Evergreen Packaging (www.evergreenpackaging.com), a global leader in creating fiber-based packaging solutions, announced today the winners of Project Carton, a student packaging design competition launched earlier this fall at internationally recognized design college, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). More than 24 Packaging Design students participated in the competition as part of the New York-based college’s fall curriculum, bringing fresh new perspectives to the world of packaging design.

The winners, chosen by a panel of packaging and design industry experts, are:      

•     Grand prize winner; category: Milk: Jennifer Ahern


•     Category winner: Juice: Samiel Laury


•     Category winner: Milk substitute: Carla Yuen


•     Category winner: Other: Vanessa Magbanna

Grand prize winner Jennifer Ahern of Philadelphia, PA, is a junior at FIT. Ahern’s winning entry featured a more abstract approach to iconic cow images, focused on appealing to contemporary shoppers.

”I was inspired by the edgy drawings of Picasso and I wanted to design something that the customer would be attracted to,” says Jennifer. “Our generation can be careless, but more people are starting to pay attention to the green movement, so sustainability programs like the one Evergreen promotes are very important to the future.”

The business value of packaging design has become an important priority for consumer packaged goods makers as companies increasingly recognize that attractive, appealing packaging impacts increased sales.  Through this competition, which launched September 4, Evergreen showcases the creative and high impact message delivery opportunity available on fiber-based cartons.

“From a design perspective, paperboard packaging provides an excellent cost-effective platform for branding,” said Erin Reynolds, marketing manager for Evergreen Packaging. “Cartons offer the perfect canvas to tell a compelling brand story and provide the informational content consumers want.”

The diverse creativity of the FIT students’ contest entries illustrates how brands can take full advantage of the brand-building power of four billboard panels of vibrant, full-color graphics. Contest entries were evaluated based on compelling brand depiction, connection with the target audience, shelf impact, innovation, and execution of details. Judges included:

•      Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation & insight at Mintel


•      Marcus Hewitt, chief creative officer at DRAGON ROUGE


•      Ron Sasine, senior director of packaging at Wal-Mart


•      Noel Stewart, senior packaging engineer II at Coca-Cola America


•      Andy Yates, design director at WhiteWave Foods

Ahern’s design will be unveiled October 28, during a VIP reception at this year’s Pack Expo International in Chicago.