At a recent ‘faceoff’ during the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters’ (AICC’s) Designer’s Lab, competing teams had to build an eye-catching and fully functional point-of-purchase (POP) display within a 24-hour period, conforming to specific parameters. All of the winning entries used Esko’s computer-aided design (CAD) software and cutting tables.
The contest, which was held in connection with a packaging design summit and AICC’s annual meeting, divided 25 designers from different corrugated packaging manufacturers and suppliers into six teams. They were given logo standards and other guidelines by Richard Kay, president of Sweet Candy, which posed as the ‘customer.’
Each POP display prototype, which would ordinarily take a few weeks to complete, had to withstand 227 kg (500 lb) of taffy on a standard pallet, with racks for bags and scoops. It also had to ship assembled and loaded with 1.4-kg (3-lb) taffy bags.
“The test was based more on the criteria sheet from Sweet Candy and following the parameters than on design,” explains Jim Nelson, president of the AICC’s packaging design competition committee. “The prototype had to be functional and work.”
In a race to the finish, winners were named in first, second and third place, along with two teams receiving honourable mentions.
“There was a crossover of ideas from designers with varied backgrounds, with different knowledge, views and skill sets,” says Nelson. “They worked as teams to develop ideas and get a lot of satisfaction knowing they worked well.”
