For a client to receive an ARTS Award – one of the design industry’s most prestigious accolades – is a tremendous honor. Receiving this honor for a second year in a row is nothing short of astounding. Which is why it is with great pleasure that we celebrate Corbett Lighting’s receipt of the “Lighting Manufacturer of the Year” ARTS Award… again!
There is a reason that all of us at DRS and Associates feel such a connection and take personal satisfaction in this award, and we wanted to shed a little light (pardon the pun) on what it takes to create and produce an award-winning entry submission through this case study.
THE AWARD
Presented at the conclusion of the Dallas International Lighting Market, the 23rd Annual ARTS Award marks the second win for Corbett Lighting in two years. The prize is no easy achievement: nominations are made one year in advance by an independent panel of judges, and awards are determined by vote from independent retailers, manufacturers and designers, sales representatives, and other industry professionals.
OUR WORK BEGINS
Once nominated the real work begins and the creative and strategic crafting of the award presentation package begins in earnest. Corbett Lighting’s submission this year was their spectacular Dolcetti Pendant – a stunning interpretation of the modern chandelier. In preparing Corbett Lighting’s submission to the ARTS council, DRS’ Natalie Schlocker knew she wanted to showcase the Corbett Lighting brand in a unique way- highlighting its signature elements and materials in a way that illustrated in the most creative way how Corbett Lighting’s creations are fashion-inspired. We knew we needed the submission to go above and beyond what had been seen and done before for arts awards.
COLLABORATION OF THE CREATIVES
To that end, DRS and the team at Littman Brands commandeered a beautiful, creative approach to Corbett Lighting’s ARTS entry – a combination of visual drama, compelling content and clever technology. In addition to compiling the required elements (the lighting fixture itself and an accompanying binder as mandated by the ARTs Award committee), DRS re-imagined the submission as a whole, creating a custom jewelry box in which to present the more detailed facets of Corbett Lighting’s signature designs – replete with an integrated LED light source. Wanting to emphasize the gorgeous, tactile elements that comprise Corbett Lighting’s chandeliers (exotic shells, crystal, intricate stainless steel chains) in an approachable yet dramatic setting, a unique custom vessel was developed. With the support of Corbett’s engineers and in-house artisans, Natalie and team structured a multi-tiered hand-crafted jewelry box that elegantly showcased the essence of Corbett Lighting’s couture roots. Corbett’s engineering team outfitted the top shelf of the hand-crafted jewelry box with LED lighting. The LED lighting illuminated the detailed adornments as if the sample shells and crystals were fashion pieces, and not just excerpts from a lighting fixture. And together, DRS and Corbett gave the ARTS council a close-up look at elements typically only espied from afar. In a clever turn of architecture, DRS designed the Jewelry box’s drawer to contain the binder required for the ARTS Award submission. And as the fixture samples in the jewelry shelf showed Dolcetti’s story, the binder served to literally tell it with 3D sample pages. Using actual Dolcetti and other lighting fixture elements enabled us to share Corbett Lighting’s history and intentions through graphic timelines and visual layouts.
THE UNEXPECTED MAKES AN IMPACT
Beyond the engineering accomplishments of this undertaking – the box and binder were both foil stamped and hand-wrapped. What truly makes this solution brilliant is how DRS used a familiar container – a jewelry box – in an extraordinary, elevated manner, to render the artistry of Corbett Lighting as inspired by fashion.
This year marks not only Corbett Lighting’s second ARTS Award – it also marks DRS’ second year creating a presentation box for this unique company. We could not be happier to celebrate Corbett Lighting’s tremendous achievement, and to have played a (second!) part in showcasing such a beautiful product!
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