ENTRY QUESTIONS
CREATIVE DESIGN
BRAND MARKETING / STORE BRAND / SPECIALTY / LIMITED EDITION
- PROJECT SUMMARY
Describe your packaging project and its primary marketing objective.
- Marketing Challenge & Opportunity
What market challenge or opportunity was the packaging designed to address, and what were the project’s key objectives?
- Brand Strategy
How does the packaging strengthen the brand, differentiate the product, and communicate its value to consumers?
- DESIGN SOLUTION
How does the graphic design (and if applicable structural work together) achieve the project’s objectives and enhance the consumer experience?
- Retail & Consumer Experience
How does the packaging create impact at retail while improving the consumer experience, including functionality, usability, sustainability, or accessibility?
(In the next step, upload a retail shelf image, digital shelf image, or other visual showing the package in its intended marketplace. If submitting a Revitalized entry, a ‘before image’ must be submitted for comparison purposes. )
- Results & Market Performance
What measurable results has the packaging achieved? Examples may include sales performance, retailer acceptance, consumer engagement, brand awareness, sustainability improvements, awards, or other business outcomes.
- Collaboration & Inclusive Design
Describe how collaboration contributed to the project’s success and how the packaging considered inclusivity and accessibility to better serve a diverse range of consumers.
BRAND MARKETING, SPECIALTY - DIGITAL SHELF
- PROJECT SUMMARY
Describe your packaging project and its primary digital shelf marketing objective.
- Marketing Challenge & Opportunity
What digital commerce challenge or opportunity was the packaging designed to address, and what were the project’s key objectives?
- DIGITAL SHELF Strategy
How does the packaging strengthen the brand, differentiate the product online, and influence consumer purchase decisions before purchase?
- DESIGN SOLUTION
How do the structural and graphic design work together to optimize fulfillment, product protection, delivery, and the post-purchase brand experience?
- Consumer Experience
How does the packaging create a memorable delivery and unboxing experience while improving functionality, usability, sustainability, or accessibility?
(In the next step, upload visuals of the digital shelf listing, delivery package, and/or unboxing experience.)
- Results & Market Performance
What measurable results has the packaging achieved? Examples may include online conversion, consumer engagement, repeat purchases, customer satisfaction, reduced damage, sustainability improvements, or other business outcomes.
- Collaboration & Inclusive Design
Describe how collaboration contributed to the project’s success and how the packaging considered inclusivity and accessibility to better serve a diverse range of consumers.
Brand Marketing, SPECIALTY - EXPERIENTIAL LAUNCH
- PROJECT SUMMARY
Describe your packaging project and its primary launch or experiential marketing objective.
- Marketing Challenge & Opportunity
What launch challenge or opportunity was the packaging designed to address, and what were the project’s key objectives?
- LAUNCH Strategy
How did the packaging support the launch strategy and create excitement, anticipation, or engagement with the intended audience?
- DESIGN SOLUTION
How do the structural and graphic design work together to deliver the intended brand story, reveal, or experiential moment?
- AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE
How did the packaging create a memorable experience for its intended audience while enhancing functionality, sustainability, or accessibility?
(In the next step, upload visuals of the package, launch event, media kit, influencer kit, unboxing, or other experiential application.)
- Results & Market Performance
What measurable results has the packaging achieved? Examples may include media coverage, social engagement, influencer reach, customer response, brand awareness, launch success, awards, or other business outcomes.
- Collaboration & Inclusive Design
Describe how collaboration contributed to the project’s success and how the packaging considered inclusivity and accessibility to better serve a diverse range of audiences.
PACKAGE INNOVATION
PAC IOU - INCLUSIVE DESIGN
- PROJECT SUMMARY
Describe your packaging project and its primary inclusion objective.
- Design Challenge & Opportunity
What inclusion challenge or opportunity was the packaging designed to address, and what were the project’s key objectives?
- Inclusive Design Approach
How did the design consider and reflect the needs of diverse people, communities, or lived experiences?
- Consumer Experience
How does the packaging create a more inclusive, welcoming, and equitable experience for consumers?
- Design Innovation
What design features or innovations make this packaging more inclusive while supporting brand, functionality, sustainability, or accessibility?
(In the next step, upload images that best illustrate the inclusive design features and consumer experience. Real-world photographs are encouraged.)
- Results & Impact
What measurable outcomes has the packaging achieved? Examples may include consumer feedback, improved usability, community impact, accessibility improvements, commercial success, awards, or other meaningful results.
PAC IOU - UNIVERSAL (ACCESSIBLE) DESIGN
- PROJECT SUMMARY
Describe your packaging project and its primary inclusion objective.
- Design Challenge & Opportunity
What accessibility challenge or opportunity was the packaging designed to address, and what were the project’s key objectives?
- Accessible Design Approach
How were the principles of Universal Design applied to improve the usability of the packaging?
- User Experience
How does the packaging improve ease of opening, handling, understanding, dispensing, or overall use for a broad range of people?
