The Winners: Pro Carton ECMA Award and Pro Carton Young Designers Award

The Pro Carton ECMA Award 2014 and the Pro Carton Young Design Award 2014 were an overwhelming success! More companies than ever took part in the Pro Carton ECMA Award. The prize winners received their awards at the biggest gala ever. For translations in German, French, Italian, Spanish and Romanian click HERE!
  With a record attendance of nearly 300 guests, the atmosphere at the Award Gala of the first joint congress of ECMA and Pro Carton on 18. September in Sorrento (Italy) was in high spirits indeed. Finally, the waiting was over: amid a festive background the prizes were awarded for the Pro Carton ECMA Award and the Pro Carton Young Designers Award – all set against the impressive backdrop of the medieval castle Castellammare di Stabia. All the finalists of the Young Design Award attended the gala together with their professors. The Award Gala was the highlight of the congress. The finalists of both competitions had already been announced in August – mow it was time to announce the winners and the three main winners of the Pro Carton ECMA Award: Carton of the Year, Most Innovative und Sustainability. The certificates and trophies were presented by Roland Rex, President Pro Carton, Dr. Andreas Blaschke, President ECMA, and Satkar Gidda, chairman of the jury. The Carton of the Year went to "Fernanda Brandao", for perfect communication of the product promise. The carton has a unique design, its shape reminiscent of an unpolished amythyst. This differentiates it well from other products on the shelf and conveys the product message: unlimited energy, pure dynamics and charisma par excellence. In the Sustainability category, the Confiserie Reber Advent Calendar with innovative carton-inlay proved exemplary. The challenge was to replace the styrofoam positioning tray in a Reber advent calendar with cartonboard. All important specifications were achieved: easy handling, precise positioning of the products with the aid of "Twister" spiral technology which compensates the various heights, and perfect protection of the contents. The Artelac Splash Dispenser (display) won the category for the most innovative cartonboard solution. The characteristic conical shape and the self-closing trays make the product unique, not only in the field of pharmaceuticals. The jury was so impressed by the solution that they gave it two awards: the special award "Most Innovative" as well as the award for the category "Pharmaceutical". As always, the jury represented the Packaging Supply Chain:
  • Brand and design expert Satkar Gidda (SiebertHead) acted as chairman.
  • The Brand Owners in the innovation sector were repesented by Stan Akkermans (Mars).
  • A first-timer was Martin Luh (Nestlé) for the Brand Owner sector Procurement.
  • Another first-timer was retail expert Marco Atzberger (EHI Retail Institute).
  • Peter Klein Sprokkelhorst (packaging industry) acted as consultant to the jury.
Geert Verlinden, expert in the field of innovation at Van Genechten, joined the jury for the Pro Carton Young Designers Award. Satkar Gidda commented on the work of the jury: "This year we saw a number of solutions with a very special quality. Attention to detail is growing in package design. It is very impressive the way things are being done and the innovation that is being considered." "And the Winners are": PRO CARTON ECMA AWARD CARTON OF THE YEAR Pure dynamics: Fernanda Brandao SUSTAINABILITY Noblesse oblige: Confiserie Reber Advent Calendar with innovative carton-inlay MOST INNOVATIVE DESIGN Smart design: Artelac Splash Dispenser (display) BEAUTY & COSMETICS Refined elegance: Pleats Please L’Élixir BEVERAGES Unbeatable harmony: Jim Beam Honey Promotional Packaging CONFECTIONERY Jack of all trades: Multiflex PHARMACEUTICAL Smart design: Artelac Splash Dispenser (Display) SHELF READY & DISPLAY Strong impulse: Peppersmith Clipstrip FOOD Ice cream with charm: Gelato Box NON-FOOD Optimal use: VIVA Bottle-hanger VOLUME MARKET Perfect function: eggbox 10's Hofer Goldland/Freiland PRO CARTON YOUNG DESIGNERS AWARD CREATIVE CARTONBOARD PACKAGING Apple & Juice: Designer: Alisa Feldhofer CREATIVE CARTONBOARD IDEAS Save a Bug: Marie-Sophie Fischer   All partners in the Packaging Supply Chain – designers, brand owners, the retail trade as well as cartonboard and carton manufacturers – are cordially invited to enter the Award (again) in the coming year, deadline for entries is the 21. May 2015. Comprehensive information with case studies of the winners and print-ready photos are available at procarton.comprocartonecmaaward.com ans procartondesignaward.com Printed brochures in English are available at Pro Carton from Suzanne E. McEwen, mcewen@procarton.com