Striking e-cigarette packaging, a new-style battery box, and a reclosable coffee capsule carton were among the winners of the European cartonboard awards run by Pro Carton.
Presented as part of the ECMA Congress in Cannes, the winners celebrated the significance of packaging as a marketing instrument.
"Cartons are becoming a deliberately used marketing tool and active selling instrument in the era of multi-channel communication," moderator Tony Hitchin said.
"They also offer sustainable alternatives to other packaging materials such as plastic."
The awards were divided into seven categories as well as three major awards: Carton of the Year, Most Innovative, and Sustainability.
Carton of the Year went to the e-cigarette packaging for the brand My. Von Erl.
Without using materials other than cartonboard, the sustainable pack is "robust and efficient for storage", according to judges, and offers a 'wow' factor upon opening.
From the front face the carton looks like a refined, premium pack with embossing, hot foil and varnishes.
The winner in the Sustainability category was the Beam-Box by Varta, which holds batteries within a carton container without the need for a plastic blister, yet is properly reclosable.
The Most Innovative Award went to Pago Fruit Juice for its Honeydew-Mango promotional carton onsert for sampling.
An additional bottle can be added using this packaging, either as a bonus or to introduce a new flavour.
The focus of the idea was on replacing the adhesive tape which had so far been used to fix the sampling bottles in the crate while supporting branding at the same time.
The Food Packaging award went to Cool Look for its coffee capsules carton, which can be reclosed.
As a promotional pack it offers the option of trying different coffee varieties as well as placing the practical dispenser next to the coffee machine.
The number of coffee pods is four times higher than usual, and the option of securely resealing the pack with a magnet is unique.
For the full list of winners, click here.
