TOP37 Global Food Packaging Designs of 2019: Marking Awards 2019 Winners Finally Announced!

Marking Awards
25 min readJul 17, 2019

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Marking Awards 2019, global food & beverage packaging design award launched by FBIF, was successfully held in Hangzhou on April 23rd, 2019. MA 2019 received more than 500 designs from 200 global brands and agencies in total. After evaluation, 37 projects of professionals (brand owners, design agencies, packaging suppliers, freelance designers) and student group finally won.

Pic: Winners with Hosts and Presenters

Marking Awards was born to mark the world’s excellent food packaging. With FBIF’s international influence, during the two years of its holding, MA has received attention from World Packaging Organization (WPO), served as a bridge between brands and design agencies for over 30 times, contributed to traceable cooperation for 8 times, and led to 3 new packages on market, trying every means to promote interaction between food and design. As a China-based international food packaging design contest, Marking Awards is responsible for discovering and praising brilliant local F&B package designs, as well as encouraging communication between local and global design power, aiming to speed up F&B brands’ packaging innovation, package functional optimization and improve their aesthetics standards.

Pic: Marking Awards 2019 Ceremony
Pic: Isabella Hsu, Founder & CEO of Simba Events

Marking Awards evaluated all the entries from six criteria: commerciality, communication, functionality, originality, foresight and design, but different categories take different proportions. Finally the winning projects were selected out as below. Now, let’s enjoy the 31 award-winning packaging works from professionals and 6 award-winning packaging works from student group, and together appreciate the most powerful packaging designs in China’s food industry.

01 Appreciation | 37 Winning Projects, why can they stand out?

Project: Fish Club Wine

Winner: Backbone Branding

Design Brief: The branding and concept were designed for exceptional fish lovers, who appreciate real taste of wine and true hospitality in an inspiring atmosphere. The core design element is fish scale, a simple, yet bold thought as this is a common element in all fishes regardless of their type, size, and shape. The packaging features stylized depictions of a fish silhouette with beautiful scale patterns. Three types of wines were selected (red, rose and white) and matched carefully with unique fish types. A special technique was used for printing on mirror metallic papers, which are hand-wrapped on the bottle and twisted gently. This is done just enough on the bottles to show the type of wines inside. The idea of this exceptional packaging is to show the passion and deep dialogue of drinking wine with fish.

Jury Comment: Wonderfully clever simple and beautiful idea.

Project: Pavomea Chickpea Crisp

Winner: Jansword Design

Design Brief: The packaging design for the new product Pavomea Chickpea Crisp picks up on the aesthetics of portrait painting by Leonardo da Vinci. His portrait called “The Lady with the Ermine(1489–1490)” served as direct inspiration in creating four female figures reflecting the four different flavours of the product. These figures also represent four different ideal types of women. As a surprise effect, the eye part of these illustrated figures clearly changes when the packages are torn open. It is like a metaphor of every single people fighting with a social mask. The prism structure is also impressive.

Jury Comment: Love the Da Vinci influence and the mystery of the opening and the metaphor of the social mask unveiled.

Project: Ladypenguin “P”Wine Tasting Set

Winner: Jansword Design

sign Brief: We used six kinds of typography to symbolized six characteristic of grape species, which can be known as Typo-Wine Synaesthesia. Figurative animal images also represent its various features, e.g. swan for Riesling, humming bird for Moscato. In terms of font, we used serif and sans serif from different times. Dante stands for Gruner Veltliner, Didot represents elegant Riesling, and Art Nouveau-style fonts for Moscato, Futura (Inspired) for the new world representative Syrah, the gentle Optima for Merlot.

Project: Pchak

Winner: Backbone Branding

Design Brief: Pchak is one of those projects where the idea just stroke us and it had to be implemented in reality. While creating Pchak we didn’t want to go far from the original idea by including additional design elements. We used the same approach for naming “Pchak” which is the Armenian equivalent of “tree hollow”. Pure nature now found its place in our urban daily life.

