2019 is an awesome year for us. As we ring in the new year, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you and we value and appreciate all our readers, it is you who made what we are today.
Last year, we announced that we reached a record of 9,289 package design submissions, this year we broke that record again with over 10,000 entries. We would like to take this opportunity to give a big thanks to all our readers for your support over the years. Here, we present to you the best packaging projects of 2019 in no particular order.
BEE-FEE packaging design by Opus B brand design
The packaging consists of two complementary elements: a glass jar (the “bee” component) and a flower pot made of slim concrete (the “fee” component).
With a focus on its sound-blocking abilities, the packaging showcases a soundwave being silenced as it’s being opened, connecting the act of using the product to choosing to silence the distractions.
Packaging design by Mosaic Canada | Find out more
Jingyang Brick Tea packaging design by Langcer Lee
Three traditional Chinese colors offer three different packaging options. Line drawing techniques and tea receipts that circulated during the late Qing Dynasty are applied to the seal script design on the bottom of the brick tea. The final implementation of the packaging uses handmade rice paper as the main packaging material, and traditional Chinese woodblock printing for the inscriptions, which are all carved by hand.
Mastic Tears Limited Edition packaging design by dolphins // communication design
The label was designed entirely from scratch, maintaining the logic of decorative motifs from the Mastichohoria of southern Chios. Maintaining the essential elements of the decorative architecture (Chios Pyrgi), we saw the bottle as a space for stamping the special identity that accompanies the product and its origin. The motif around the bottle over the references to the rosettes of the sgraffito (local name: Xistà) of the specific traditional decoration style also contains a basic element of the identity of the production company, that of the drop.
Source One Vodka packaging design by AETHER NY
Branding, packaging and structure design for Source One Vodka. A single-estate vodka distilled from Sierra snowmelt and oats that were grown on its own ranch in Minden, Nevada.
UpDn raw bar packaging design by Ohmybrand
Sometimes, in order to look at the problem from a new angle, you just need a little snack. The bright packaging of bars literally illustrates the idea that a tasty and healthy snack can turn everything upside down. Depending on how the bar is rotated, you can see either a cheerful character or a sad one. What remains constant is the UPDN logo, which is equally readable at any turn, recalling that we ourselves choose the mood for the whole day. UPND is a balance of tasty and healthy.
Unblackit packaging design by Backbone Branding
Taking into account the great variety of dairy products and its abundance on the retail shelves nowadays, eye-catching design and unique selling proposition of a product are an absolute necessity to stand out in the competition.
Milkyway Milkshakes packaging design by Alessandra Giorcelli
Milkyway is a concept brand of milkshakes from Tesco, an English supermarket that is characterized by having funny packs fully of color. We want to play with the double meaning of the word Milkyway: refering to dairy products and turning the visual design into space and galaxy elements.
Birdman – organic protein packaging design by Tough Slate Design
To emphasize the natural origin of the ingredients, we have developed unique bird characters — they symbolize lightness and a clean environment where the product was developed. Different birds mark the different protein mixes, while different feather colors mean different tastes — vanilla, chocolate, chai, etc.
Freiheit 1848 whiskey packaging design by Higgins Design
Excellent packaging always tells a story. With our design for a superb single cask malt whisky, we fulfilled this requirement in a very special way and even took the design process one step further. Because “Freiheit 1848”, a whisky with a name steeped in history, commemorates in “texts and pictures” all those who lost their lives in the fight for civil rights during the 1848 German Revolution.
Kabura sushi is the traditional local food of Toyama Prefecture. Freshest Japanese amberjack is sandwiched between turnip and marinated in rice for several days to make this unique, rich flavored local delicacy.
Packaging design by Rhythm Inc. | Find out more
Natural packaging for natural products by Synthesis creative lab
For several decades, plastic has been a huge environmental concern. Since the 1950s, over 8 billion tons of plastic have been produced in the world. We eat from plastic, we drink from plastic, we use plastic everywhere. We throw away plastic. Most packaging is also made of plastic. Wherein plastic decomposition takes over 300 years averagely.
In an attempt to replace plastic, we came up with the idea of the first packaging made of a vegetable. We chose a certain species of pumpkins as a package – Lagenaria, a plant from the gourd family.
Cover. Invisible protection – Deodorant packaging design by Mayya Mikhaleva
Each deodorant is an “invisible protector” against sweat and odor, and this sense is preserved in the design. Thanks to the pattern, an illusion is created-the picture of the” defender ” constantly eludes; and the closer to the image, the less it is distinguishable.
