AICC 2019 Independent Package Design Competition Winners

September 20, 2019 – Since 1981, AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, has been proud to recognize, showcase, and reward those independents who have met and exceeded their customers’ expectations of their packaging designs and displays. On September 16-18, at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in conjunction with the Annual Meeting, AICC held its 2019 Independent Package Design Competition.

This biennial competition received 145 entries from 32 member companies. The competition featured 42 corrugated, folding carton, and rigid box categories. Additionally, the coveted Judges’ Choice Awards were bestowed upon the top picks for corrugated structure and graphics, folding carton, and rigid box. The final award was given for the People’s Choice, the best overall as selected by the attendees.

Judges for the competition included Cordes Porcher, Check Five Productions SARL; Chris Heusch, ARCH Inc.; Ben Dolezal, University of Texas Arlington; Juan Martorell Climent, Color in Lab; Rick Putch, National Steel Rule, Gary Cooke, Stafford Cutting Dies; Rick Reinsch; Digital Recollections; Dan Malenke, PKGPRO, LLC; and Robert Meisner, UW Stout. AICC offers special thanks to Jim Nelson, Great Lakes Packaging Corp./ Green Bay and Chairman, AICC Package Design Competition Committee for his leadership and oversight of the Competition.

See the full list of honors below.

FOLDING CARTON CATEGORIES

Category 1: Pharmaceuticals & Non-Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices

First Place: SkinLite Cream – Pragati Pack India

Second Place: Sorafenat – Pragati Pack India

Third Place: Utah Paperbox

Category 2: Women & Men’s Cosmetics

First Place: Spinz BB – Pragati Pack India

Second Place: Lakme Absolute – Pragati Pack India

Category 3: Confections

First Place: Turtles 300g Lid & Base – Master Packaging

Second Place: Dandelion Chocolate Advent Calendar – Capital Corrugated & Carton

Category 4: Retail Food & Beverages & Alcohol Packaging

First Place: Harken Coffee Box – Great Little Box Company

Second Place: Hexagonal Cookbook – Grupo Gondi

Third Place: High Liner Smoked Applewood Salmon – Master Packaging

Honorable Mention (tie): The Hillcart Tales: Blood Orange Tea Bags – Pragati Pack India

Honorable Mention (tie): Super Mix – Grupo Gondi

Category 5: Hardware, Automotive, Marine, Household & Recreation

First Place: Uncle Mike’s Holster – Utah Paperbox

Second Place: Gold Tip Arrow Boxes – Utah Paperbox

Third Place: Smith 4D Mag – Utah Paperbox

Category 7: Company Self Promotion, Advertising, Promotional, Product Promotion, & Collector’s Items

First Place: UPB Customer Folder – Utah Paperbox

Second Place: Ink Proof Folder – Utah Paperbox

Category 8: Hybrid Packaging (combination packages)

First Place: Better to Know – Ray Products, Inc.

Category 11: Family of Packages

First Place: Pennyback Mixers – Ray Products, Inc.

Second Place: ZHOU Family: Peptides & Keto – Utah Paperbox

Third Place (tie): Scotties 110 Count – Master Packaging, Inc.

Third Place (tie): Royale 126 Count – Master Packaging, Inc.

Third Place (tie): Royale 88 Count – Master Packaging, Inc.

Category 13: Online Packaging Only

First Place: Scentsy Sola Flower – Utah Paperbox

Category 14: Folding Carton Art & Design

First Place: Scentsy Aladdin Box – Utah Paperbox

Second Place: Semanario Hexagono: Caja Para Spagueti 6 pack – Grupo Gondi

RIGID BOX CATEGORIES

Category 1: Pharmaceuticals & Health Care Products/Non-Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices

First Place: Farmacopia Farms – Grow Better, Eat Better, Live Better – Michigan City Paper Box Co.

Second Place: Vault Health – Ray Products, Inc.

Third Place: Micro Vue Quidel – Utah Paperbox

Category 2: Women & Men’s Cosmetics

First Place: Nivea Gift Pack – Pragati Pack India

Category 3: Personal Accessories, Jewelry, and Eyewear

First Place: Alex & Ani – Michigan City Paper Box Co.