Jury Comment: Forward thinking, clever and breathtaking in its aesthetic.

Project:ODE Fine Foods

Winner:AG Design Agency

Design Brief: ODE (from Ancient Greek: ᾠδή ōdḗ) is a type of lyrical stanza and a brand new range of Greek, premium food products. In Greece, odes were originally poetic pieces performed with musical accompaniment. Since many may never realize how important a frame is to the enjoyment of a work of art, the ODE Premium range was inspired by the one thing that all art has in common: the frame. The containers were painted leaving a “see through” window that enhances and defines the product without overpowering it. Just like a great frame made for a great work of art.

For the Premium Mass range, we opted for an earthier feel, taking inspiration from the art in nature and the symmetry one finds — a honey comb or a line of trees in a field — and depicting it through abstract illustrations and the colors of ripe fruit.

Project: 44°N by Comte de Grasse

Winner: forceMAJEURE Design in partnership with CHIC Agency

Design Brief: Inspired by Grasse’s authentic perfume know-how and the French Riviera’s romantic charm, we defined the gin’s naming as 44°N — the location coordinate for Grasse — placing the geographical origin of Comte de Grasse and its first creation in a logotype that affirms a new contemporary and essential luxury. Our packaging design for the bottle is reminiscent of the perfumer’s workshop, infused with the inimitable power of escape, captured in the absolute of Klein blue and the striking contrast of solar and pure yellow. The low relief of the bottle has been manually carved to restore the Mediterranean’s magical sun and douceur de vivre. The cap, signed with the monogram of Comte de Grasse, completes the dimension of the perfumer’s touch while creating a new opening ritual for the spirit brand.”

Jury Comment: Outstanding premium and confident brand presentation, with an air of modernity and timelessness.

Project: A Piece of Lovely Cake

Winner: Step Design

Design Brief: The package is designed for A PIECE OF LOVELY CAKE. They bring the consumers visual beauty of enjoyment by providing the unique artistic quality of the product with healing illustrations. Each illustration is like a vividly telling story that composes an imaginary fruit world with a fresh and bright pallet. What you feel is not the taste of the crisp, but also the warmth of that trip. The brand concept — warmth conveys more affection, is more highlighted with the warmhearted writing.

Project: Beijing Yong Feng Jiu Fang — Chinese Liquor

Winner: Blue Flame Brand Development Co.

Design Brief: When we take the case of the Chinese liquor series of Yong Feng Jiu Fang from Beijing Erguotou Co. Ltd., we give up the traditional design methodology of Chinese liquor and replaced it with more focus on the emotional connection between the brand and consumers. Furthermore, we explored more possibilities regarding creative design concepts, packaging materials and consumer interaction. liquor consuming does not limit to simple scenes between men and men, men and women, or women and women. Each situation may contain countless possibilities, be it friendship, business, partnership etc. So we came up with a slogan saying that ‘Passion brings infinite possibilities’, which underlays well for the brand’s marketing movements as well. As for the packaging material selection, we adopted aluminum bottle considering transportation, safety, user experience and environment protection.

Jury Comment: Love the expression and the social interaction of the people imagery also the social commentary. Terrific!

Project: Bounce Gum

Winner: Mars Wrigley Confectionary

Design Brief: To keep a consistent ‘look and feel’ with the product format and improve the on-shelf visibility of such a brand new product in front of consumers, Bounce pack was designed to be a black square-shape bottle with half-way tear strip. This makes it unique and differentiated from the round-shape bottle with full tear strip used in most chewing gum products in market for over a decade. It also magnifies the youth appeal of this new product to better fit with the cool and trendy ‘5’ brand proposition. It is the first time we combined multiple design and technologies onto the pack labeling: used the soft touch technique to cue the soft and chewy texture of the new product; applied the glitter technique on the product image to simulate the granular product texture in the coating layer; adopted the hologram technology for the brand logo on the bottle and cap surface to increase the on-shelf brand recognition.

