GOLD to Australian packaging and design
With the Commonwealth Games buzz in the air, the gold theme was fitting for this years packaging and design awards ceremony in Melbourne. *Alex Doran and *Jennifer Salem write for Packaging
Gold medal winners for the 2005 Australian Packaging Awards (APA) for industry, and the Southern Cross Package Design Awards (SX) for students, were announced recently at a gala presentation dinner held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne.
This dinner, with all the slickness and entertainment of a closing ceremony, not to mention the abundance of Australian Gold medals, created a ‘Commonwealth Games’ buzz throughout the packaging/design industry, and beyond.
Innovation, technical precision and creativity shone through.
Let’s take a look at some of the details from the official Packaging Council of Australia (PCA) gold medal tally.
Southern Cross Package Design Awards
Event - Best of Show
Athlete - Belinda Stewart
Pack Title - Sniffadog
Trained with – Faculty of Design, Swinburne University of Technology , VIC
Taking out the big one for SX, Belinda Stewart has become the “darling” of the 2005 SX with interviews on GMA and articles in mainstream media.
Her concept was a drink spike detector kit packaged in a convenient and funky tube worn around the neck.
No longer tedious and impractical, this user-friendly packaging idea encourages the safe practice of testing drinks for spiking in public.
Event - Can Makers Institute of Australia Award
Athlete – Alana McFadyen
Pack Title - Shaker Painter
Trained with – University of Ballarat , VIC
This Cinderella story has taken Alana from quiet country Victoria to the heights of packaging design success!
Solving the problem of mixing and dispensing paint by replacing the conventional lever lid with a simple screw cap, together with holding devices at each end of the can, had the crowds on their feet!
Event - Packaging Council of Australia (PCA) Award
Athlete – Jeffrey Chun Ho Lau
Pack Title - Rolastic
Trained with – Faculty of Design, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC
Applauded by his athletic peers, Jeffrey was a hit in the village with this unique roll on application that eliminates the hands on approach to applying heat gels.
Australian Packaging Awards
Events – Best of Show, Amcor Packaging the Brand Award & Avery Dennison Superior Label Award
Relay team – The Le Mac Australia Group
Pack Title - Polyglaze
Not since Thorpey’s three gold at Sydney 2000 have we seen one package perform so successfully.
Polyglaze has a powerful brand impact, superior shrink sleeve labelling and is an outstanding example of excellence in packaging design.
Event – Cryovac Technical Innovation Award
Relay team – Zork Pty Ltd
Pack Title – Zork PopCap
Little known competitor Zork dazzled the crowds with their brilliant new answer to eliminating cork taint in wine.
The Zork PopCap is a resealable stopper with a tamper evidence feature, and is an alternative to cork or screw caps.
Event – Sustainability Victoria Sustainable Packaging Gold Award
Relay team – DIC Colortron
Pack Title - Ink in a Box
In a David and Goliath battle, the crowd favourite “Ink in a Box” took out Gold for DIC Colortron.
Ink in a Box is a greener alternative to the traditional means of packaging and presenting ink. The name says it all.
3-Nov-2005