Packaging awards see innovation and humour
THE recent Australian Packaging Awards for 2006 saw a strong field, with a record number of entries in most categories and some remarkably innovative work taking out the major prizes.
“In total, we received over 260 entries,” said Alex Doran, manager of the Awards for the Packaging Council of Australia. “In some categories, we had two or three times the number of entries on last year.
“Across the board, I believe packaging design in Australia is on par with the best in the world. At the retail level, the best packaging makes a statement to consumers.
“The marketplace is crowded these days, and to stand out a product has to have an aesthetic, innovative appeal through its packaging. At another level, the packaging has to promote the brand, with a consistent message across the product range.
“There also has to be an awareness of the functionality of the packaging, so issues such as cost and handling are considered, as well as environmental considerations,” Doran told Manufacturers’ Monthly.
Some of the best examples of packaging for the retail sector have a distinct sense of humour to them, with an interaction between package and product.
For example, the 335ml clear glass bottle for a drink called Twist, a Smirnoff product, appears to itself have been twisted. The bottle won the Gold Medal in the Heidelberg Beverage Packaging Award, and Bronze in both the Amcor Design Innovation Award and the Huhtamaki Packaging the Brand Award.
The package for Moxie tampons is a small cylindrical metal box, with a 1940s-style design. The aim was to convey an aspect of fun as well as practicality. The package took the Silver Medal in the Carter Holt Harvey Packaging Beauty through Design Award.
An example of packaging which conveys a message to the consumer was the plastic tube for Gourmet Garden herbs and spices. The squeezable tube contains a transparent panel as a means of underlining the reliability, freshness and ‘user-friendliness’ of the product. The package is designed for both the domestic and export market, although the tube won the Bronze Medal in the Colorpak Packaging Export Award.
One of the most interesting packages was a cardboard box, known as the VPAC Bumper Corrugated Container, designed by Toyota Australia for the shipment of bumper bars. Because of their shape, bumper bars raise a host of logistical problems, as a rectangular shipping container involves a significant waste of space. The new crescent-shaped box, made of heavy cardboard folded into place with interlocking leaves, provides a space saving of about 60%. The container won the Gold Medal in the Packaging for Industry Award, which was sponsored by NCI Packaging.
Another folded cardboard product was the package for the shipment of Wollemi Pines saplings. The package includes protective internal supports to ensure that the sapling cannot move inside the box during transport. It won a Bronze Medal in the Sustainability Award, sponsored by EPA Victoria.
The Best of Show award went to Nestlé Heaven, for its packaging for chocolate blocks and twin-pack dairy dessert. This entry won the Gold medal in the Huhtamaki Packaging the Brand Award, a category which had over 110 entries. The product was also on the shortlist for many other categories.
12-Oct-2006