The Líderpack Awards Go To 28 Packaging & PoSA Entries

A corrugated cardboard box that protects wine bottles from knocks or being dropped; a perfume bottle in the shape of a camera, and a display unit for showcasing a Tablet for children were recognized as the best products in the competition among the 28 winners of a 2013 Liderpack, the most important Spanish packing and packaging and Point of Sales Advertising (PoSA) awards organised every year by Fira de Barcelona's Hispack show and the Graphispack Association. The Líderpack Awards recognise the innovation, creativity, quality and sustainability of packaging and PoSA products manufactured in Spain in different categories. This year, food and beverage specialities have taken the bulk of the awards (42% of the total).

Participation in this thirteenth edition of the Líderpack Awards was 30% higher than in the previous competition, attracting 85 projects from companies and schools in 15 Spanish provinces. This year, a total of 18 awards were given for the packaging sector, four for PoSA and 6 for "Young Design", the category reserved for design students. The Liderpack Awards ceremony will be held in November as part of the "Second Meeting'' that the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) is holding in Barcelona.

Packaging for olive oil and Ibérico ham
Food and beverage packaging was one of this edition's big winners. The list includes packaging for olive oil, such as the product line for the new brand Aragem from the Cambrils Cooperative, work of the Debonatinta design studio, and "L'oli del mar", high quality oil produced on demand, with opaque packaging that prevents deterioration caused by light.

Another winner was the first packaging with an IML barrier labelling system for guacamole, manufactured by ITC Packaging. This type of labelling, directly integrated in the packaging mould, prevents oxygen and light penetration and prolongs the life of food products, without the need for preservatives or cooling.

The practical Beher vacuum pack that contains hand carved Bellota Iberico ham; the Logoembalajes S.L. tamper-proof food box, easily assembled without seals or glue and with safety fastening to prevent manipulation of contents; the Macro System, entered by ControlPack, for the application of macro-perforated film in products that require ventilation inside a pallet complete the list of winners in the category of food packaging.  

Beverage Líderpacks
6 awards were given in this category. SICE Lantero Embalajes won with "Bag in Box Corcho", a 3-litre bag for wine with a detachable dispenser that is inserted in a natural cork box, the same material used on the wine bottle label. Another award went to Durero Packaging for the "Botánicos Gin Mare", a case that can be used as a display in establishments and that includes 4 tubes of designer gin.

Other winning products were: Cervesa de Nadal labels, from Gráficas Varias, printed on cotton fibre with a font that appears to be handwritten; "Mi primera Font Vella", 25cl packaging with a mouthpiece that can be sterilised and is ergonomically designed so that it can be handled by babies of 6 months and over, developed by Aguas Font Vella and Lanjarón in collaboration with Batlle Group; and the new Don Simón PET wine bottle, 100% recyclable, which preserves the properties of wine for 2 years, presented by the multinational Appe.

The last Líderpack for beverages went to Cartonajes Font's Bottlepack, a shock-proof corrugated cardboard pack for transporting bottles of wine and cava. This product was also recognised as the best entry in the packaging section.

A very industrial "packs miscellany"
In the "packs miscellany" section, awards went to industrial packaging for the automotive sector, such as the conditioner for flat automobile parts from Cartonajes Lantegi and packaging for transporting windows -Cartonajes Font- and for sending vehicle lights to China by sea from Tecnicartón. Another award was won by the "1991" label presented by the company from Coruña, Coreti, which incorporates a punched QR code and additional information stamped on the paper without using ink.

In the category of best packaging for health and beauty, the winners were Cartonajes Lantegi, for their packaging without grooves for high-end garments, and Grupo Miralles for their display case for SkinSpa, an electric hair remover that can be used under water.  

The 18 winners in the packaging speciality will represent Spain in the WorldStars for Packaging 2013, the most important international packing and packaging event. The Líderpack Awards are the best ambassadors of Spanish packaging beyond our borders. At the last WorldStar, five Spanish packs were among the best in the world.

Packaging products from schools
Students from the Escuela de Formación Profesional de los Salesianos de Sarrià (Barcelona) received three awards for two packaging projects for the distribution of fresh eggs and for a Point of Sales Advertising entry that presents a book inside a lamp. They are "L'ourigen de la qualitat", packaging that transmits the quality and protection of  the hen's incubation process; "Outèntic de Pasqua", a pack made from corrugated and folding cardboard inspired by Easter Eggs; and the "El pack de la luz", the book and packaging of an exclusive designer lamp catalogue.

Two other Líderpacks in this category -open to schools and students-, went to AzidoCítrico for "Chillón", packaging for spicy ice cream in three flavours (lime, lemon and strawberry) which opens in the middle, and "Sushi Box", a corrugated cardboard pack for a Japanese take away restaurant, which can contain a complete meal for two people.

Lastly, the student Jacobo Sandino, together with Hisa Nimi and Alejandro Giraldo, won a Líderpack for "Fragancia Shot", a camera-shaped perfume pack. This packaging went straight from school to market, since Pull&Bear has bought the idea and is currently selling the product in their shops. The perfume was produced by Akewuele. This product also won best in show in young design.

All these Líderpack winners, work of young designers, will compete in the international WorldStars Student Awards, organised by the World Packaging Organisation, reserved for students from different countries.

Displays for selling tablets, notebooks, sunglasses and sponge cakes
In the PoSA speciality, Zedis won two Líderpack awards. The first for "Mueble Demo Meep", a permanent display case that combines different materials (metal, wood and cardboard) for showcasing a Tablet for children, interacting with other connected peripherals. The second for "Expositor Gafas de Sol Tous", a minimalist and elegant display, manufactured in methacrylate, metal and mirror glass for the Catalan brand's new, colouristic collection of spectacle frames. The first of these entries was considered the best in show in PoSA.

Grupo Miralles for "Cocina Royal", a display case for food products that gives off the aroma of a recently baked sponge cake, and Unión Pack for "Minicatedral", a big capacity display for notebooks, made entirely from recycled cardboard, complete the list of winners in the PoSA category.

In their decision, the judging panel -chaired by Carlos Aguilar, representative from Luciano Aguilar, S.A, and the Instituto Español del Envase y Embalaje (IEEE)- took into account the originality, ergonomics, improvements in protection and preservation of contents, ease of handling, graphic and industrial design, branding creativity, quality of manufacturing process, materials used and commitment to sustainability of all packaging and projects. In the PoSA category, they also assessed the best solutions that influence purchasing decisions in the shop.  

In addition to Aguilar, the professionals and experts in different areas of the packing and packaging industry, logistics, marketing and advertising, who formed part of the Líderpack 2013 judging panel were: Jordi Bernabeu, Director of Operations, Markem-Imaje Spain, S.A.; Xavier Cuxart, Accounts Director, Morillas Brand Design; Cristina Gascón, Creative Advisor, Prêt a Portar; Miquel Marcé, Industrial Engineer and Coordinator of the packaging module, "Antoni Algueró" School; Pedro Melgarejo, Head of packing and packaging line, AIMPLAS; Jordi Quera, President, Graphispack Association; Carme Vila, Advertising Director, Fira de Barcelona; Roger Cano, Creative Director of packaging, TBWA España and Ignasi Cusí, Secretary General, Graphispack Association.