Pentawards, one of the world’s most prestigious competitions dedicated to packaging design, has unveiled the winners of its annual global competition at the Pentawards Gala Ceremony, held on 16 October at Magazine London. The awards body celebrated 20 years of exceptional packaging design spanning countries from Korea to Brazil.
From labels made by the product itself to formats that rethink how we eat, drink, play and unbox, this year’s winners prove that the most exciting packaging solves real problems without neglecting craft and design.
Chloe Scanlan, marketing manager at Pentawards commented, “This year’s winners really encapsulate the direction packaging is taking. Across categories we’re seeing packaging become a tool to solve everyday problems, become part of daily habits and rituals and cut waste through clever design and engineering, all while continuing to play with color and tapping into cultural moments.”
Diamond Award: Label created by the wine itself – Piquentum Brut Nature
This year’s Diamond Award was given to a breakthrough in packaging from Croatian agency Studio Sonda for its work on Piquentum Brut Nature, a wine label made from its own sediment.
Most sparkling wines (over 97%) are made using industrial sugar and artificial yeasts. Piquentum makes its wine naturally and wanted the label to reflect that ethos.
During the second fermentation, when the yeasts convert sugar into bubbles, sediment is created and then removed from the bottle through the technique of dégorgement. Other producers normally discard this as waste, but Piquentum’s sediment was embraced as a key material.
Label created by the wine itself – Piquentum Brut Nature
Studio Sonda
Mixed with 10% paper pulp sourced from the winemaker’s paper waste, the sediment became the world’s first wine label made from the wine process itself. The art behind the design is how the label continues to develop. Over time, it forms a noble mold, turning it into a “living label” and making each bottle its own proof of authenticity. By making its label from the wine’s own sediment, Piquentum Brut Nature sets a new benchmark, showing that packaging can be made entirely from what would otherwise go to waste, with circular design at its core and without losing any of the craft.
On winning the Diamond Pentaward, creative director Jelena Fiškuš and Founder Sean Poropat said, “We are deeply honored to receive the Diamond Pentaward, the highest distinction of the competition. This recognition is the ultimate validation of our belief that today’s true premium lies in authenticity, and a deep respect for the natural process. It proves that there is immense beauty in imperfection.”
Jury member Suzy Shelley, sustainability and materials Lead at Pearlfisher, said, “What I loved about this project is that it’s a beautiful piece of packaging. It’s something I’ve never seen before and not only is it really gorgeous but it’s also really innovative.”
Platinum Winners
The full list of Platinum Winners spotlights the breadth of creativity and design spanning continents and sectors:
Beverages: Poco Vino – Australian Vintage (Australia)
Poco Vino does what it says on the bottle: a 187ml single-serve in a market dominated by the 750ml bottle. Borrowing from FMCG, the format makes wine snackable, removing the pressure of committing to a full bottle or choosing ‘wrong’, and suits casual, mid-week and solo occasions. The smaller size reduces waste, while stackable, fridge-friendly displays improve shelf efficiency for retailers. Vibrant colors denote each varietal, helping shoppers find and compare wines at a glance, and proving format innovation can unlock growth in a conservative category.
“What I liked about this entry was that it’s a very interesting format, it’s tactile, it’s very simple yet elegant, but it’s also made for the mass market,” said jury member, Tatjana Dubovina Jokić, creative director at IW Agency.
Food: Calma & Chicha – Mutta (Spain)
Tinned seafood Calma & Chicha by Mutta breaks from the conventions of the Spanish sector to create a more contemporary, approachable product for younger, international audiences. The packaging is built around two sisters: Calma, a peaceful and empathetic sardine who defends against the injustices of the sea, and Chicha, a fun and eccentric mussel who can’t be held responsible for her actions when she’s hungry. Cheerful illustrations and a playful color palette help the brand stand out from competitors at a single glance.
“This entry really broke category conventions; it felt completely different to anything else that’s on the shelf and it just made me smile,” said jury member Maisie Benson, design director at JKR.
Body, Health & Beauty: Darphin – Stimulskin Plus – Servaire & Co (France)
Darphin – Stimulskin Plus by Servaire & Co, is a revolutionary packaging system for luxury dermocosmetics. A sculptural metallic cage with an openwork design houses a refillable glass core made with 30% recycled material. Inspired by the skin’s natural cellular matrix, the packaging translates nearly 20 years of research on morphological aging into a distinctive identity across the entire skincare range.
“Not only was this project an elevated execution of the product and brand, but it also touched upon sustainability in a luxurious way that is often very hard to achieve,” said jury member Catherine Lee, SVP, Global Packaging, design & sustainability at Kendo Brands.
Home, Leisure & Other Markets: Mono-Kinetic: AR Smart Wearable Packaging Collection – Even Realities (China)
Even Realities swaps the usual tech packaging for paper craftsmanship. Made from a single material, the box for its AR glasses uses precise V-shaped folds so that, as the inner tray is lifted, the four sides drop away to present the glasses center stage. The same folding structure protects the delicate lenses from drops, with no extra padding needed.
“This was such a pleasure to unbox. There was super clear design language used throughout the unpacking journey, and it was a journey. From the structural packaging to the visual language, all of it was another level of design,” jury member Quang Tran, senior packaging designer at Bang & Olufsen.
Brand Identity & Connected Packaging Platinum: HEINZ Dipper – The Kraft Heinz Company (US)
The HEINZ Dipper rethinks the fry box around how people actually eat: by dipping. Using the shape of the Heinz keystone logo as its blueprint, a fold-out ketchup pocket is built directly into the box, so there’s no juggling separate sauce pots on the go. It adds no extra components and turns every fry box into a piece of Heinz branding at the point of sale.
HEINZ Dipper
“For me the HEINZ Dipper really stood out, what I loved about it was that it’s both graphic and structural packaging working hard together. It fused the distinctive assets of the brand and showed how powerful those assets can be when really amplified at scale,” jury member Claire Robertshaw, global executive creative director at Design Bridge and Partners.
Sustainable Design Platinum: Combox– Sanopak Innovation (Spain)
Takeaway packaging often leaks, hides what’s inside or relies on plastics that are hard to recycle. Combox is a compostable alternative that doubles as a communication channel. Using variable digital printing, every box can be unique, showing dish-specific ingredients, allergens or seasonal menus, with individual QR codes for campaigns and full traceability. It’s mass personalization, one meal at a time.
“What I loved about this was that it doesn’t ask you to choose between responsibility and function – it communicates the compost, and no two packs are the same,” said jury member Sebba Alqetrani, director, technical packaging engineering & sustainability at Nutrafol and Professor at FIT / Rutgers.
Professional Concepts Platinum: NUDE – Abisal Studio (Spain)
NudeU is an ultra-minimalist concept for luxury skincare, pairing a heavy-based glass bottle with a soft spherical dropper. Where most luxury droppers rely on plastic collars and overcaps, Nude’s suction bulb doubles as the closure, removing them entirely. Fewer parts mean less waste and simpler manufacturing, while the sculptural shape does the branding, communicating quiet luxury without relying on graphics.
NXT-GEN Award
The NXT-GEN Award, which champions rising talent, was awarded to Cubbly, an innovative children’s shampoo concept by Anaëlle Van Laer from LUCA School of Art in Belgium. This playful student concept gives every child’s hair type its own shampoo and cub mascot, with a pump that lets kids lather up themselves, showcasing the inclusive thinking of the next generation of designers.
