The winners of Pentawards 2023 were announced at a Gala Ceremony at Magazine London on 10th November, with recurring features including pro-recycling messaging implemented into the packaging design and the prioritization of interactivity and sustainability in the unboxing process.
Over 2,000 entries from more than 70 countries spanning five continents were received this year. The international jury shortlisted over 600 of these entries earlier this year.
Companies from China, the UK, Spain, the USA, Japan, and Italy received the highest number of awards this time around, and a full list of this year’s winners is available through Pentawards’ Winners Gallery.
For the first time, Pentawards partnered with Pantone to introduce a Special Award for Best Use of Colour; this follows Pantone’s including in the inaugural Pentawards Trends Report in 2021, in which Laurie Pressman, vice-president of the Pantone Colour Institute, discussed the trend of ‘Colour As A Key Visual’.
The jury recognized several other trends among this year’s winners, including statement packaging that utilizes bold visual messaging to promote better recycling practices; creative uses of paper for interactive and sustainability-minded unboxing experiences; and packaging design elements intended to inspire purpose and positive actions.
Auge Design was presented with the Diamond award for Casa Marrazzo 1934. Its clear glass jars feature screen-printed illustrations of home objects that ‘add authenticity and emotion’ in a ‘sophisticated, warm, naive style’. Gold-printed labels have been utilized to capture consumers’ eyes on the shelf, and each product is distinguished by custom caps and individual palettes.
“We are ecstatic for our second Diamond award in five years,” said Davide Mosconi, partner and executive creative director at Auge Design. “As the first design agency to achieve this remarkable feat, I have to applaud our exceptional team’s talent and dedication, as well as our clients’ trust.”
Studio Tumpić/Prenc won the Best Use of Colour Gold Award over a shortlist of over 25 entries. Bycolor Dental Beauty by Aekyung Industry and Doritos Rainbow Limited Edition 2022 by PepsiCo received Silver awards, while Mozzo Coffee by B&B Studio and BY FAR: The Daydream Fragrance Collection by Vincent Villéger achieved the Bronze award.
Other Special Awards from this year included Design Agency of the Year, which went to Auge Design; Educator of the Year, which was dedicated to Elisava; the Design with Purpose Award, given to Drawrope for its Bosai Gift; and NXT-GEN, Best Student Work – an award given to Muety, Yun Zhu of Kuwasawa Design School.
Backbone Branding took home a total of nine awards, making it the top winning agency of this year’s competition, while James Cropper and Auge Design each took home six awards.
Head of Pentawards Adam Ryan commented: “It’s been a hugely exciting year for Pentawards, not only due to the calibre of entries, but also with the announcement of our partnership with Pantone and the introduction of a new category which allows us to celebrate arguably one of the most visually arresting aspects of packaging design – colour. With noticeable trends also emerging and a continuing focus on designing with interaction, purpose and action in mind, it’s such an exciting time for packaging design and it’s an honour to celebrate it each year.”
Reusability, recyclability, and sustainable design emerged as consistent trends in last year’s Pentawards ceremony, in which Urban Forest Lifestyle took home the Diamond award for its Pocket Neck Pillow.
At Labelexpo Europe 2023, the seven winners of the Label Industry Global Awards 2023 were announced. These included UPM Raflatac for its label made of ‘ocean-bound’ plastic, CARTES’ automated digital embellishment line, and LINTEC’s polyester-based adhesive.
The 4evergreen alliance’s Circularity Success Stories initiative also presented SIG with two awards – the Design for Circularity award for its full barrier, aluminium-free material for aseptic carton packs, and the Circularity Best Practices award for the Palurec PolyAl recycling plant.
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Also, if you’re interested in packaging sustainability, you will want to attend our Sustainable Packaging Summit in Amsterdam on 14-15 November. The Summit brings together leaders and pioneers from across the industry to align strategically, learn, network, and create a critical mass to accelerate change. You can learn more by clicking here, and you can buy a ticket to attend here.
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