Britain’s brightest young inventors shine as Intellectual Property Office and Aardman announce winners of Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Ideas Competition 2023.

  • Britain’s brightest young inventors shine as Intellectual Property Office and Aardman announce winners of Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Ideas Competition 2023
  • over 1,000 young inventors stepped up to the challenge and helped Wallace & Gromit make the ‘Wrong Trousers’ right
  • future eco-inventors emerge as the champions in both age categories

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and Aardman are delighted to unveil the outstanding young inventors declared champions in Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Ideas Competition 2023. This cracking contest, designed to promote understanding of intellectual property rights through the school curriculum, drew entries from a remarkable crowd of 1,077 young talents from all over the United Kingdom.

This year’s competition was truly exceptional, featuring a complete catalogue of eco-friendly and sustainable solutions, showcasing the remarkable breadth of knowledge our young inventors possess.

Entrants were tasked with transforming the infamous ‘Techno Trousers’, from the Oscar ® winning film Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, into a force for good. The inventors, aged 4 to 11, showcased their boundless creativity in devising innovative solutions that prioritise our planet’s well-being.

From planting trees to combating ocean pollution, and using recycled materials, the possibilities were as diverse as the young minds behind them. The competitors were also tasked with giving the infamous trousers a new name, logo, and design to reflect their eco-friendly mission.

Competition Champions

Ages 4 to 7 Winner: Betsy Bibby

Betsy Bibby, a young genius from Henry Maynard Primary School in London, England, has emerged as the Ages 4 to 7 Winner with her creation, the “Super Defender Vender” (S.D.V). Inspired by a beach holiday, Betsy’s ingenious invention features trousers equipped with built-in litter-picking legs to collect beach waste and rubbish. These trousers also boast a ‘B’ laser that transforms the collected items into free goods, dispensed via a built-in vending machine. Remarkably, the S.D.V is powered by wind from the ocean, ensuring sustainability in its mission to keep our beaches clean.

Ages 4 to 7 Runner-up: Alexander Nimmons & Billy Widdowson

Alexander Nimmons and Billy Widdowson, hailing from Lathallan School at Brotherton Castle in Scotland, claimed the Ages 4 to 7 Runner-Up position with their “Carbon Dioxide Trousers.” These innovative trousers double as jet packs, efficiently capturing carbon dioxide from the air and purifying it before releasing clean air back into the atmosphere. Pipes extend from the trousers when worn in the air to maximise their air-cleaning ability, making them a sustainable solution for a cleaner environment.

Ages 8 to 11 Winner: Sebastien Sethi

Sebastien Sethi, a student at Tylers Green Middle School in High Wycombe, England, secured the Ages 8 to 11 Winner title with his creation, “Air Fresheners.” These air-cleaning trousers are made from recycled fabric and possess the remarkable ability to self-heal if damaged. Their purpose is twofold: repairing the ozone layer and reducing global warming by eliminating polluted air. Furthermore, these trousers aim to enhance everyone’s well-being by providing clean air, a testament to Sebastien’s exceptional innovation.

Ages 8 to 11 Runner-up: Oliver Connock

Oliver Connock, representing St Aldhelm’s Primary School in Shepton Mallet, England, claimed the Ages 8 to 11 Runner-Up spot with “Mr. Turbo Trousers.” These unique trousers are powered by rubbish, efficiently clearing the world of waste and spreading joy to animals. A ‘do not press’ button transforms the surroundings into a lively disco, making all creatures groove. Distinguished by its top hat, propeller boots, and a friendly smiley face, Oliver’s invention encapsulates both fun and functionality.

Adam Williams, the Chief Executive and Comptroller General of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), has expressed his admiration for the young innovators. He said:

The future of innovation in the United Kingdom has never looked brighter, thanks to the young minds who are paving the way with their unbridled creativity and commitment to a sustainable, eco-friendly world. Wallace and Gromit would undoubtedly be proud of these outstanding young inventors.

Angie Last, Assistant to creator of Wallace & Gromit, Nick Park, and Cracking Ideas Competition judge said:

I love to see the submissions for this competition as they are always full of great ideas, creative as well as quirky, with the environment at the heart of the designs. This year’s the standards were high and the ideas were brilliant, making it really hard to decide on the winners. Well done to everyone who entered.

The winning pupils and their classmates will be treated to a visit from Will Harding who is a Senior Model Maker at Aardman, where they will take part in a model-making session and have the chance to bring the iconic characters from Wallace & Gromit to life at their school.

For those eager to explore more about the Intellectual Property Office’s education resources, competitions, and schools outreach activities aimed at fostering innovation, creativity, and understanding of intellectual property, please visit the Cracking Ideas website.

You can also follow IPO Education on social media or get in touch with the Cracking Ideas team via email: [email protected]

Notes to editors

About Cracking Ideas and the Intellectual Property Office:

  • Cracking Ideas, brought to you by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), is dedicated to nurturing creativity and innovation in the younger generation; the competition is supported by free curriculum linked resources for students ages 4 to 11 years
  • the Wallace & Gromit Cracking Ideas Competition supports the awareness and understanding of intellectual property rights through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects as well as areas of English and numeracy
  • Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Ideas campaign is a flagship education programme for the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and contributes to increasing IP’s impact through awareness and education

About Aardman

  • Aardman is an employee-owned company, based in Bristol (UK) and co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton. An independent, multi-Academy Award® and BAFTA® award winning studio, it produces feature films, series, advertising, games and interactive entertainment. Current animated productions include the feature length sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and a brand new Wallace & Gromit film
  • Wallace and Gromit, Aardman’s most loved and iconic duo have been delighting family audiences around the world for 30 years. First hitting our screens in Nick Park’s Academy Award®-winning ‘Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out’ (1989) the pair went on to star in three further half hour specials (Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993), Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave (1995) and Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf or Death (2009) and a feature length film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) and are internationally celebrated winning over 100 awards at festivals – including 3 Academy Awards® and 5 BAFTA® Awards
  • for more information about Aardman and the iconic duo Wallace & Gromit, please visit  the Aardman website