Keith Clarridge, Vice President of Marketing for Menu Solutions, also present at the awards ceremony, adds, 'with intense competition, consumers are increasingly more critical — they expect more, but want to pay less. We seek integrate of all stages of a product development from creative conception all the way through to 'shelf' to translate as affordable "commodity chic."

Call it commodity chic. Marketers of watches and desk chairs, lawn sets and household tools are courting the world's top artists in a bid to make design a critical selling point.