Avgoulakia eggs packaging design by Antonia Skaraki
The chicken or the egg dilemma is commonly stated as “which came first: the chicken or the egg?” – well, in these packages… the chickens definitely steal the show! Enchanted by the power of stories and tales, we created a visual narrative… about 3 special chickens/heroines; Captain Mahe for free-range eggs, Madame Coco for bio eggs and Miss Nelly for barn-laid eggs. That’s how we added a human touch to the packaging: a touch that implies the high quality of a product that seems to be homemade, a touch which was enriched with bright pops of color that brought a bit more of a fun twist to it!
Seeing double? Rahim Ismayil Design designed the Double Vodka Anniversary Collection labels to do just that
Packaging design by Rahim Ismayil | Find out more
Bitter & Twisted packaging design by Stranger & Stranger
This year’s holiday pack, Bitter & Twisted, features handmade bitters made from exotic and esoteric ingredients along with a cute mixing spoon. Perfect for those winter cocktails.
Karuizawa 1965 Monyou Edition, La Maison Du Whisky packaging design by Contagious
When Karuizawa – Japan’s smallest distillery – closed in 2000, what remained were 364 casks of rare whisky. In 2006, the precious liquid began to be released and what followed was a series of whisky awards, a cult following for Karuizawa and a dramatic increase in the prestige and value of Japanese whisky.
COMISURA wine packaging design by EPICA Branding & Packaging
COMISURA is the first wine that launches a new winery on the market located in the Sierra de Gredos, in the center of Spain (Bodega HUELLAS DEL TIÉTAR). The intention of the winery is to recover old and abandoned vines in the area due to their low profitability and to put them back into value by producing high-quality wines. They work manually and very traditionally in scattered vineyards.
They asked EPICA Branding & Packaging to transfer this love to the labels and communicate it to the consumer. The other important idea to communicate by the winery is that their wines are for enjoyment, to share and to make the wine moments memorable.
Strange Luve gin packaging design by 43’oz – Design Studio
Love can be different. Unpredictable, Любовь бывает разной. Непредсказуемой, sizzling, unnoticed, vivid. Strange. And for each and every one of us, this phenomenon wields its own personal meaning. Same as the attitude most alcoholic beverage producers have towards gin – it can be quite different, strange and unlike anything you’ve tried before.
29+ Manuka UMF packaging design by Society
BeeNZ had in their possession a barrel of their highest ever UMF rating Manuka Honey. They chose us as their partner to conceptualise and produce a specialised packaging solution that would present the product as a luxury item that works well as a gift for local and international consumers.
Bees create the first-ever organic labels for honey jars using their own beeswax – Darbo honey packaging by Demner Merlicek & Bergmann
To showcase Darbo’s locally-sourced honey, we let Austrian bees create the first-ever organic labels for honey jars using their own beeswax. We developed special porcelain jars that were delivered to beekeepers in Austria. The honey jars were placed into the hives so that the bees could create the organic labels.
Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Scottish Mackerel by BrandMe
This is a fun and playful design, yet still carries the quality cues associated with the Taste The Difference thanks to the detailed illustration and provenance cues. The unexpected approach makes it a successful design as it incorporates the brand values whilst enabling on-shelf to stand out.
Cacaobaba Booster Chocolate packaging design by Ahhaproject
These chocolate projects had to show a unique identity of ‘Cacaobaba Booster Chocolate’. A main concept of the booster chocolate is that it gives people wings to fly by consuming chocolate which contains 5 types of powerful healthy ingredients such as maca powder, organic lemon peel, ginger root powder, and Etc. The design of the booster was inspired by the wings statue of the Roman period.
Homey – Portioned Honey packaging design by Katya Mushkina
Homey is a flower honey packaging concept. The pack made from natural bee house — honeycomb, connected between each other. Each portion of Homey is clear and transparent, so you can easily notice different sorts of honey and the beauty of each. Separate package forms help to use only the desired amount of honey, so the main packaging does not granulated and does not stick.
36 days of type by Sean Valies
Sean Valies participated in the 36 days of type 2019 on Instagram, which consists of a letter a day for all the letters then numbers for 36 days.
Artsocks packaging design by Backbone Branding
A #socks manufacturing company approached Backbone Branding to create the #packaging for their new collection Artsocks about some of the world’s most renowned painting masterpieces.
Green Story Fertilizers packaging design by Alexander Cherkasov
Green story is a design-concept of fertilizers for the garden. This brand consists of four SKU: fertile soil, liquid universal fertilizer, and also fertilizers for flowers and lawn. This is comprehensive care for all types of garden plants. Green story — fertilizers are designed for young novice gardeners. They use fertilizers to grow a healthy harvest and refine the garden.
