Paperboard Package of the Year
Graphic Packaging International
Wicked Weed Sours 4-Bottle Basket
Board: 18pt AquaKote®, a Solid Unbleached Sulfate (SUS®) board grade with special additives added at the GPI mill to increase wet strength
When Wicked Weed craft brewery decided to launch a specialty line of fruity sour beers, they asked Graphic Packaging 
International to design a stunning carrier that would capture the essence of the unique product while connecting with sour beer lovers.
Just like the beer itself, the graphic design is fruit forward, highlighting the tart peaches and pears that give the beer its mouth-puckering goodness. Vibrant, colorful images of fruit stand out on a backdrop of muted, two-tone illustrations of trees and leaves. For further emphasis, the fruit is finished with a high-gloss coating while the background is treated with a matte varnish. This draws attention to the glossed areas, conveys a very premium brand image, and mirrors Wicked Weed’s intense focus on the fruit as the key ingredient in their exceptional brews.
The final result? An eye-popping, masterfully designed carton that’s perfect for the special beer it carries. Cheers!
Folding Carton of the Year
Edelmann Group
Estee Lauder GlamGlow INSTAMUD
Board: 18pt SBS from Clearwater Paper
What’s harder than making a standout carton? Doing it again, and again. The Edelmann Group has been helping GlamGlow make unique packaging for years. They even took home Folding Carton of the Year in PPC’s 2015 competition for a GlamGlow carton. Of course, with each new project, the bar keeps on rising.
Their newest design for GlamGlow INSTAMUD literally has no vertical lines, generating huge shelf impact. Furthermore, the negative space on the shelf, created by the cartons’ unique diamond-shaped angles, draws additional attention. Adding even more visual interest, the hourglass shape appears to be a mirror image of itself. Another winning design, the INSTAMUD carton certainly met GlamGlow’s high expectations. Now, onto the next exciting design!
Rigid Box of the Year
Edelmann Group
Kat Von D Trooper Black Eyeliner Obsession
Board: Outer carton: STE is 18pt SBS from Clearwater Paper. Inner carton: 60pt chip, Hyflex7 Wrap, and 24pt SBS from Clearwater Paper for the inside insert and hinge.
Tattoo artist Kat Von D’s makeup line wanted a showstopping, star-shaped rigid box to help boost sales of their Trooper 
eyeliner collection. After four months of intensive design work, the Edelmann Group delivered.
Despite its big, bold design and undeniable shelf presence, the box achieves a small footprint by positioning the brand’s signature star to the right of the base. Further tying in the brand identity, small printed stars on the front of the box evoke the tattoos on Kat Von D’s face. The design also features a unique roll-away opening that eliminates the need for a lock or magnet. This edgy carton not only sells the product, it’s special enough for consumers to keep and display at home. Rock on, Edelmann Group!
Innovation of the Year Award
Southern Champion Tray
Guarantab
Board: 16pt solid bleached sulfate board with the clay side facing in to provide moisture resistance
In an online poll, 31.3% of food delivery drivers fessed up to eating customers’ food. Yikes!
Southern Champion Tray’s Guarantab design offers a solution for worried consumers and restaurants who may face the blame. This recyclable, clamshell carton is the first in the food service industry to make use of a tamper evident lock that has been long used in shoe boxes and consumer electronic packaging. The design features a “Tamper-Evident” seal printed on top as well as “bear trap” ridged side walls that prevent people from reaching into the sides of the carton. With the rising popularity of fast food delivery options, this innovative new design could make a big impact.
Digital Application of the Year
Zumbiel Packaging
Kroger Home Chef Sleeves
Board: 14pt SBS from Clearwater Paper
Zumbiel Packaging’s sleeves for Kroger Home Chef meal kits show how digital technologies can add an unprecedented level of speed and flexibility to the supply chain.
Home Chef offers seasonal menu offerings, so the exact ingredients and nutritional facts are not available well in advance. That’s where Zumbiel’s digital converting capabilities come in handy. Each week, Zumbiel receives 24 new graphic files for sleeve SKUs that are placed around generic primary packages. Literally minutes after receiving the art files, Zumbiel is printing and die cutting sleeves at a rate of over 50,000 per hour with zero make-ready. The filled cartons hit store shelves nationwide no later than two weeks after Zumbiel receives the art. Now that’s an extraordinary new value that the paperboard packaging industry can deliver to our customers!
Sustainability of the Year Award
WestRock
First Alert Sustainable Security
Board: 20pt NatraLock® Ultra Seal SBS and 16pt SBS from WestRock
Today’s consumers are more concerned about sustainability than ever before. These redesigned smoke detector cartons from WestRock address that concern—and then some. The switch from a fully enclosed, virgin PET blistered clamshell to the NatraLock® blister card yielded a noticeable 61% reduction in plastic and a 48% decrease in packaging weight. Additionally, the redesign led to a significant SKU optimization, consolidating 161 SKUs into three common card sizes and 13 common blisters. The redesign introduced a more environmentally friendly package to meet the needs of consumers across the country who demand sustainability and tactful use of materials.
Judges’ Awards
TPC Printing & Packaging
In The Stars Eau De Parfum Holiday Edition 2018
Board: ½ mil mylar laminated to 18pt SBS from Hampden Paper
TPC Printing & Packaging really put the sparkle into this Bath and Body Works fragrance carton. A mixture of silver and gold glitter, applied via silk screen, gives the carton its brilliant, shinning quality. A special carrier for the glitter eliminates flaking, allowing consumers to experience the texture without making a mess. Holographic stamping is used for the star pattern while white silk screening makes the copy on the top and bottom panels pop. This beautiful carton makes consumers feel like they are “in the stars,” and that certainly translates into sales.
Judges’ Award
Graphic Packaging International
AXE/LYNX Holiday “Hexacle” Canisters
Board: 16pt SUS from Graphic Packaging International
To grab consumers’ attention in the cluttered holiday shopping environment, Unilver’s AXE and LYNX brands turned to Graphic Packaging International to design a distinct and premium gift set carton. A structurally unique solution, the “Hexacle” canisters are hexagonal at the bottom and round at the top, featuring an auto-bottom for easy erecting and a plastic plunge-style lid. The graphics not only mirror the primary packages inside, they also look like wrapping paper, allowing some consumers to skip the gift wrap. A visually appealing and convenient gift option, the “Hexacle” Canisters were a holiday hit!