The competition invited students to explore high-end drink sector brands and to design limited, luxury packaging to promote their own brand concept. Winning projects were selected from submissions by students at Norwich University of the Arts, by an esteemed panel of judges.
Packaging is part of any consumer experience, with luxury and high-end drink brand owners recognising that highly impactful design, print and special edition packaging, all provide an opportunity to bring their premium drinks to new audiences. The Smart Luxury Packaging: Drinks Sector brief was judged according to criteria including design, recognising opportunity, impact, commercial viability, brand strength and presentation.
The judging panel comprised of industry experts: Veronica Heaven, Managing Director of The Heaven Company and Founder of Brief Cases, Tan Mahal, Head of Creative Services at Pollards, Jess Turner, Head of Brand and Creative at Adnams, Jamie Pledger, Retail Merchandise Buyer at Adnams, Brian Webb, Director and Designer at Webb & Webb, Susan Wright, Editorial Director and Publisher at Earth Island Publishing, Eleanor Harris, Head of Sales and Marketing at Beamglow, Jon Clark, General Manager at BPIF Cartons and Head of Procurement at Medica Packaging, and Steve Chappell, Graphical Board Development Manager at Antalis.
After extensive reviews of all shortlisted work, five students were recognised with awards.
Joint gold winners are Bethany Hansford with “Smith Sutton”, and Isabella Atkinson with “Tinbeerwah”. Bethany designed “Smith Sutton” with inspiration from her long-standing librarian grandfather, with luxury, reusable brandy packaging in the form of an old book. Foiling and embossing gives a premium and excusive feel to the outer, while the inside is lined with a marble pattern, linking back to book cover linings of old and providing a contrasting and contemporary feel upon opening. The bottle itself incorporates a label on which a name can be handwritten for personalised gifting, with the keepsake pencil provided. Showing consideration for the environment, Bethany specified a selection of 100% recyclable paper products, from Antalis, for her impressive design which creates a unique experience for the consumer. Joint gold winner Isabella Atkinson named her gin brand after her childhood home, the suburb Tinbeerwah in Queensland, Australia, for which she uses a laser cut sunrise style motif. The area is characterised by its lush tropical rainforest and exotic plants and celebrates natural Australian botanicals; both of which became the inspiration for Isabella’s design. The keepsake packaging has shelf appeal and the bottle label is cleverly laser cut to create light refraction for impact. Through creating luxurious sustainability with her packaging, with the balance of its paper-based construction and special finishes including gold foil, Isabella’s design has heightened luxury appeal.
Olivia Kennedy was awarded silver for “Bryhtnoth”, a salted caramel vodka in recyclable packaging utilising foiling and laser cutting for a perception of luxury and to provide striking impact for gifting. Mia Jones’ creative concept “Mortimer’s” received the bronze award. Creating giftable, boxed wine, Mia designed the outer box to become a lantern by placing a light inside, post-packaging use. Completing the awards, highly commended was given to Abigail Ballard-Lawrence for her “Sailmakers White Rum” packaging, with each cut-out on the box reflecting the shape of sails.
Jess Turner, Head of Brand and Creative at Adnams, comments: “The thoroughness of the students’ work and their incredibly detailed and well-thought-out storytelling, alongside the detailed concepts and brands, were impressive. You could really tell that a huge amount of research went into their work, and it was an honour to be on the judging panel.”