Too Chai Herbal tea packaging design by Mozgami Studio
Too Chai is a collection of healing mountain plants. Colorful brushes of inflorescences and leaves of herbs are gathered on the slopes and tops of the Kyrgyz mountains and have long been used to treat various diseases.
While developing the packaging design, we tried to reflect the specificity of each product line, since each herbal collection differs according to its taste and composition, and it is collected in a certain region or area of Kyrgyzstan: Suusamyr, Jeti-Oguz, Son-Kol, Sary-Chelek, Arslanbob, etc . d., but mixed fees were named not by areas, but mountain ranges: “Ala-Too” and “Tenir-Too”
Beauty Classic packaging design by Prompt Design
Beauty Classic – the premium brand of Hair Care Accessories with a slogan ” timeless beauty” has released the new product – Hair Rollers. We have selected to communicate by relating the beauty of curling hairstyle of the ancient statues and sculptures to humorously say that every curl has been made possible by this product.
This illustrative ancient figure also implies that its curling hair is permanently long-lasting through time. On the back of the package has details of the result after having confidently used the Beauty Classic- Hair Rollers.
La Paletería by Alex Popsicle packaging design by Focus Diseño Estratégico
¨Paletería by Alex¨ is an entrepreneurship that commercializes artisanal popsicle and has developed a franchise business model in Ecuador. Their fresh and natural popsicle needed a packaging design to expand their national commercialization. The packaging had to be appealing, contrasting and also needed to enhance their artisanal nature, which is why the illustrations were created using colored pencil textures in order to engage the target audience that is composed mainly by children.
Capricorn Vermouth Dry / No Man’s Space packaging design by Spazio Di Paolo
No man’s space is a line of spirits born from the meeting between Mario Di Paolo’s design and Baldo Baldinini’s aromatic chords. The ancestral space, interpreted as a physical space, as a symbol of freedom ad overcoming one’s limits as well as men’s inspiration and mentor, represents the core of this innovative project.
2XP Sunscreen packaging design by Chimera Design
2XP® is for people who set the pace and lead the pack. Who push, punish and play. People with passion, who strive for perfection, who believe in possibilities and participate with purpose. The brief, create a unique brand and packaging solution for a new high-performance sunscreen range. The goal, challenge the market perception with innovative naming, form and function.
Seaspoon – Wonderfood from the deep packaging design by The Collaborators
Seaweed – formerly overlooked beach fodder, now nutrient-rich health wonder! Tim & Kate challenged us to make a splash with their dried seaweed blends, rich in mystical health benefits. We were asked to create a distinctive logo, packaging and subscription box.
Printing on the Tiny has created a hardcover box packaging that balance the beauty and practicality to contain 3 insect badges and an origami piece.
Printing on the Tiny has created a hardcover box packaging that balance the beauty and practicality to contain 3 insect badges and an origami piece. The overall box design and printing is a cute form of simulating insects in nature letting the whole packaging create a surprise of the discovery of tiny insects.
RICEMAN packaging design by Backbone Branding
As one of the most ancient cereal grains and one of the highest consumed ingredients around the world, Rice has been a staple component in our diets for centuries! Given that we are very much used to having this ingredient in our daily life, we tend to forget that the process in which this grain goes through until it gets on our plates is an interesting and specifically intricate one.
Adidas Ultra Boost X packaging design by After
Adidas gave us the task to design a packaging that would show one of their most important launches of the year. Ultra Boost X are sneakers specially designed for women and their feet, so that was the starting point for the name of the product.
Brabant Whisky packaging design by Untactil
Brabant is an old way to say plow. Brabant is a Whisky bottle dedicated to farmers who make cereal growing for production a possibility.
Some of the features of the bottle are easy to understand: the stripes of a freshly carved field and the color of the soil. Others are more subtle, like the shape of the cap with a grain spike form. A complex cap that covers an inclined finish and a special bottom base making it a unique bottle. A 120 bottles limited edition.
Boon Bariq preserved fruits and berry packaging design by Backbone Branding
The packaging is significantly different from the popular mass-market packaging designs for preserved food. It guarantees a distinctive visual impact on the shelf and solves two problems that any manufacturer has as a new player in the market. Firstly, with its design and colorful appearance, the product stands out on a shelf of similar products. Secondly, the fruit peel design resonates with the product’s natural essence and perfectly communicates the core of the product.
Barolo Balena wine packaging design by Spazio Di Paolo
The Barolo Balena label is dedicated to nature and its never-ending transformation, the Barolo is the one of Michele Chiarlo Winery, a prestigious wine known all over the world, produced in the most incredible wine region in the entire globe. It all starts in the vineyards of Michele Chiarlo and with the skeleton of a whale found right by the family in the Barolo vineyard. The land around the Monferrato and the Langhe is characterized by hills entirely made up of ancient marine sediments testifying an age in which the lands were sea.
