The BPMA is delighted to announce that Brand Addition has been crowned the official winner of the Comic Relief Design Challenge, following the final reveal at the BPMA 60th Anniversary Celebration on 11th December 2025.
This announcement marks the culmination of an exclusive competition that invited BPMA members to design a brand-new piece of merchandise for Comic Relief – an item that not only embodies the organisation’s signature blend of humour and heart but also stands as a year-round symbol of its mission far beyond Red Nose Day and Sport Relief. Entrants were encouraged to place sustainability, inclusivity and accessibility at the centre of their concepts, ensuring the winning design reflects both Comic Relief’s values and the ambition of the promotional merchandise industry.
The journey began with an impressive number of submissions showcasing real quality and creativity. Eight shortlisted companies were then invited to the pitch day on 7th November, hosted in the iconic original Dragons’ Den studio in North London. There, Sycal, Juniper, Total Merchandise, Wild Thang, Far ‘n’ Beyond, Exceptio, Bizz Badge and Brand Addition stepped into the infamous set to present their ideas under the lights, cameras and atmosphere of a true television moment.
The pitches were assessed by an expert panel featuring Becky Yeoh (Comic Relief), Greg Leaney (Comic Relief), Clive Allcott (DTB) and Melissa Chevin (Globefish Consulting), whose combined experience in branding, design and commercial strategy, brought invaluable expertise to the judging process.
After a day filled with both nerves and enthusiasm, four finalists emerged: Brand Addition, Exceptio, Sycal and Total Merchandise. Their concepts advanced to the final stage, with the winner unveiled live at the BPMA’s milestone 60th Anniversary Celebration.
The BPMA is proud to announce Brand Addition as the overall winner of the Comic Relief Design Competition.
Their innovative concept, branded as Tap Patch, features a range of NFC-enabled embroidered badges. The integrated technology allows users to simply tap the badge with their smartphone, taking them directly to the individual’s JustGiving fundraising page.
Brand Addition with Clive Allcott (left) and Phil Goodman (right) at the BPMA 60th Anniversary Celebration
Comic Relief was particularly impressed by the simplicity of the concept, the sustainable production process and the flexibility to create a series of unique badge designs. Most notably, the NFC functionality provides fundraisers with an effortless and engaging way to encourage donations – all with a simple tap.
Iain Archibald from Brand Addition said “Our team is delighted to have been selected as the winning pitch. This was one of the most challenging and enjoyable briefs we have tackled, offering the opportunity to create something fun, fresh and meaningful for a cause everyone knows and loves. We now hope to make this concept a reality by working with Comic Relief.”
The BPMA extends warm thanks to all participating members, the judges and the Comic Relief team for their commitment, creativity and support. This challenge has highlighted not only the depth of talent within the UK promotional merchandise industry but also the power of merchandise to help champion causes that make a real difference.
