Julian Bennett of Brandt Ronat Wins Google Lunar X PRIZE T-Shirt Design Competition
Julian Bennett, a senior designer at Brandt Ronat + Company, spends a lot of time thinking about space. He has accomplished extensive work for the Space Foundation, including the design of The Space Report: the Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity (2006 and 2008). He lives on the Space Coast of Florida and some people have even accused Julian of being a little “spacey”. So it was a no-brainer for Julian to enter the contest to design the t-shirt for the Google Lunar X PRIZE, the competition that Google is sponsoring to further space exploration. But considering that entries came in from around the world, he didn’t actually expect to win. But he did.
The rules were simple. Google asked for “a creative, original T-Shirt that perfectly captures the spirit of exploration and innovation of the Google Lunar X PRIZE.” See the design at http://www.googlelunarxprize.org. With an innate enthusiasm for the space industry, Julian is excited by the win.
“This is purely levitating,” Bennett said, “Becoming a part, no matter the size, within any segment of our country’s space exploration spectrum is exactly what I yearned and gravitated towards since the Apollo days. It is another method to help support and promote to our country the need to embrace and embark upon space exploration further and further.”
The design clearly communicates the goals of the Google X-PRIZE, a $30 million competition to encourage a private company to launch a rocket to the Earth’s moon, have it land safely, deploy a vehicle that will be able to move 500 meters and which can also collect data and transmit that data back to Earth. The design will be printed on t-shirts and other items and is available in the Google X-PRIZE store at http://www.cafepress.com/glxp/5959462 .
Julian’s design recalls the Apollo program, where considerably larger vehicles made the same journey. Julian remembers when his father, a TV journalist from Orlando, would cover the launches and the safe return of the astronauts.
“I grew up here and watched many Apollo launches and the astronauts’ parade on return,” Julian said. “It was where I wanted to go in my future. I was beyond entranced with any form of aerospace explorations. In high school, it became obvious that I would not be ‘the next rocket scientist’, so I learned that I could empower my dreams via my artistic and design abilities within this immense aerospace industry. Also, through my role at Brandt Ronat and our accomplishments with many diverse aerospace clients, primarily the Space Foundation, we have helped open many wondrous pathways in promoting space. It is cosmic.”
brandt ronat + company is a marketing solutions firm known for creating brand strategies and high-value message development, sustainable communications and advertising systems for clients in space and technology, health and wellness, the financial services industry, community infrastructure, real estate development and retail. Clients include Brevard Workforce, the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast, Community Credit Union of Florida, Growth Innovators, Space Coast Health Foundation, Federated Precision, Gatto's Tires & Auto Service, Florida Space Day Committee, Lawler Centre for Cosmetic Surgery, University of Central Florida, Brevard Schools Foundation, Essentials Spa, Space Coast Office of Tourism and Space Foundation (located in Colorado, Florida and Washington, D.C.).