Jury Comment: Wonderful answer to some tricky problems and a great distinct youthful result. Very commercial. Very good representation of the Brand.

Project: Superfly

Winner: B&B studio

Design Brief: The design’s modern botanical aesthetic is created from found Victorian imagery refreshed with a vibrant contemporary colour palette. The front of the bottle features no logo, brand name, product descriptor or recipe, creating intrigue and discovery in the on-trade environment — the recognisable shape of the Firefly bottle is the only brand clue on the front face. Around the pack, illustrations of botanicals nod to spirits language, emphasising the drink’s role as an alcohol alternative. The firefly identity can be found only on the bottom of the glass bottle.

Jury Comment: I scored the design and vision/foresight marks very high as the no logo approach is courageous. Great job!

Project: Budweiser 2018 FIFA limited edition

Winner: JKR | René & Yolanda

Design Brief: The objective was to transform the global “Light Up” communications platform into an impactful design, creating a collector’s item that would excite Chinese football fans and beer drinkers alike. The design team saw the light within the iconic “Budweiser Bowtie”. From this element, FIFA’s euphoric energy emanated from the “Budweiser Bowtie” as graphic light beams, transforming into the dominant flag colors of eight participating countries. What started as a limited-edition pack design also inspired a distinctly campaign visual identity that was used in nationwide communications across 200,000 touch points.

Project: Baicaowei packaging design

Winner: L3 Branding

Design Brief: Our idea is to dig gold in snack’s mouthfeel and shape. We would arrange snacks in curious patterns, take high-def photos and put them on packages. In doing this, we solve the problem that various products would seem unrelated as more come out. Furthermore, background color would be used to signify categories or families. Photos of real food help represent its premium quality, and tease customers into trying. The snacks are arranged in a full and continuous manner so that people would feel abundance and worthiness.

Jury Comment: A phenomenal step-change with this redesign, this portfolio hangs together in a very clever way while still allowing individual products to exhibit their own personality. Well done!

Project: Starbucks mooncakes

Winner: Design Bridge

Design Brief: The design idea evolved from a seasonal Chinese saying of “The moon and the people are one”, bringing the moon, people and the brand together in one design. The packaging features the iconic mooncake shapes illustrated in a ‘wood-cut’ style, inspired by the intricate, hand-carved, traditional wooden mooncake mould. These illustrations tessellate to make new circular patterns when boxes are displayed side-by-side. Meanwhile a menu card inside each box displays the two halves together as one. These details symbolize the idea of people gathering together with their loved ones during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The bold new graphic identity builds emotional connections with younger consumers across China. The striking colour palette disrupts the traditional design codes whilst remaining culturally relevant, achieving crucial standout in the market during the Mid-Autumn festival.

Jury Comment: Beautiful use of texture as a visual and tactile resource. The structural packaging creates a surprising opening experience.

Project:Siya

Winner:Backbone Branding

Design Brief: Exploring the essential of Siya juice brand, we gave it this simple solution — the natural fruit right on Your glass. Making something like a trick, the real fruit is on the glass, transformed into an entire bottle which idea is completed with expressive design. The transparent label shows the naturality and freshness of the juice.

Jury Comment: An original idea that visually and viscerally communicates its reason to believe. Difficult to assess sustainability, and visual presentation could be elevated.

Project:Brisk x Marvel Studios Wakanda Forever Special Edition

Winner:PepsiCo Design & Innovation

Design Brief: The high-tech package includes a magnetic carton with fully-printed, HiLight — Smart LED® lights that illuminate when activated to reveal Wakandan script and set the stage for the Brisk Black Panther can. Mimicking the Black Panther character, the aluminum can features a tactile varnish that emphasizes graphic elements. The textured effect was achieved with a UV LED direct object printer and brings the character’s costume to life. The aluminum can includes a 3D printed attachment inspired by Black Panther’s iconic mask. This application for 3D printing is a unique use of new technology in the beverage category. Multi Jet Fusion technology brought the complex geometries to life.

