Peterborough Graphic Designer Emma Scott Looks Back On The Condom Design Contest That Gave Her A Kickstart In Creativity

Local business owner Emma Scott is enjoying her time in the spotlight as a condom wrapper design she made as part of a contest through 2013 - 2019 is circulating again.

Scott with her two winning 2017 designs, inspired by Canada. Photo by Angela O’Grady.

Scott entered a contest held by ONE Condom, a company based in the U.S, after she graduated as a graphic designer and was working as a server.

“I was serving so I wasn’t really doing anything to do with graphic design,” she said. “Someone sent me the contest and I just went wild with it. It was almost like getting back into the art world after just ignoring it, it was a good way back into it for sure.”

Recently, her design was featured in a New York Post article, which brought back her punny creations.

Scott notes that this contest is held every year, and as an aspiring graphic designer at the time she entered, the prize money was significant in comparison to similar contests.

Her design ‘ONE beanie for your weenie’ placed first in 2019, voted by a panel of judges.

Scott’s winning 2019 entry. Photo courtesy of ONE Condoms.

In 2017 the company held “ONE Canada Design Contest” and encouraged entrants to draw inspiration from Canadian culture.

Scott submitted three designs, and won the first and second place spot.

Scott calls this design ‘the one that got away’ as it was ultimately disqualified from the contest for potential copyright issues. Photo courtesy of Emma Scott Design.

With her multiple wins in the annual contest, Scott has acquired multiple years supplies of condoms.

“So many people were like ‘what do they assume a lifetime supply is?’ It was a lot,” she laughed. “It just became a joke, bringing them to things and giving them to friends or mailing them out.”

She also had the opportunity to donate a large quantity to the organization of her choosing. She chose Sistering, a women’s shelter in Toronto, and to George brown College.

Scott says that winning this contest was a great kick-starter for her business, and she still does freelance work for ONE Condom on occasion.

Now, Scott owns and operates Emma Scott Design in Peterborough and specializes in logo design and brand development.

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