning products at the Red Dot Design Museum located at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein in Essen, Germany. This exhibition, scheduled until May 2025, serves as a showcase of exemplary design innovation, providing a platform for global audiences to experience firsthand how these products redefine industry standards and push the boundaries of creativity and functionality in automotive coatings and beyond.

A leading name in surface solutions, BASF's Coatings division offers a comprehensive portfolio. They specialize in innovative and sustainable coatings for various applications: automotive OEM and refinish, decorative paints, and surface treatments for diverse materials like metal, plastic, and glass. Additionally, their "Beyond Paint Solutions" program pushes the boundaries by developing new applications with next-generation surface technologies.