- Design Innovation
What design features or innovations improve accessibility while supporting functionality, sustainability, and consumer experience?
(In the next step, upload images that best illustrate the accessibility features and user experience. Real-world photographs are encouraged.)
- Results & Impact
What measurable outcomes has the packaging achieved? Examples may include improved usability, consumer satisfaction, accessibility improvements, commercial success, awards, or other meaningful results.
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: CONNECTED, LABELS, SHELF AISLE DISPLAY, & TECHNICAL
- PROJECT SUMMARY
Describe your packaging innovation and its primary objective.
- Innovation Challenge & Opportunity
What challenge or opportunity was the packaging designed to address, and what were the project’s key objectives?
- INNOVATION SOLUTION
How does the innovation improve label, package performance, functionality, manufacturability, sustainability, accessibility, consumer experience, or operational efficiency?
- DESIGN & TECHNICAL EXECUTION
Describe the structural, material, printing, manufacturing, digital, or engineering innovations that distinguish this packaging solution.
(In the next step, upload images that best illustrate the innovation, including close-up views and, where applicable, retail, digital, transit, or in-use photographs.)
- COLLABORATION & DEVELOPMENT
Describe how collaboration across the packaging value chain contributed to the successful development and implementation of this innovation.
- RESULTS & PERFORMANCE
What measurable results has the innovation achieved? Examples may include improved package performance, manufacturing efficiencies, consumer experience, sustainability, accessibility, operational improvements, commercial success, or other business outcomes.
SUSTAINABLE - RECYCLING EXCELLENCE
- PROJECT summary
Describe your sustainable packaging innovation and its primary objective.
- Sustainability Challenge & Opportunity
What recycling challenge or opportunity was the packaging designed to address, and what were the project’s sustainability objectives?
- Sustainability Solution
Describe how the packaging improves real-world recyclability, material recovery, recycled material quality, or recycling system performance while maintaining functionality and commercial viability.
- Validation & Recycling Performance
Describe how recycling performance was measured or validated. Examples may include APR Design® Guide, RecyClass, EEQ Design Guide, The Recycling Partnership Circular Assessment Tool, AF&PA Design Guidance, Golden Design Rules, How2Recycle®, MRF testing, bale quality or yield improvements, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), or other recognized industry methodologies.
(In the next step, upload images and supporting documentation that best demonstrate the innovation and recycling performance.)
- Collaboration & Implementation
Describe how collaboration across the packaging value chain contributed to the successful development and implementation of this solution.
- Results & Impact
What measurable environmental and business results has this packaging achieved? Examples may include improved recyclability, material recovery, recycling efficiencies, sustainability improvements, operational performance, or commercial success.
SUSTAINABLE - RENEWABLE MATERIALS
- PROJECT summary
Describe your sustainable packaging innovation and its primary objective.
- Sustainability Challenge & Opportunity
What environmental challenge or opportunity was the packaging designed to address, and what were the project’s sustainability objectives?
- Sustainability Solution
Describe how the packaging utilizes renewable or responsibly sourced feedstocks while maintaining or improving product protection, functionality, manufacturability, economic viability, and consumer experience.
- Validation & Environmental Performance
Describe how the environmental benefits were measured or validated. Examples may include certified bio-based content (e.g., ISCC PLUS or USDA BioPreferred®), Bioplastics Feedstock Alliance methodology, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), compostability certification, recyclability validation, or other recognized third-party certification or scientific assessment.
(In the next step, upload images and supporting documentation that best demonstrate the innovation and environmental performance.)
- Collaboration & Implementation
Describe how collaboration across the packaging value chain contributed to the successful development and implementation of this solution.
- Results & Impact
What measurable environmental and business results has this packaging achieved? Examples may include reduced environmental impacts, renewable material substitution, carbon reduction, sustainability improvements, operational performance, or commercial success.
SUSTAINABLE - SOURCE REDUCTION
- PROJECT summary
Describe your sustainable packaging innovation and its primary objective.
- Sustainability Challenge & Opportunity
What environmental challenge or opportunity was the packaging designed to address, and what were the project’s sustainability objectives?
- Sustainability Solution
Describe how the packaging reduces material use or environmental impacts while maintaining or improving product protection, functionality, manufacturability, economic viability, and consumer experience.
- Validation & Environmental Performance
Describe how the environmental benefits were measured or validated. Examples may include source reduction calculations, lightweighting data, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), certified post-consumer recycled content, reuse/refill system performance, retailer or EPR compliance metrics, or other credible third-party validation.
(In the next step, upload images and supporting documentation that best demonstrate the innovation and environmental performance.)
- Collaboration & Implementation
Describe how collaboration across the packaging value chain contributed to the successful development and implementation of this solution.
- Results & Impact
What measurable environmental and business results has this packaging achieved? Examples may include material reduction, carbon reduction, cost savings, sustainability improvements, operational efficiencies, consumer acceptance, or commercial success.