Jury Comment: Impressive multi-layered package, skewed towards the collector’s niche.

Project:7Up Egypt Limited Edition Series

Winner:PepsiCo Design & Innovation

Design Brief: The 7UP Egypt Limited Edition series is a celebration of Egyptian culture. Through the lens of 7UP, we partnered with Egyptian artist Ghada Wali to celebrate Egypt’s identity, various eras, themes, and styles. 7UP celebrates originality and helps people get back to their most real, 100% selves. This campaign was an opportunity to celebrate and take pride in all things Egyptian. The collection includes four illustrations: a pharaoh with pop art sensibilities teamed with bold lines and vibrant colors, modernized Egyptian trademark patterns, an iconic cat with lotus flower embellishments, and a celebration of the diverse and kitschy art found on Egyptian trucks.

Jury Comment: Appreciate the dimensionalization of specific cultural themes and the integration of brand.

Project: Budweiser 2018 Music Limited Edition

Winner: JKR | René & Yolanda

Design Brief: The brand’s 360 Music Campaign is the key equity builder to rekindle affinity with Chinese young generation by tapping into their love of electronic dance music (EDM). The design team’s strategy to create distinction was to give life to the brand’s own unique asset: the iconic “Budweiser Bowtie”. We integrated it with the universal symbol of EDM — the DJ. By visually fusing the spirit of the brand with the soul of EDM along with the brand’s striking red blue and white brand colors, we created a completely ownable and true-to-brand design.

Project: Rainforest Ancient Tree Tea — Hongtianwang

Winner: Rongbrand

Design Brief: Xishuangbanna is crowned as the only emerald on the dessert belt of the Tropic of Cancer. Camellia assamica, used to make Hongtianwang, grows in Xishuangbanna, the number of which is so invaluable that it has to be calculated by the tree. Every tea tree has lived over four hundred years. ‘Wild elephant’ is the symbol of the primordial rainforest of Xishuangbanna, the extent to which it is rare is similar to that of Camellia assamica, the design team uses ‘wild elephant’ to demonstrate the primitivity and rarity of ‘Hongtianwang’. In addition to the three-dimensional elephant formed by the tin art of Gejiu, Yunnan, known as the city of Tin, the design team also takes the advantage of expression techniques of the straightforward wood block of Jiama, Dali, Yunnan to illustrate the ‘four treasures of the rainforest’ which are elephants, peacocks, loons, and spotted birds, allowing the product to boast the collection property of material and culture comprehensively.

Project: BAP®

Winner: Aptar Group

Design Brief: BAP® is an all-in-one foil to closure solution. It uses a superior, proprietary induction welding process. The primary weld, between the foil laminate and the closure ,takes place immediately after the closure is molded. The secondary weld, between the foil laminate/closure and the container, takes place after the container has been filled at the customer’s filling line.

Jury Comment: Great design. Assume it has been tested with older people to make sure they can also open the containers. It will need a bit more explaining re how to open it which I assume will appear on the label.

Project: Flip Lid

Winner: Aptar Group

Design Brief: Flip Lid will be the next generation of revolutionary products to replace the ordinary screw cap, making it easier for consumers (easy to open with one hand, easy to open with a large angle), and the cap is connected to the bottle body and is more environmentally friendly.

Jury Comment: Remarkable innovation, with potential for consequential environmental advantages for when single-use bottles are required.

Project: Contender Sport Closure

Winner: Aptar Group

Design Brief: A first liner-less hot-fill sport closure in the beverage industry, offering simply-flip-open-and-drink convenience to consumers and savings of liner material and better capping efficiency to brands.

Project: STEAMING Series

Winner: Bridge PetCare Co., Ltd.

Design Brief: In the packaging design, the picture is centered on the symbolic “STEAMING” trying to bring a strong visual impact to strengthen the memory of consumers. The multiple colours match the rich ingredients, demonstrating the exquisiteness and high quality of the food in a way forming a fun and integrated connection in the continuous display.

