Packaging awards — what catches the eye of the judges?
Beauty, Innovation, Luxury, News, Technical Expertise
Winning a major packaging award can deliver a significant boost for consumer goods brands, design agencies and packaging manufacturers. Firstly, there’s the kudos that comes from the endorsement of the competition’s panel of judges. They are invariably a group of industry experts and decision makers. When they voice their opinions, people tend to sit up and take notice.
Then there is the increased visibility in the press, on websites and social media that an award brings, as well as the chance to place an awards logo on your brand. Displaying an award helps distinguish products from the competition and can often drive up sales. So the multiple gains from winning awards are clear to see…
But what exactly are those hard-to-impress judges looking for?
The answer to that key question depends on the type of product the packaging is for. In the realm of confectionery, packaging that imparts a touch of luxury and enhances the chance of it being purchased as a gift, are both desirable qualities. Consider Cadbury Glow by Mondelez International — a box of chocolate pralines designed to look like a treasure chest and featuring the brand’s signature gold and purple colour palette.
Launched in late 2014 targeted at the Asian and Indian gifting markets, Cadbury Glow has subsequently won no fewer than three packaging awards—a Gold in the Luxury Food category at the Starpack Awards, the winner of the Luxury Food Pack at the Luxury Packaging Design Awards, and finally a prestigious WorldStar international packaging award.
Subtle luxury and gifting cues
Feedback from the judges of the Luxury Packaging design Awards showed they loved design agency Pearlfisher’s use of subtle luxury and gifting cues.
These included the warm and inviting way the word ‘Glow’ had been designed; the use of quality metallised cartonboard and a pearlescent varnish to create a shimmering effect on the outer box, as well as the overall look of the gold inner treasure chest.
If luxury and gifting appeal are highly rated in the world of confectionery, eco-friendly designs and materials are becoming more and more important in the beauty sector. For instance, Chicago Paper Tube & Can Co. won last year’s Luxepack Green Award for The Eco Push Tube it created in partnership with its client Marula Beauty Oil.
Eco-friendly designs and materials
The EcoPush tube is a 100% paperboard dispenser/applicator for Marula’s Lips 2 Line on-the-go hydrating balm. The EcoPush is fully biodegradable and made from 95% recycled fibre and water-based glues. All the materials used in its production were also sourced locally in the mid-western region of the US, which further reduced the packaging’s carbon footprint.
However, in the spirits category eco-conscious considerations appear to be far less of a factor. Instead, judges value luxury cues, craft credentials, hand-finished touches and the communication of compelling brand stories. For instance, consider threebrand’s new 1-litre Patrón Limited Edition tequila bottle and gift box design, which is targeted at the duty-free channel. It recently scooped a prize at this year’s prestigious Dieline Awards.
Craft credentials, hand-finished touches and compelling brand stories
Threebrand took the Patrón brand’s bee logo and transformed it into a stunning hand-applied bottle label made from pewter with intricate lattice detailing. The bottle was then finished with a glass stopper and enclosed in an elegant, acrylic display case to create a travel exclusive product with real shelf standout and appeal to gift seekers and collectors.
Simple yet smart
Here at Hunter we know a thing or two about impressing judges and winning awards. For instance, in the 2014 Luxury Packaging Awards our Accurist Watch Box took the award for the best Jewellery and Watches Pack. The judges loved “the simple yet smart pack” with its “clean graphics”, luxury materials such as bukram paper, on-brand colours and clever touches such as a slot to hold an accompanying ‘pamphlet, which explained the watch’s features.
In the highly competitive beauty field Hunter was highly commended at the 2015 Luxury Packaging Awards for the Elemis gift range we created for the cosmetic and skincare brand’s twenty-fifth anniversary. In the same competition we were also shortlisted for The Sanctuary Mother’s Day gift box, which was filled with some of the company’s best-selling skincare lines.
Hunter’s continued commitment to creating innovative, on-trend luxury packaging, which will catch both the eyes of the judges and ultimately the intended target consumer, will no doubt see us in line for more awards in the future. Come to talk to Hunter if you want to hear more about our winning approach to packaging development.
