Deadline closing in for Packaging Design Awards

Brand owners and packaging engineers and designers have until 23 August to register for this year's Packaging Council of Australia (PCA) 2013 Australian Packaging Design Awards (APDA), the country's most prestigious annual competition to highlight new packaging creations.

Entrants who register by this date will then have a further week, until 30 August, to submit their final packaging samples and evaluation documents to the PCA.

This year the PCA is calling for awards entries in the following product categories: Food; Beverage; Household & Office; Health & Beauty; Industrial; and Seasonal & Promotional. The PCA will also offer awards for Innovation, Accessibility, Sustainability, Design and the overall Best of Show.

Registration for the awards costs $220, including GST, per pack which can then be submitted into as many categories as applicable.

“This awards program is on the hunt to recognise and celebrate companies who are imaginative, innovative and creative in producing packaging of a high standard,” PCA awards manager, Jennifer Salem, said.

According to the PCA, participating in the awards assists companies launch new products into the market, improve their corporate positioning, increase their business profile and build media and brand awareness on a national and international scale.

The judging criteria, across all categories, takes into account: design and materials; environment and sustainability; accessibility and consumer interaction; and innovation.

Judges will also consider other supporting material which doesn’t fit into any of the above criteria such as market share growth, originality of material use, or “disruption” to the category.

Category winners will also be eligible to compete in the international sphere, in the World Packaging Organisation's WorldStar Packaging Awards.

Last year's awards proved a springboard for international success for many category winners, with design agency Outerspace Design, beverage bottler Coca-Cola Amatil, infant juice and water bottler Poppet International and pharmaceutical packager Webstercare all successful in using their APDA wins to join the roster of winners at the WorldStar Awards.

For further details on the Awards, visit www.pca.org.au/awards2013/apda or contact Jennifer Salem on 03 9690 1955 or jennifer@pca.org.au.