Jury Comment: Very distinctive with a compelling proposition. Only improvement could be in elevating its visual presentation to be even more distinctive and ownable.

Project: Kai Xiao Zao Self-cook Rice

Winner: Hangzhou Hotdesign Co.,Ltd. & Uni-president Enterprises (China) Investment Co.,Ltd.

Design Brief: The product belongs to self-heating food, and its design is inspired by the elements of the hearth. Two round cookers are combined to form a circular runway, with dishes on the left and rice on the right. The product has upper cover, food and rice container and lower container. A decorative pressure-bearing strengthening structure is designed in the vertical direction of the left and right of the lower container. This product’s heating mode also comes from the “firewood fire” of the hearth. Through the interaction between the spontaneous heating package and water, the high temperature lasting for about 12 to 15 minutes makes the water boiling and producing a large amount of high-temperature water vapor to fill the whole packaging box.

Project: Hi Lemon- Lemons

Winner: Beyond Design Company

Design Brief: Lemons stimulate hormone production. Hormones are also synonymous with youth, the taste of youth is the taste of lemon, sour and astringent and lingering aftertaste. The “invisible hormones” and “tangible lemon” organic grafting, “Hi Lemon “ came into being. Break through the conventional packaging modeling, eclectic, clever lemon card in the box, and the use of minimal materials, easy to shape, back to the brand maverick characteristics. Packaging screen using the cool image of a cool gentleman, the main tone of the selection of a bright lemon yellow, set off the brand of the “Hi Lemon “ youth and vitality of the image.

Project: Folding Rigid Wine Box

Winner: Edelmann (Beijing) Co., Ltd

Design Brief: Our client wanted a strong, high end wine gift box, but had the problem that they had so many stores across the country and could not have central distribution without long lead times. They also did not want to use their store space to store boxes. Our rigid folding box design with two directional opening provided a unique design not on the market with the advantage of being stored flat under the counter and constructed quickly and easily upon need to form a strong, rigid, secure box for the wine to go in.

Jury Comment: Appreciate the concept thinking and execution of this design.

Project: BoostPRIME — A patented breakthrough PET hot fill packaging solution

Winner: Sidel

Design Brief: BoostPRIME is a unique PET packaging solution offering a great alternative for hot-filled beverages in PET bottles. It expands the opportunities of product premiumisation and revenue generation with no compromise on packaging performance and the consumer experience. This innovative solution is addressing the single serve market of JNSDIT (juice, nectar, soft drink, isotonics, tea) filled in PET bottles up to 1.2L at a temperature of 85–88°C.

Jury Comment: This is a nice structural breakthrough.

Project: LoneWolf

Winner: B&B studio

Design Brief: A distilled wolf’s head identity reflects the brand name and positions the brand as a unique outsider in the category. In defiance of familiar design codes, both gin and vodka are packaged in identical bottles, each featuring a removable typed label affixed with a special silicon band for an ultra-minimal feel. With the label removed, the bespoke embossed bottle ensures the spirit is the focus. Minimal and utilitarian in approach and style, the design allows LoneWolf to truly stand alone. It defiantly differentiates itself from the current craft trend.

Project: Smeal Nutritional Meal Replacement

Winner: SMEAL (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

Design Brief: From blowing to designing, we rebuilt the entire supply chain. In terms of production technology, we have solved the mass production process. In terms of packaging, we have upgraded the original packaging forms and been making powder products more convenient to carry and drink, and more visually transmitted as well.In terms of packaging design, Smeal team has taken the effect of the display into consideration to the greatest extent because of its powder texture. We adopted the method of color gradation and full transparency. We put our Logo and the pure expression of principal components on the front side of the bottle. At the same time, consumers can see the difference between powder and liquid intuitively. After pouring in cold water, the color will present another visual effect — the change from powder to liquid, and we hope that it can significantly improve the sense of ritual.

