“It feels amazing to win PIDA Gold Award. Our design is colourful and detailed with both matt and glossy prinst, see-through panels, pop-ups and interactive panels which attract the eye. In a way the packaging is the product. We have seen that this was an unexplored area on the market – and we found a hole to fill,” says the team. The winning packaging project responds perfectly to this year’s brief – to create a package that speaks to our senses. The motivation of the jury reads:

“With constant smiles during the journey of unboxing, this is truly golden standard. Awakening the senses with layers and playfulness. When products are used, the package remains to be used again and again. This visual party makes us want to go travelling without moving.”

The design students who won the PIDA Gold Award at the Swedish PIDA event automatically qualify for the Grand Finale. At the final – that takes place at the Luxe Pack trade show in Monaco on September 27 – an international winner will be appointed. It means that the Swedish design students will be up against the winners of the three other semi-finals; students from USA/UK, France, and Germany.

More students awarded

At the event, another three prizes were presented. An entry called “Norgård” received the “Highest Level of Innovation Award”. The team behind Norgård, a concept for organic skincare, was Elin Andersson, Emelie Franck, and Michaela Nylén Hansson from Brobygrafiska. The jury’s motivation read:

”Tactile from the outside surface to the fixing of the product. Executed in a recognizable format, easy to understand, it surprises us with a well thought movement which comes alive when unboxing. With two to choose from, one becomes invisible, the other invincible.”

The “Highest Level of User Friendliness Award” went to the entry “Wild”, created by Elias Wall, Sonia Hint Kindgren, and Samuel Olsson from Brobygrafiska. It is a gift carton for wine, and the jury said: “There is never any hesitation on how to open this one. But what happens next leaves us with a lasting impression. Let’s open and close it again and again and again. We’d say this is fit for a party, red wine anyone? Or perhaps Champagne?”

The “Highest Level of Sustainability Award” was presented to Alwin Lindquist, Ella Wiles, and Jennie Bergström from Mittuniversitetet for the entry “Deobar”, a packaging solution for deodorant sticks. The jury’s motivation read: “A display of minimalism and simplicity, this concept really challenges the non-sustainable packages of today. A conscious design leaves no excess and no excuses not to pursue this further. Simply put.”

The winners were selected by a jury of prominent industry professionals, who were very impressed by this year’s contestants. “The jurors were so impressed with the thoughtful and exciting concepts presented by the teams in this competition. We discussed and debated the entries and length before determining the winning team in each category. Each participant should be so very proud of the work accomplished under extraordinary circumstances,” says Lasse Svärd of Grafs Kartong, chairman of the jury for PIDA Sweden.

A creative arena for the packaging community

BillerudKorsnäs, the company behind PIDA, arranges the competition in cooperation with leading universities and design colleges in the USA, the UK, France, Germany, and Sweden. The competition gives the students an opportunity to work on a real packaging design project under the same conditions as an authentic assignment. What’s more, it is also a chance for the students to showcase their ideas and creativity to established professionals who attend the events every year to be inspired and meet the packaging designers of tomorrow.

“With PIDA, we want to drive the development of packaging design forward while also establishing a meeting place for the industry and the schools. This year marks the 16^th anniversary of the competition and interest for PIDA grows steadily for every year – at the schools as well as in the packaging business. It is especially exciting to have invited American students to PIDA for the first time,” says Anderes Gathu, Marketing Manager BillerudKorsnäs.