
Promoting Excellence in Packaging
The Gold Pack Awards programme is designed to showcase the very best of the packaging industry. With the introduction of the AfriStar Awards as a part of this awards programme the awards are now an international celebration and showcase for packaging across the African continent. Also all entries that are awarded Finalist medals the Gold Pack and AfriStar Awards are eligible to enter the WPO WorldStar global awards.
The judges comprise a panel of impartial and experienced people with a wide range of packaging knowledge. They look specifically for the excellent application and execution of anything that may involve new, innovative or creative design, marketing or technology applied to packaging produced in Africa. The judges take into account the imported technology, components, constituents etc. and look specifically for the African input in the creation of excellent packaging. The critical qualification for entry is that the packaging must have been converted in Africa. Anyone may enter a pack, however in all cases the converter and the brand owner must co-approve the entry form.
Categories
The judges are required to consider all the aspects of what make excellent packaging and also need to take into account the special requirements for the category in which that the entry is to be judged to win a medal. A GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE medal will be awarded in each of the categories. The first group of categories are aligned to the product categories used in the international awards. If any category receives a disproportionate amount of entries, the judges may split the category. For example Beverages may be split into Alcoholic Beverages and Non-Alcoholic Beverages.
• Beverages
• Food
• Household including domestic goods, hardware, appliances and automotive products
• Health, Beauty, Medical & Pharmaceutical
• Transit, Secondary Packaging & Industrial Electronics and Appliances
• Packaging Related including components, materials, machinery, processes, supplies and point-of-sale displays.
Substrate Awards: GOLD medals will be awarded to the best entries across each the major substrates. The most dominate substrate of the total pack will determine the substrate category. If only one specific part of a pack is the entry, it should be entered as a component (in the “packaging related’ category).
• Best Glass Pack.
• Best Paper or Board Pack
• Best Plastic Rigid or flexible
• Best Metal Pack
The AfriStar Awards: Included as a ‘category’ in the Gold Pack Awards on behalf of the African Packaging Organisation (APO).
• Best packaging produced in South Africa and exported to the rest or Africa
• Packaging produced in Africa (Excluding South Africa)
Special Awards: GOLD medals may be awarded by sponsoring PROs to recognise and reward packs according to criteria determined by the PRO concerned.
In addition the judges, at their discretion, may award packs deserving unique recognition such as Save Food (see the criteria for the Save Food award in the “Tips” / “Useful hints to be a Winner” section), African Innovation (could be awarded to a packaging innovation with major local creative and technological input), Sustainability, Marketing … or any other to any entries that may deserve recognition for special features.
The IPSA GOLD PACK Trophy
A floating trophy awarded to the ultimate winning pack
What Makes a Winning Pack?
Although innovation is an appealing reason for awarding Gold Pack medals, it is primarily excellence in packaging execution that creates medal winners. The categories are wide and varied and are divided into two broad groups. The first group relates to the product’s market type – from beverages and food to industrial, packaging components and packaging processes and systems. In these categories the judges are required to consider all the aspects of what goes into creating excellent packaging with particular relevance to requirements for the market category.The second group is defined by packaging materials – from metals, glass and paper to rigid and flexible plastics. In these cases technical excellence and challenges of each substrate are examined and carefully considered. The criteria in the two groups are quite different with the substrate categories tending to be focused more on the technical superiority of the packaging’s manufacture and conversion.
The most coveted award is the Institute of Packaging SA Gold Pack Trophy presented to the best entry overall.
ENTRIES CLOSE: 31st July 2024
AWARDS CEREMONY: Thursday 14th November 2024, Vodaworld, Midrand.