Second Place: Jewelry Television – Michigan City Paper Box Co.

Third Place: James Avery – Michigan City Paper Box Co.

Category 4: Confections

First Place: Jelly Belly 20pc Gift – Utah Paperbox

Second Place: Applause Box – Ray Products, Inc.

Third Place: Garrett Popcorn Gift Set – Michigan City Paper Box Co.

Category 5: Technology, Electronics, Computer Products, and Toys, Games, Hobbies & Crafts

First Place: Prosomnus – Utah Paperbox

Second Place: Daily Kit C02 Oil – Michigan City Paper Box Co.

Third Place: Byjus K3 Box – Pragati Pack India

Category 6: Paper Products, Stationery, Office Supplies & Retail Store

First Place: Matrix Slipcase – Ray Products, Inc.

Category 7: Company Self Promotion, Advertising, Promotional, Product Promotion & Collector’s Items

First Place: Play Ball! Ticket Pack – Central Package & Display

Second Place: Over 100 Years of Partnering with the Local Community – Michigan City Paper Box Co.

Category 8: Family of Packages

First Place: Alex & Ani Family – Michigan City Paper Box Co.

Second Place: Nashville Towers – Michigan City Paper Box Co.

Third Place: Enstrom 2lb Family – Utah Paperbox

Category 9: Alcohol Packaging

First Place: Black & White Hipster – Pragati Pack India

Second Place: Glenfiddich Gift Box – Pragati Pack India

Category 10: Combination Rigid Set Box

First Place: Nutrien Ag Solutions – Ray Products, Inc.

Second Place: Na Pali – Utah Paperbox

Category 11: Rigid Box Art & Design

First Place: Cambria Promo – Central Package & Display

Second Place: Enstrom Holiday – Utah Paperbox

CORRUGATED CATEGORIES

Category 1: Innovative Structural Design, Consumer & Industrial Focus

First Place (tie): Liquidity Winery 4 Bottle Wine Carrier – Great Little Box Company

First Place (tie): 2 Pack Gift Pack Plus – BoxMaster

Third Place: Soccer Ball Pack – Bennett Packaging of Kansas City

Honorable Mention: Atlantic Mariculture Seaweed Flakes – Master Packaging

Category 2: Counter, Shelf, Power Wing and PDQ Displays (promotional displays not requiring floor space at retailers)

First Place: True Bloom Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer Box – Green Bay Packaging – Great Lakes Division

Second Place: EZ Garden – Green Bay Packaging – Great Lakes Division

Third Place: MoBowl Counter Display – Sumter Packaging

Honorable Mention: JMN BBQ Scrapper – Master Packaging

Category 3a: Floor Displays, Standees (designed to be used without product)

First Place: Dia de Los Muertos Flexo Wall (Day of the Dead) – Royal Containers

Category 3b: Floor Displays (designed to merchandise product)

First Place: Game of Thrones WOW Display – Bay Cities

Second Place: Bumble Bee WOW Display – Bay Cities

Third Place: Ryobi Days Train – Peachtree Packaging & Display

Honorable Mention: Humpty Dumpty HD Weekender – Master Packaging

Category 4a: Direct Printing on Combined Brown Board – Line Work

First Place: Beer Carrier – Gerrity Corrugated Paper Products

Second Place (tie): Secret Sauce Carton – Buckeye Corrugated – Tennessee Division

Second Place (tie): Oxford Pennant Carton – Buckeye Corrugated – Rochester Division

Honorable Mention: 3Form RETF – Wasatch Container

Category 4b: Direct Printing on Combined Brown Board – Line/Screen Combination

First Place: Chairmans New Orleans 20 – Master Packaging

Second Place: PSU Bakery – Dynamic Dies, Inc.

