Beck’s beer vies for creative industries prize

Organised by Arts & Business, The Lloyds A&B Prize for Innovation shortlist also features Deutsche Bank, Land Securities, Sky and BP for their sponsorship of arts events, including the BP Portrait Awards and the Frieze art fair.

Beck’s best-known creative ventures over the past 20 years include the arts prize Beck’s Futures, music and art crossover festival Beck’s Fusions, and Beck’s Canvas, in which artists are commissioned to design limited-edition bottle labels.

‘Our consumers value new, exciting experiences and content, and working with the creative industries allows Beck’s to stay progressive and relevant,’ Beck’s UK and Ireland brand director Ken Valledy tells Design Week.

‘Our association with the arts helps differentiate Beck’s from other beer brands that would more typically be associated with sports,’ he adds.

Land Securities sponsored last year’s exhibition Global Cities at Tate Modern, as well as various events at the National Gallery, the Southbank Centre and the Prince of Wales’ Arts and Kids Foundation.

Broadcaster Sky has supported the English National Opera, the Young Vic and Hampton Court Festival, while BP’s investment in the arts ranges from sponsorship of 2005’s Mummy: The Inside Story exhibition at the British Museum to the BP Portrait Awards.

Deutsche Bank is best known for its involvement with the Frieze Art Fair, as well as its own 50 000-piece strong art collection Art at Work. In 2008, the bank launched the Arts & Education Awards in partnership with Arts & Business, the Arts Council and other partners.

The Lloyds A&B Prize for Innovation will be announced on 24 November at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.