Jury Comment: This is a nice structural breakthrough.

Project: Qinqin Jelly Tea

Winner: VISDOMBRAND

Design Brief: To establish the key concept of “being as fresh as new” in the whole design. A simple glass is set as the identical symbol of brand. The freshness and quality are manifested with the elements including the transparent glass, the clear and bright tea, the fresh fruits, and the white background. The vertically arranged brand and product names bring a high identifiability and a sense of fashion. The idea of “Being preservative-free” is strengthened as a selling point in the design.

Project: Nutril-lilfe Milk Minerals

Winner: Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd.

Design Brief: This design of this bottle shape is inspired by traditional glass milk bottles and incorporates a simplified horn cover to visually express the nutritional properties of the milk. On the basis of the traditional glass milk bottle, we gently adjust the curvature contour of the shoulder and the bottom of the bottle to make the bottle shape more moisturizing; The cover take shape in the form of an abstract horn, which not only increases the visual characteristics of the product, but also complements the bottle type, conveying the characteristics of the product derived from minerals in milk.

Project: Quantifiable Oil Bottle

Winner: GUANGZHOU SINLIEN(Z.T.) CO., LTD & Shanghai Fanso Industrial Design Co., LTD

Design Brief: According to the above research and problem, we design a cap which is like a sub bottle with scale and certain 30ml(25g) volume. People can replace the normal oil bottle cap with is, then squeeze the bottle, the oil will go inside the cap. It is convenient for customers and feasible to produce.

Jury Comment: Borne from a worthy societal insight, this concept stands out in its desire to add utility and make a difference. There are clear environmental advantages to precise measuring, and nutrition and health benefits that make it very interesting. Less clear is the route to market.

Project: Leaf Vein Tea Bag

Winner: Liu Shanshan — Huaqiao University

Design Brief: Remove the mesophyll from the tea leaf, leaving only the leaf veins. The leaf veins of the leaves are dense and regularly distributed, and also can filter the tea well, presenting different experiences in touch and vision. The leaf vein tea bag will bring you health and beauty in a more natural and environmental way.

Project: Healthy Package

Winner: Guo Menghua Team –HeFei University of Technology

Design Brief: The product is aimed at the children’s market, so the design inspiration comes from children’s favorite toy blocks and jigsaw puzzles. The design of the groove is more convenient for children to handle. The original cute animal illustration and bright color inspire people’s desire to purchase. The combination pattern of bottle-shaped illustration can produce more fun and ingenuity. The combination and transportation at the same time can maximizes the use of space and save transportation costs.

Project: The package design of Wahaha’s “childishness”

Winner: He Minghao — Yantai University

Design Brief: The product is aimed at the children’s market, so the design inspiration comes from children’s favorite toy blocks and jigsaw puzzles. The design of the groove is more convenient for children to handle. The original cute animal illustration and bright color inspire people’s desire to purchase. The combination pattern of bottle-shaped illustration can produce more fun and ingenuity. The combination and transportation at the same time can maximizes the use of space and save transportation costs.

Jury Comment: This concept scores highly on considering its intended audience. It is engaging, encourages second use, is playful, and visually alluring. Furthermore, shipping and secondary packaging is well considered. It could have been strengthened further if the reason for requiring 4 bottles could have been better communicated, or whether the plastic is recyclable.

Project: BEEHIVE

Winner: Wang Donglin Team– Wuhan University of Technology

Design Brief: This honey package is called BEEHIVE, which has the appearance of a honeycomb shaped by irregular hexagons. The depression on the surface that makes a handle helps grasp easily, and the design of the texture of the depression enhances friction and prevents slippage. Although the volume of this honey is up to one kilogram, the design of the container makes it easy to pick up. The design of inclined jar mouth shortens the distance of the spoon when taking out honey and effectively prevents the spilling honey in this process. The container is able to stand steadily. Different angles are applied to cups of different sizes. When ladle out honey, the height of the honey jar is flexible according to the height of the cup, so as to shorten the distance between the jar mouth and the cup side, which makes it more convenient to ladle out honey. By rotating the jar with different sides placed on the ground, the remaining honey at the bottom has few chances to be wasted, let alone the last drop.

