2018

Innovative unboxing solutions were awarded at PIDA France 2018

PIDA France in its 2018 edition offered prize ceremonies, keynotes, mingling, and not least: smart and inspiring unboxing solutions. Very fiting, because Unboxing was the theme for this year's PIDA. This meant that the task before the contesting design students was to create packaging designs that consumers would want to film and share in social media.

June 21 saw the conclusion of the French edition of the international design competition PIDA. The prize ceremony was attended by some 100 guests, and twelve teams, in total, competed for the various awards.

“The theme of unboxing particularly inspired the students. They responded to the brief with a global approach: marketing coherence, volume of packaging, graphics, manufacturing technique; going as far as the realization of mini videos specific to unboxing. The relevance of the ideas, the quality of the models seduced the jury. Nearly 6 creations, out of the 12 projects analyzed, competed for the different prizes to be awarded”, says Jean Louis Azizollah, chairman of the jury.

Unboxing is a consequence of the extent of e-commerce. A packaging design, specifically designed for this context, is essential to compensate the absence of physical contact with the actual point of sale. It allows to create a privileged relationship, reassuring and often playful,

Jean Louis Azizollah

PIDA Gold Award

Marie Rosset, Gwendoline Rimbert, Manon Lombard och Julien Ettore from ESEPAC were this year’s winners of the finest prize – PIDA Gold Award. Their creative and innovative packaging concept “Elegant” was designed for chocolates. The team’s response to the question “How does it feel to win?” was this:

“It feels very exciting, we didn’t expect to win. PIDA is an opportunity and it’s fun because the big focus is on innovation. Also, it is not every day we do this kind of project in school. We only had six weeks to develop the concept and all that it includes: brand, marketing plan and so on”, say team Elegant.

The jury selecting the French winners comprised a group of prominent industry professionals phrased this motivation:

“The winning project, ELEGANT, particularly successful, fulfilled most of the evaluation criteria.

The proposal of a century-old chocolate brand was able to express itself with modernity. The visual impact, with its colorful geometry, is available on all components of the packaging, creating the movement to the sophistication of a delicately packaged chocolate square. The end product is magnified and its discovery is both simple and spectacular.”

The jury had more prizes to present

Three other prizes had to find their rightful winners, and a special award Mention d'encouragements went to Maison Romance, designed by Beverley Elbilia, Florian Gass, Anthony Knaebel and Cloé Fruleux from ESIReims.

The award for Highest level of User-friendliness went to the project Groomed man by Margaux Bergère, Thomas Varnier and Marie Meyer of IUT Reims, with the motivation:

“The jury enjoyed discovering a new way for men to groom their beards.A compact package, practical, easy to carry –perfectly expressing a world both refined and masculine.”

The award for Highest level of Innovation was given to FIKA designed by Faustine Flamand, Mélanie Gingreau and Néféret Dumont from IUT Reims. Here is what the jury said:

“Innovation is understood here as the perception of an astonishing proposition: the movement provoked at the opening of the pack stages a chocolate tasting moment.

The design is coherently articulated around the notion of a mirror.
The jury greatly appreciated the contrast between the sobriety of the outdoor pack and its more sophisticated content.”

The prize for Highest level of Sustainability was won by För Us. It was created by Lise Dillies, Tristan Lorain and Margot Alberge from IUT Reims and the motivation was expressed thus:

“The jury rewarded the possibility of a second use of the packaging of the beauty product which becomes an object of wall decoration, to be multiplied – a proposal both playful and aesthetic.”

People’s choice

The competition also allowed the general public to have their say. In People’s Choice Award anybody could vote for their favourite design project via Facebook. The project that got the most votes (earned the most likes and shares) in social media was Shelby Gin. An innovative packaging concept designed by Clément Reolon, Julie Perin, Sacha Berrier, Clémence Morenne and Hadrien Brigot from ESIReims.