The color ZENOMENON, designed by BASF’s Coatings division, is the only automotive paint to have won a prize in this year’s prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design competition. The innovative technology and the special aesthetics of the lacquer convinced the experts on the Red Dot jury in the “Materials and Surfaces” category.

ZENOMENON’s coating formulation is based on polymer structures developed by cooperation partner Cypris Materials from California. Instead of classic pigments, special polymer structures are used that have a high proportion of renewable materials. The shade therefore represents a more sustainable alternative in the area of surface aesthetics for car paints. The result is a unique color effect created by self-assembling, layer-like structures that reflect light in the visible spectrum with a flop effect. This gives the surface of the lacquer layer a strikingly iridescent, iridescent sheen. With regard to the mobility of the future, these polymers are also suitable for LIDAR or radar sensor systems.

“A Red Dot award in product design is a very special honor for us – especially as a chemical company. The award underlines our expertise in the areas of design and technology – and the trust in innovative solutions that our customers in the automotive industry place in us,” says Mark Gutjahr, Global Head of Automotive Color Design at BASF.

All submissions to the Red Dot Design Award are judged on the basis of 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 future-oriented development of ZENOMENON is remarkable and the interplay of aesthetics, sustainability and functionality is inspiring,” says 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 winning exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum at the Zollverein Essen UNESCO World Heritage Site.