The best-of-show winner in the 2014 Pentawards, the first worldwide competition devoted exclusively to packaging design, was Evian’s Pure Drop for the container’s ease of use and recyclability. The mini bottles of Evian water were created by the French agency Grand Angle Design. The Pentawards international jury commended the “Drop” for its “breakthrough, minimalist design that is modern, organic and chic.”

The creators of the teardrop shape said they wanted to introduce a new ritual of mineral water consumption. With the Drop’s easy-to-open lid, limited water capacity—its content equals a single glass of water—and a bottle that can be collapsed in one hand, the package is meant to accommodate fast-paced consumption with a nod to the environmentally conscientious consumer. Currently, this product is only available in Paris, London and Geneva.

Awards were given in five additional categories: beverages, food, body, other and luxury. Bottles of Absolut Originality won the top spot in the beverages category. Swedish advertising agency Happytear created the packaging concept, which drops a bit of cobalt blue into hot molten glass as it goes into the bottle mold. The result is a striking streak of blue running through the transparent glass. This coloring process is a traditional Swedish glass-making technique, but has never been used to create 4 million individually designed bottles.

In the food category, the Chinese company Pesign Design took home the Platinum award for the packaging of Qian’s Gift rice. To reflect the traditional rice farming practices that are still observed in the area of Guizhou, China, it was important for the packaging to be created without industrialization and modern manufacturing. The locally made plant fiber envelope is hand dyed with indigo—a regionally used material. Not only is the design environmentally friendly, it echoes the culture of the place that produces the organic rice. 

In the luxury category, the sleek packaging of Extrem sliced ham topped the list. Spanish design agency Lavernia & Cienfuego created the new look to allow the brand to compete in high-end specialty food shops next to other traditional gourmet products, such as caviar. The Iberian ham now comes in a matte black case with a golden handle in the shape of a small pig; the case also doubles as a serving tray.

For more information: Jean Jacques Evrard, +32-477-948-189, jjevrard@pentawards.org, www.pentawards.org.