Sophia’s Tea packaging design by Marka Network Branding Agency
This gorgeous tea packaging has our eyes completely captivated. The colour palette is what makes this tea packaging truly stunning. This packaging immediately grabs the attention of the recipient as a specially crafted work of art and the color scheme pops and is very visually appealing.
Pereira wine packaging design by Ezi Wine
A new challenge for EZI, create a new brand from Portugal for the SAQ market. The client wanted a unique and refined look to create a powerful shelf impact. Inspired by the decorative ceramics mostly found on Portuguese buildings, many printing effects were used to give depth and texture to the label.
Shaanxi Thirteen Walnuts packaging design by Victor Branding Design
Packaging design for walnut small pack–The mid-Autumn Festival gift box. The relationship is higher and longer than a mountain. Just Walnut be with you.
Zhongnan mountain located in Shaanxi, below the old city Changan, the most blessing place in the world. Combine the strong historical background and the natural ecosystems of Shaanxi for the Mid-Autumn Festival’s gift box design, Create the Zhongnan three brothers giving the three flavors. A single box present a mountain three boxes combination shows the powerful Zhongnan mountain. On the top of the package shows the silhouette of three brothers looking at each other inside the moon for presenting being with family in the happy holiday.
Octopus rum packaging design concept by Pavla Chuykina
This is the octopus, Billy. He has been guarding this bottle of Rum for many years. Try to take it away from him.
Sealing wax is not just the best way to protect a beverage in the bottle from air leaking into it but also it can be used to create an individual and signature look. Typically, during the waxing process, the excess wax flows down the bottle. These wax drool look very much like octopus tentacles. It needs just to emboss two eyes into the wax to complete the octopus character and by this to create an emotional and catchy brand.
Ikea Food packaging design by Stockholm Design Lab
Not only is IKEA the world’s largest furniture retailer, with around 350 stores in 43 countries, it is also Sweden’s largest exporter of meat: there’s an appetite for IKEA’s meatballs everywhere you go. IKEA’s in-store cafés have been around since the 1960s but, for almost as long, the retailer has sold a selection of Swedish specialities in small “food markets” positioned after the main checkouts.
Marja – Nice cream of pure goodness packaging design by Kuudes
Pakkasmarja, a Finnish berry company, had created an entirely new kind of product, like a powdery smooth and stone-cold parfait. Best of all, 72 % of the product is just healthy, non-heated local berries – keeping all the vitamins inside. They contacted Kuudes with a challenge; how to we design and launch this novelty product in a way that consumers really understand the uniqueness of it and find it desirable?
OFFBLAK tea packaging design by & SMITH
OFFBLAK, a new direct-to-consumer lifestyle tea brand delivering blends that taste as good as they make you feel, has today launched in the UK, with branding by London-based branding agency & SMITH. Looking to redefine the tea category, OFFBLAK targets Gen Z and Millennials are driven by beauty, status and experience with an identity that encourages the consumer to ‘Drink tea like everybody’s watching’.
Honey On The Branch #honey packaging design by Pica Packaging Design Lab.
Honey on the Branch chooses the honey of Xinjiang Dark Bee which dwells only in Xinjiang region. The design team picks black as the base color to show this distinctive feature. The bees gather honey in the valley of Tianshan Mountain, where phoenix lives according to ancient myths. The team draws an illustration about phoenix, and melt the snow mountain into the logo artfully. Unfolding the package, customers would surprisingly find that the honey is hidden in the flower, which results from the team’s die-board design.
Cornish Orchards packaging design by Thirst Craft
Cornish Orchards are mostly known for their cider, rather than their range of delicious soft drinks. With an existing softs design that looked too close for comfort to their cider cousins, the Cornish Orchards softs range needed a redesign, so they turned to Thirst for a fresh new look.
Tinos Packaging Project by brand.new
Tinos Project is a self-initiated project about rethinking traditional products’ packaging design. We created a packaging series of products that incorporate in their design, references to their local identity and production process. Our aim was to implement each product a complete overhaul and rethink, not only the graphic design elements of the packaging but rather the shape and feel as well. Tinos island was chosen as a place to provide, not only the specific products originally produced, but also several triggers for this creative process.
REMAINS packaging design by Edgar Kirei
Face hair… And all those things we do to it! We cut it, trim it, shave it off. A real day-to-day drama: some hair is cut for good to be gone in the blackness of the sewerage and some are left traumatized and hurt. At these times it does need special care and support.