Red Dot Award for BASF’s XSpark

For many car owners, the colour of their car is still the most important individualisation factor. They are calling for more depth and dimensions. When it comes to automotive finishes, special effects can achieve subtle contrasts that lend the colour a sophisticated vitality. With XSpark, BASF’s Coatings division has developed a colour effect that has now been honoured in one of the world’s most prestigious design competitions: the Red Dot Award: Product Design.

For the first time in the 60-year history of the competition, an OEM automotive paint has been awarded the coveted ‘Red Dot’. The 38 jurors, all of whom are independent design experts, chose the winners from among the 4928 submissions from all areas of industrial design. The evaluation criteria included the product’s degree of innovation, its durability and its symbolic and emotional content.