Jack Daniel’s x McLaren Halo MK1 Limited Edition has earned two places on the Pentawards 2026 shortlist, with Hunter Luxury’s precision-engineered presentation case recognised for both supplier innovation and limited-edition beverage packaging.
Hunter Luxury is celebrating double recognition at the 2026 Pentawards after its work on the Jack Daniel’s x McLaren Halo MK1 Limited Edition was shortlisted in two categories at the prestigious global packaging design competition.
The precision-engineered display case has been shortlisted for Supplier Innovation of the Year and Beverage: Limited Editions, placing the project among the year’s leading packaging achievements for both the technical expertise behind its execution and the experience delivered by the finished design.
Inspired by Formula 1’s Halo safety device, Halo MK1 translates the distinctive wishbone structure that sits above the cockpit of every Formula 1 car into a sculptural presentation system for a 1-litre bottle of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey.
Developed with Brown-Forman and McLaren, the project challenged Hunter Luxury to transform an ambitious two-dimensional creative concept into a manufacturable three-dimensional structure that could be delivered at scale without compromising the original design intent.
More than 20 CAD iterations refined the overall structure and mechanism, while digital motion studies were used to evaluate the mechanism before prototypes were produced using FDM, SLA and DMLS processes. The finished structure brings together more than 50 components, eight materials and eight manufacturing processes in a technically complex system whose engineering is deliberately concealed from view.
At its centre is a bespoke push-button mechanism concealed beneath the McLaren logo. A single press releases the bottle smoothly from its fitted cradle, turning access into a choreographed piece of mechanical theatre. Movement, resistance and even sound were refined during development to ensure the interaction felt as deliberate as the structure surrounding it.
Paul Hamilton, Head of Sales & Marketing at Hunter Luxury, said: “To see Halo MK1 shortlisted twice at the Pentawards is particularly special because the two categories recognise different dimensions of what made this project so ambitious.
“Supplier Innovation of the Year speaks to the extraordinary technical challenge of taking a bold, creative vision and turning it into a manufacturable object with more than 50 components, eight materials and eight manufacturing processes. Beverage: Limited Editions recognises the finished experience: the theatre, storytelling and sense of occasion the pack creates around the bottle.”
Sam Gardner, Senior Art Director at Brown-Forman Global Design, added, “True innovation only happens when you make yourself uncomfortable. If we aren’t asking ‘what if?’, we’re just iterating on what’s already on the shelves.
“When I first pitched the idea of a floating, Halo-inspired secondary pack for the bottle, it sounded complicated, risky and expensive. But asking that question forces everyone, from the brand and design team to partners like Hunter Luxury, to stretch. You have to protect the dream version of the idea first and then work with the right people to figure out how to build it, rather than starting by asking if you can.”
The double Pentawards shortlisting continues a growing run of international recognition for Halo MK1. The project has already earned Gold at both the London and Tokyo Design Awards, with its combination of precision engineering, material innovation and brand storytelling attracting recognition across global design competitions.
Hunter Luxury will discover whether Halo MK1 can add to its growing collection of international honours when the Pentawards Gala Ceremony returns to Magazine London on 16 October 2026.
Our team of packaging experts works with the world’s largest brands. Drop us a line at info@hunterluxury.com, we’d love to talk through your project brief with you.