Category 5: Flexo Print on Combined Board – Line Work & Non-Process Screen

First Place: Enstrom’s SM Gift Pack – Wasatch Container

Second Place: McNeil Health Equity Shipper – Wasatch Container

Third Place: Mailer for Candy Bar Samples – Tavens Packaging

Honorable Mention: TerrePure – Quarter Horse Rye – Sumter Packaging

Category 6a: Flexo Print on Combined Board – Standard or Modified Process Colors Used in the Reproduction of Built Color Images – Cartoon Art or Computer Art

First Place: Zingerman’s Babka Box – Dynamic Dies, Inc.

Second Place: Brooklyn Brewery East IPA Carton – Buckeye Corrugated – Rochester Division

Third Place: Wilson AntOut – Royal Containers

Category 6b: Flexo Print on Combined Board – Standard or Modified Process Colors Uused in the Reproduction of Photographs or Original Art Continuous Tone Images

First Place: Seagrams 24pk Variety – Buckeye Corrugated – Rochester Division

Second Place: Wilson Total WipeOut – Royal Containers

Category 7: Best Application of Spot or Full Label with or without Direct Print

First Place: Juniper Mesa III – Wasatch Container

Second Place: MoBowl Counter Display – Sumter Packaging

Third Place: Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Wheated Bourbon – Royal Containers

Honorable Mention: Lakeside Produce Costco USA Corrugated Master Shipping Tray – Peppers – Royal Containers

Category 8a: Digital Printing on Combined Board

First Place: Spiderman Club/Grocery Pallet Skirt – Bennett Packaging of Kansas City

Second Place: WM Game Endcap – Bennett Packaging of Kansas City

Third Place: Hexagonal Dum Bin 2 Level w/ Header – Corrugados Y Especialidades

Honorable Mention: Boulevard 12 Pack – Bennett Packaging of Kansas City

Category 9: Form and Function: Using Corrugated outside of Packaging and Displays

First Place: Soccer Ball – Grupo Gondi

Second Place: SMC Bee Foster – SMC Packaging Group

Third Place: Creations & Libations Easel Box – Sumter Packaging

Honorable Mention: Boxes for Happiness – A Modular Cat Condo – Reliable Container

Category 10: Best Corrugated Self-Promotion

First Place: Sealrite Cohesive Blister – Packrite

Second Place: Snowman Holiday Gift/Promo – Abbott-Action, Inc.

Third Place: Christmas Wine Box – Gerrity Corrugated Paper Products

Honorable Mention: Holiday Reindeer Promotional Gift – Tavens Packaging & Display

Category 11: Best Use of Corrugated Replacing Other Substrates

First Place: Black Box Coffin – Peachtree Packaging & Display

Second Place: Corrugated Strawberry Quart – Moore Packaging

Third Place: Aquarite Board - Packrite

Honorable Mention: Digirite Board – Packrite

Category 13: Corrugated Art & Design

First Place: Employee Appreciation Plinko – Sumter Packaging

Second Place: Tie Fighter – SMC Packaging Group

Third Place: Game of Thrones Chair – Corrugados y Especialidades

Honorable Mention: Airplane Models – BoxMaster

JUDGES’ CHOICE

Corrugated Graphics: Wasatch Container – Enstrom’s SM Gift Pack

Corrugated Structure: Great Little Box Company – Liquidity Winery 4 Bottle Wine Carrier

Folding Carton: Great Little Box Company – Harken Coffee Box

Rigid Box: Pragati Pack India – Black & White Hipster

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

Sumter Packaging – Employee Appreciation Pinko

The next Independent Package Design Competition will take place on September 27-29, 2021, at the AICC 2021 Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Questions about the 2019 Annual Meeting, Independent Package Design Competition, and the value a well-connected workforce brings to a company can be directed to Cindy Huber, AICC Director of Conventions & Meetings, at chuber@aiccbox.org or 703.836.2422 or Laura Mihalick, Senior Meeting Manager, at lmihalick@aiccbox.org or 703.836.2422.

About AICC, The Independent Packaging Association

We are a growing membership association which has served independents since 1974, by providing access to education and information in print, in person, and online. AICC membership is for the full company- join and all employees at all locations have access to member benefits. In April 2017 AICC began offering free online education to all members to help the individual maximize their potential and the member company maximize its profit. When companies invest and engage, AICC will deliver success.