This is practically the same thing...
Sobering ad nets Kwantlen
grad cash
Martin van den Hemel
staff reporter
Kwantlen University College grad Vick Kumar credits his job at a
local produce market for inspiring his award-winning responsible drinking ad design.
The 23-year-old Richmondite learned
last Thursday that he and another
Kwantlen University College graphic design student (Vancouver's Brad Swaile) each
won $2,500 after they were selected as the two B.C.-Yukon semi-finalists for a national Brewers Association of B.C.
advertising campaign contest.
The two were among hundreds in the region to send in entries and are in the running along
with 24 others for two $15,000 national awards.
Kumar was re-stocking shelves at Kin's Farm Market when he saw a woman
picking up a milk bottle that her baby had just dropped. With that picture in mind, Kumar eventually came up with an ad that
is both simple and thought-provoking.
Although coming up with the images - a baby's milk bottle and a nearly-empty glass
beer mug - was fairly simple, finding the proper wording proved to be much more of a challenge, he said.
His graphic design
teacher encouraged Kumar and other students enrolled in the two-year graphic design program to work on the project for course
credit and at the same time submit the works to the ad design contest.
"I thought to myself: a baby and a bottle, and
I tried to make a connection," said the Richmond High grad. "At that point, the baby has no responsibility and there's someone
to take care of her or him."
Now that he's finished his schooling, Kumar, who says he has "always been a visual person",
is anxiously looking for work in graphic design.
The national winners will get the chance to participate in developing
their messages into a nation-wide public service campaign called Stand Up, Speak Out, Be Heard. The campaign is sponsored
by 23 national brewing companies and encourages responsible alcohol use programs.