SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) has announced the top winners of its monumental 81st annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition. These folding cartons and rigid boxes represent some of the best paperboard packaging manufactured by North American converters over the past year.

Package of the Year
Diptyque Advent Calendar Holiday 2023
Submitted by Pusterla, US, Inc.

The Diptyque Advent Calendar box is superb, sitting at the intersection of luxury, sustainability, and outstanding consumer experience. Fulfilling Diptyque’s request for a reusable jewel box, Pusterla sweetened the holidays with this multi-level, structurally complex, and tactically engaging keepsake. Offering elegance and an element of surprise, consumers open the upper section to reveal…a whole second level with even more gifts and goodies! The beautifully designed piece features multiple compartments nestled within the larger structure, and the magnetic cover allows the box to stand upright when open, adding functionality and yet another element of elegance. Pusterla nailed it, crafting a keepsake that consumers will hold onto well beyond the holidays. This reusable advent box is more than packaging—it's a lasting treasure.

Folding Carton of the Year
The Masters Prov1 Vintage Family
Submitted by the Curtis Packaging

The Masters Prov1 Vintage Family by Curtis Packaging takes luxury paperboard packaging to a new level. These extraordinary folding cartons don’t just look like leather—they even feel like it, redefining what a carton can be. Made to showcase golf products at the Masters Tournament, the cartons needed an innovative yet timeless and classic design. Curtis delivered, masterfully replicating the look and feel of two different types of leather. The soft, supple brown “leather” is treated with soft touch coating and finished with debossing, while?the black “leather” is treated with grit UV coating. The Curtis team then enhanced the contrast between the dark and light areas by applying grit in the light areas and gloss varnish vignettes and digital coating accents in the darker spots.?The Masters logo, emblems, and all the metallization were created digitally. The unique structures, bold logo, and, of course, the luxurious leather make the Masters cartons a standout gift that fans can enjoy long after the Tournament’s final hole.

Rigid Box of the Year
Old Emmer Toasted Barrel
Submitted by TPC Printing & Packaging

Beauty and strength go hand in hand with TPC Printing & Packaging’s rigid box for Old Emmer Toasted Barrel whiskey. With a perfect blend of protective elements and aesthetic appeal, this package offers a premium unboxing experience that reflects the luxury of the whiskey it holds. The smooth click of four strategically placed magnets snapping shut provides a satisfying closure and demonstrates attention to detail and quality craftsmanship. The contrast between the high-shine gold foil and matte, soft-touch laminate enhances the package’s visual appeal, making it stand out on any shelf. The rigid structure offers superior protection and adds to the high-end feel, ensuring the package looks as good as it performs. TPC’s Old Emmer whiskey design is a testament to commitment, quality, and elegance, making it a truly outstanding rigid box.

Innovation of the Year Award
PETCollar™ Shield Plus
Submitted by Smurfit WestRock

The paperboard packaging industry has worked hard over the last half-decade to create incredible, sustainable alternatives to plastic in the multi-pack beverage segment. While each design contributes powerfully to the circular economy, the Judges of PPC’s Competition have never seen one quite like Smurfit Westrock’s PETCollar™ Shield Plus for Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages’ PET bottles. The innovative design features an integrated, brick-shaped handle that connects with the bottles at many points, providing stability and easy consumer handling with recessed finger holes. A top-applied clip with inner reinforcement panels holds the bottles, and a top panel with manually locking tabs connects the layers and reinforces the structure. Additionally, with five available panels for graphics, the design offers unique, maximized brand visibility.? With PETCollar™ Shield Plus, small nuances in design make a big impact, all combining to create an innovative new entry into the beverage market.

Sustainability of the Year Award
PETCollar® Eco
Submitted by Smurfit Westrock

Today, paperboard packaging manufacturers are helping some of the world’s largest CPGs meet their environmental commitments. To advance the lofty goal of using 100% recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, or reusable packaging by 2025, PepsiCo tasked Smurfit Westrock with transitioning their eight-pack Gatorade packaging from flexible plastic to recyclable paperboard—and they delivered! The PETCollar® Eco features two cold-glued layers of CarrierKote paperboard with serious strength for transportation, handling, and consumer use. With its unique handle design, consumers can conveniently pick up the pack using only two fingers—while remaining confident in its structural integrity. What’s more, Smurfit Westrock’s design uses significantly less board than a fully enclosed carton while offering a fully printable surface for branding and shelf presence. Strong, functional, beautifully branded, and sustainable, PETCollar® Eco is a stellar example of the paperboard packaging industry’s unwavering commitment to consumers, our environment, and future generations.
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Judges’ Award for Wow Factor
Chanel Logo Display Box
Submitted by Pusterla US, Inc.

The stunning Chanel Logo box from Pusterla US, Inc. had the competition judges asking, “How did they even make that?” Pusterla created a rigid box in the shape of the iconic Chanel logo, perfectly to scale with a large cutout that seemingly defies the laws of physics in its structure. Intended as a point-of-sale display, the package’s matte white finish and beveled edges are clean and beautiful, with complex curves offering an entirely fresh take on a familiar logo. The real magic comes when the box is opened, revealing continuous curves with no supports and luxurious gold foil that perfectly matches the brand’s aesthetics.

Judges’ Award for Positive Change in Packaging
Nestlé Australia: Quality Street
Submitted by Graphic Packaging International

A wonderful example of positive change in packaging, Graphic Packaging International helped Nestlé Australia transition their iconic Quality Street tub from plastic to 100% recyclable paperboard. Ultimately, the beautiful carton contributes to Nestlé’s lofty goal of making all its packaging recyclable or reusable and reducing virgin plastic use by a third, all by 2025. Designed to shake up the confection category at Christmas time with a new, sustainable solution, the carton features an octagonal structure, which is reminiscent of the original tub, and an innovative fifth panel serving as a tamper-evident closure (one that eliminates the need for plastic wrapping). Another feat, the new packaging maintains its predecessor's packing speed, with the design of the corners offering reinforcement to hold up to the rigors of distribution and merchandising. The new Quality Street carton is a testament to how packaging can drive meaningful environmental change without sacrificing brand identity or consumer appeal.

Judges’ Award for Excellence in Printing
Luxe Pack Box
Submitted by Autajon Packaging

The Luxe Pack self-promotion box by Autajon Packaging exemplifies a seamless integration between high-end aesthetics and technical precision. The design elevates the user experience through thoughtful printing techniques: silk screen UV printing mimics water droplets inside and outside the box. Meanwhile, a rich copper leaf pattern adds dimension to the soft-touch surface. These details, paired with the frame view tray and book-style opening, create a luxurious and dynamic unboxing experience. Despite the challenges of maintaining crisp scores and clean finishes on an all-black carton, Autajon successfully delivered a package that stands out for its flawless execution and tactile appeal. Not only a display of printing prowess, the Luxe Pack Box is a strategic fusion of art, functionality, and brand storytelling that leaves a lasting impression.

Visit PPC’s website to see all the winning entries and learn more about the North American Paperboard Packaging Competition.