Did you spot our unique HeyAidan x The Common Good Strawberry Sundae tote bag collab at last year’s Ekka? If you did, you probably remember the illustration of the personified iconic sweet treat.
This cute character depicting the sundae and the good cause it supports is back again in 2023, and it’ll be even easier to get your hands on an item adorned with one of these drawings.
Last year’s punters at the Ekka were asking where they could grab one of the 50 free giveaway tote bags. We heard you! And this year, we have a limited online release of tote bags, shirts and reversible bucket hats for sale.
But before we tell you more about how you can nab one of these fun pieces of merch, we want to introduce you to Aidan Ryan. Aidan is the Brisbane-based illustrator who personified the Strawberry Sundae and created this sought-after sketch.
About the Strawberry Sundae Illustration
Aidan Ryan is an illustrator, graphic designer and motion designer.
He was approached by The Common Good in 2022 to come up with an edgy Strawberry Sundae illustration. The brief? To create something unique that not only personified the iconic dessert but also connected to the crucial medical research which is supported off the back of the Strawberry Sundae sales each year.
Aidan says that out of all the graphics he’s created over the years, this is one of his all-time favourites.
“I think it’s exciting that I created something instantly recognisable. It has a whole culture and identity behind it, and I felt honoured to give it an alternative look, all while growing awareness of strawberry sundaes and the cause they support,” Aidan said.
Aidan is a self-described doodler and designer
The award-winning artist described his work as “quirky, bold, colourful and fun.”
“I rarely draw something that doesn’t have a face or eyes,” he added.
Like many artists, Aidan started sketching in his notebook during primary school. However, he put the pencils down for a few years before his love for illustrating was reignited at university.
“I used to draw a lot as a kid – like little characters in the corners of my notebooks and sketchbooks. I stopped in high school then I started sketching again in about third-year university. That’s when I started finding like-minded creatives and illustrators, and people began showing an interest in my work, saying things like ‘Wow, that’s awesome’ and ‘I’d love a graphic done just like that’,” Aidan recalled.
In the years since university, Aidan has had experience as an in-house designer, working at an agency and as a freelancer.
In 2022, Aidan painted a traffic light box on the corner of Creek Road and Lytton Road at Murarrie. This bright piece of work, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Balmoral, won Aidan an Artforce Brisbane Award.
Limited Edition Strawberry Sundae Merch available in 2023
We are so excited to share that in 2023, the collaboration between HeyAidan x The Common Good is back – with shirts, reversible bucket hats and tote bags adorned with the sketch!
“It’s really cool that this tote bag and design is going to be even more accessible and help to create more awareness of the cause the sundaes support,” said Aidan.
You can snag one of these iconic designs at our pop-up online store here.
These are available online only and won’t be available at Ekka, so be quick as this is a super limited release!