Jury Comment: Overall one of my favorites. Appreciate all the thinking both in terms of aesthetics and functionality.

Project: Clean and indifferent” tea packaging design

Winner: Chen Hu, Liu Haiting — Taihu University of Wuxi

Design Brief: “Clean and indifferent” originated from Lao Tzu’s way of governing the world. Neutral gray packaging with plain white tea cans gives a sense of peace of mind, consistent with the product name. The four cans combined with the four-character sentence derived from the ancient poems strengthen the spiritual enlightenment of the tea culture. Tea should deserve to return to simplicity and return to life; to be a human being, it is reasonable to let go of impetuousness and to fight against the world.

Jury Comment: Beautifully articulated and executed. Could use some additional excitement

Project: Li Ze Mulberry Tea

Winner: Xin Di — Taihu University of Wuxi

Design Brief: The design USES the curve to abstractly express the artistic conception of jiangnan water town, like silkworm, like water, like folk house; Looks like a mulberry leaf, but like a leaf boat. The inner box pouch is placed in a circle for strong visual effect. The overall vision evokes the full lovesickness of the shuixiang zhen ze.

Jury Comment: Love the 3 dimensional elements and the symmetry. Very beautiful the story needs improvement

02 Review | Bright Spots & Comprehensive Upgrade

There are a lot of bright spots in Marking Awards 2019. It has experienced full-dimension upgrade from visual and scale aspects.

Highlight 1: More International Visual Feast

Cooperating with exclusive visual partner L3branding, Marking Awards 2019 started a new vision to present a more professional visual experience.

Marking Awards 2019 Logo

L3branding is a brand experience design and consulting agency. With the design theory of “art expression from strategy, originality drives business”, it helps enhance the brand competitiveness through multidimensional experience design. In 2018, L3 Branding was selected as COCA-COLA global tier-1 creative agency, and it is the only Chinese design agency at present.

Pic: Grant Li, Creative Director of L3 Branding

Highlight 2: More Intense Competition

As a high-level international competition, the scale of Marking Awards 2019 has advanced to a higher level. Both entrants and entries have increased substantially. The number of brands and agencies has increased by 61% compared with last year, but it was more competitive, as the winning rate was only about 7%.

In addition, many reputable packaging design experts participated in the entry evaluation as juries.

Marking Awards 2019 Juries

03 Prospect | Insights on Future Packaging Design Trends, Grasp the Secrets of Selling Products

With different brand strategies, design agencies will also provide different solutions, but the general design trend is consistent in the real F&B packaging design industry. By appreciating the award-winning works above, we can see seven future design trends — —

The first trend is Minimalism, which is simple but ingenious and can often catch people’s eyes. The second trend is Bold Coloring, as the international frontline food brands gradually pay more attention to the color selection. The third trend is Visualization. Innovative packaging can help brand stand out of the market, and visualization is the best shortcut. The fourth trend is Atypical Packaging, to break the traditional shelf images with structural innovation, and to enhance user experience with creative packaging of existing products. The fifth trend is Inner Green. Environmental-friendly and sustainable designs can not only reduce the impact of packaging on the environment, but also reflect the brand’s sense of social responsibility. The sixth trend is Amusing. Amusing packaging is not only a child’s patent, but also can bring topics and interactions to adults. The final one is Extreme Visual. The extreme visual effect will highly restore and present the brand image, giving consumers the feeling “vision is brand”.

As the trend changes, good packaging design always needs to be loyal to the brand. To grasp the trend can not only provide us with different ways of expression, but also ensure the interconnections among brands, the society, and the consumers, helping brands stand out from the shelves and seize the hearts of consumers.

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