EYE ON ALUMNI

Pratt alumnus Luis Acosta, B.F.A. Digital Arts ’04, won a competition earlier this year to design this year’s official condom wrapper for the NYC Condom program, part of a city-sponsored effort to persuade New Yorkers to practice safe sex.

Acosta’s winning wrapper design features a yellow electronic power button symbol on a maroon background. His design beat the entries of four other finalists who had been selected by a panel of local artists, advertising professionals, and public health and social marketing experts.

Beginning in late October, Acosta’s electronic power button wrapper will appear on six million limited-edition NYC Condom packages, following its debut on a float in the annual Halloween Day Parade held in Greenwich Village. 

The NYC Condom wrapper, designed by Luis AcostaThe NYC condom—the nation’s first municipally branded condom—was introduced by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Valentine’s Day, 2007.

This year marked the first time the city sponsored a competition to pick the official condom wrapper. New Yorkers were encouraged to vote for their favorite designs through the Health Department's website.

“Pratt was my first choice,” Acosta recalls, “because it enabled me to pursue 3-D animation and graphic design. What I appreciated most was the diversity of the student culture at Pratt. There should be more social clubs, but otherwise it was a great experience.”

Photos courtesy of the artist