The theme for this year's PIDA, unboxing, was as usual responded to by the participating students with great creative height. Of the twelve contributions by students from Esepac, ESIReims and IUT Reims, “Elegant” was awarded the Gold award as winner of all categories.

BillerudKorsnäs Packaging Impact Design Award (PIDA), this year celebrates it’s fourteenth year as an international competition. This year's challenge, unboxing, is based on the moment a package is opened for the first time, and is about the consumer's first meeting with a product, but also a brand's ability to make a global impression through the unboxing phenomenon in social media. However, the brief to the contestants was more far-reaching than that. The contributions should also reflect a sustainable, innovative and functional packaging concept that differs from the conventional solutions we see in stores and e-commerce today.

PIDA Gold Award. Winner all categories: ”Elegant”
The French PIDA Gold Award was awarded the concept ”Elegant” developped by Marie Rosset, Gwendoline Rimbert, Manon Lombard and Julien Ettore from Esepac. Motivation of the jury: The winning project, Elegant, particularly successful, fulfilled most of the evaluation criteria. The proposal of a century-old chocolate brand was able to express itself with modernity. The visual impact, with its colorful geometry, is available on all components of the packaging, creating the movement to the sophistication of a delicately packaged chocolate square. The end product is magnified and its discovery is both simple and spectacular.

PIDA Gold Award: Elegant

In addition winners were also appointed for the highest level of sustainability, innovation and user friendliness as well as the People's Choice Award (most likes and shares on PIDA's Facebook page):

Highest level of sustainability, winner: “För US”
The award for the highest level of sustainability was awarded the concept "För US" by Lise Dillies, Tristan Lorain and Margot Alberge from IUT Reims. Motivation of the jury: The jury rewarded the possibility of a second use of the packaging of the beauty product which becomes an object of wall decoration, to be multiplied, a proposal both playful and aesthetic.

Highest level of innovation, winner: “Fika”
The award for the highest level of innovation was awarded the concept "Fika" by Faustine Flamand, Mélanie Gingreau and Néféret Dumont from IUT Reims. Motivation of the jury: Innovation is understood here as the perception of an astonishing proposition: the movement provoked at the opening of the pack stages a chocolate tasting moment. The design is coherently articulated around the notion of mirror. The jury greatly appreciated the contrast between the sobriety of the outdoor pack and its more sophisticated content.

Highest level of user friendliness, winner: “Groomed Man”
The award for the highest level of user friendliness was awarded the concept "Groomed Man" by Margaux Bergère, Thomas Varnier and Marie Meyer from IUT Reims. Motivation of the jury: The jury enjoyed discovering a new way for men to heal their beards. A compact package, practical, easy to carry that perfectly expresses a world both refined and masculine.

People's Choice Award, winner: ”Shelby Gin”
Winner of French PIDA People's Choice Award, with the most (855) likes and shares on PIDA's Facebook page, was the concept "Shelby Gin" by Clément Reolon, Julie Perin, Sacha Berrier, Clémence Mprenne and Hadrien Brigot from ESIReims.

Renowned jury
This year's jury for the French PIDA consisted of a collection of renowned industry specialists: Jean Louis Azizollah (Founder Jla And Partners), Klaus Gruber (Founder KDesign), Aurélie Lebas (Sales Director Thibault Bergeron), Caroline Moulin (Founder NAO Design), Nicolas Salah (Founder INELIA), Vincent Villeger (former Director Packaging Design Burberry), Wouter Wiels (Founder Rives de la Beauté Intuid), Christophe Delrive (Business Development Director BillerudKorsnäs) and Christoffer Windal (Packaging Developer BillerudKorsnäs).