Deadline for nominations: 23:59 BST on Friday 12 April 2024
Fragrances date back to the Egyptian times when the earliest perfumes were made. Today, the total sales value of fragrances in Great Britain (at December 2021) was almost £1.7 billion, and the global fragrance market is expected to reach a value of around £53 billion in 2023.
Visual appeal in terms of both the primary and secondary packaging are very important to purchasers, and many packs are kept long after consumption of the contents for alternative uses, or just because they are stunning pieces in their own right.
Metal can be recycled an infinite number of times without loss of quality. It has been designated ‘permanently available material’ status, making metal packaging a key contributor to the circular economy.
The Brief
To design and develop a luxury promotional metal pack to hold a 100ml bottle of perfume, aftershave or cologne.
Students should create a fictitious brand reflecting the quality retail gift sector. The pack should be developed for sale at ‘luxury’ retail outlets spanning duty free areas at airports; high-end, high-street stores; and specialist fragrance stores.
Students will need to develop the name and branding, but the key focus must be on the secondary metal pack. The pack should showcase what can be achieved with metal, have real shelf appeal and also look just as good on the dressing table or shelf at home.
Points to consider
The great possibilities in metal:
- Shaping
- Texture, print finishes & high quality graphics
- Embossing, debossing, micro embossing or perforations
- Variety of opening and closing options
- Creative branding to enhance shelf impact and consumer appeal and add value to the brand
Materials to be used
These types of packs are usually made of tinplate. Entrants do not need to specify the thickness of the metal. Materials other than metal should not be used in the main pack design.
Additional Resources
Entry Guidelines
Submission details
Entries must include uploads of the developments boards and photographic evidence of the final model
The 4 A3 development boards uploaded as a single PDF document should include the following:
- Research board
- Design exploration board
- Net of recommended design solution.
The photographic evidence should be uploaded as a single PDF document and should:
- Showcase the front, back and sides of the model
- Be shot against a white background and in focus. These images will be used in the Starpack Competition book and potentially for additional promotion
- A maximum of 4 images should be uploaded
- For students who are unable to supply a final model, 3D renderings and drawings are accepted.
Development boards must not show the entrant’s name or University or College.
Dates & Conditions
- The project names submitted at the time of entry will be printed as typed, if there are any errors and certificates/trophies need replacing, then the entrant will be liable for these costs.
- If you are not able to attend the ceremony in person or the ceremony becomes virtual, certificates and trophies will be sent by post to the entrants to the mailing address listed in the entry in late June 2025.
- Please make sure you have access to the mailing address past term times. If you are unsure, please enter your home address.
- IOM3 is unable to issue replacements for certificates/trophies sent to wrong addresses.
About the Entry
Judging Criteria
What the judges are looking for:
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Originality and aesthetic qualities of the design, with consideration to commercial viability.
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How the pack delivers the benefits to consumers and that the functionality has been considered as much as the branding.
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The quality of portfolio, which must include evidence of research and the development of the design.
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Designs which demonstrate awareness of environmental issues, through economic use of the material and recyclability.
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Please also check out our past winners to see the standard of work required for winning entries.
Brief C Judges
Administration Manager, MPMA
Debbie Clements
Administration Manager, MPMA
Debbie Clements
Debbie has worked in the metal packaging industry for over 35 years and manages administration, accounts, enquiries, communications and events for the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association.
Manager, Steel Packaging Recycling
Nicola Jones
Manager, Steel Packaging Recycling
Nicola Jones
Nicola Jones is Tata Steel in Europe’s Manager of Packaging Recycling. Having joined the company when it was British Steel in 1999, Nicola has spent the majority of her career working within the Packaging Recycling Department of the UK’s only remaining tinplating works in Trostre, South Wales. Nicola works with the packaging industry to raise the profile of sustainable steel packaging and its recycling credentials.
- Twitter:
- @N1cola_Jones
- Website:
- www.tatasteeleurope.com
- LinkedIn:
- nicola-jones-2ab8b417
Founder & Managing Director, Twelve Communications Ltd.
Graham Smith
Founder & Managing Director, Twelve Communications Ltd.
Graham Smith
Graham has worked with the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA) for some thirty years and in 1996 founded Twelve PR, an award winning communications agency which works across education, environmental and waste sectors. In addition to MPMA, Twelve’s clients include Canned Food UK, Cawleys Waste Management, Tata Steel, Roberts Metal Packaging, and William Say & Co.
- LinkedIn:
- grahamcsmith
Designer-Product, Packaging & Graphic, Eviosys
Corrina Korrubel
Designer-Product, Packaging & Graphic, Eviosys
Corrina Korrubel
Educated in Cape town, South Africa, Corrina lectured Graphic Design at CPUT (Cape Peninsula University of Technology) which she truly loved. Corrina also successfully ran her own freelance design business and contracted to agencies and design studios before moving to the UK in 2002. Having majored in Packaging Design at college, Corrina was fortunate enough to be recruited by CROWN to work in their design facility where she has been for 16 years. Design is in her blood and her love for the diversity of packaging is what inspires her daily.
- LinkedIn:
- corrinakorrubel
Director & Chief Executive, Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association
Jason Galley
Director & Chief Executive, Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association
Jason Galley
Jason joined MPMA in 2023, beginning his career as a metallurgist at Carnaud Metal Box (now Crown Holdings Inc) and holding subsequent senior positions at companies including American National Can, Alcan Packaging, Aerocan, as well as 12 years at Ball Corporation, Jason brings 33 years’ industry experience in the metal packaging industry. He has worked across many steel and aluminium packaging sectors including beverage, food, pharmaceutical, household, and personal care.
Designer – Product Packaging & Graphics, Eviosys
Mark Hurst
Designer – Product Packaging & Graphics, Eviosys
Mark Hurst
Mark trained as a Graphic Designer and has over 40 years' experience in Packaging design.
He started his career in Injection Moulded plastics, for Lawson Mardon and after 5 years freelancing, Mark Joined CarnaudMetalbox in 1994 designing promotional metal packaging.
30 years later, now re-branded as Eviosys, he is still as passionate about creating graphics and structural designs, that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Prize
The winning design will receive a £600 cash prize, courtesy of the sponsors.
Prizes may be award to runner-up designs at the judges' discretion.
Trophies will be presented to Gold, Silver and Bronze entries.
Highly Commended entries will receive a certificate.
About The Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association
The Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association is the lead voice of the UK metal packaging industry with direct links into a European market employing 177,000 people across 760 companies producing over 98 billion containers each year. The Association supports and represents members’ interests on industry matters related to operational, regulatory and environmental issues and promotes the benefits of metal packaging and the sustainable attributes of steel and aluminium through education programmes, industry awards and relevant communication channels.
Useful Links
Visit www.mpma.org.uk for guidance and helpful videos.
For inspiration see: https://uk.pinterest.com/metalpackuk/
For how speciality packs are made see: www.mpma.org.uk/information/howcans-are-made/
For inspiration (including bottle samples) see: uk.pinterest.com/metalpackuk/
On request, MPMA will provide, in person, or online a lecture/session for students and tutors on designing and manufacturing in metal.