Brianna Price and Mairi MacRae’s project Heineken Stim is on display at the Edinburgh Napier Degree Show
A design for a ‘stimming’ beer bottle, to support people with neurodivergent diagnoses, has been drawing praise for two Edinburgh Napier advertising students.
Brianna Price and Mairi MacRae have displayed Heineken Stim at the 2023 Degree Show, and it has already won them global recognition with the award of a D&AD New Blood Pencil – a renowned honour in the creative sector. It also landed the Best in Show prize for the MA Creative Advertising course.
Their concept, in response to a brief set by the brewing giant, centres around a sensory bottle to help people enjoy socialising and connecting with others without feeling overwhelmed. It was inspired by self-stimming toys such as fidget spinners, which can ease anxiety for people with conditions like ADHD, OCD, autism, or Tourette’s.
The pair’s design takes the company’s green bottle and adds ridges, grooves, and a twirling ring, as well as subtle alterations to the colour scheme.
Additionally, their campaign includes street posters which mimic the tactile design, an inclusive, multi-sensory launch, and an app which filters venues based on potential triggers.
Mairi, who is 23 and from the north-west Highlands village of Inverinate, said: “A lot of these conditions have similar coping mechanisms, so we thought this was an idea which could potentially help a lot of people.
“We did a lot of research into what kind of textures, shapes and colours work best for this - and luckily green was high up that list! But we changed the star from red to orange, as red can be quite an aggressive colour.”
24-year-old Brianna, from Minnesota in the United States, said: “There are a variety of ways people stim - it can help de-escalate anxiety and amplify enjoyment of the time you’re having. However, it isn't just for neurodivergent communities - anyone can enjoy it!
“We wanted to make sure that it was something people with these conditions would want to use and enjoy. I have a couple of friends who do, and they really liked the idea.
“It’s an idea we came up with from one of our initial conversations – and we just ran with it!”
The pair will find out which level of D&AD New Blood Pencil they have won at a ceremony in July.
Mairi added: “To get that far in a global competition is nice - any kind of recognition feels really good.
“We were both really happy with the idea, but I'm surprised by how positive the reaction has been.
“It's really rewarding to have done all that research and had it confirmed by the finished design – that’s what we aimed to do.”
Brianna and Mairi’s concept is on display at Edinburgh Napier University’s 2023 Degree Show, showcasing the work of students from its School of Arts and Creative Industries.
It can be found at the Merchiston campus until 1 June.