UK | The London Packaging Week Innovation Awards recognised the UK’s most imaginative and sustainable packaging designs, celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and brand storytelling across 13 categories.
From technical breakthroughs to artistic craftsmanship, this year’s winners demonstrated the power of packaging to connect brands and consumers in new and imaginative ways.
Across 13 award categories, the judging panel of 18 experts celebrated the very best in design, sustainability, and brand storytelling, selecting 13 category winners and 9 certificates of merit from more than 120 entries and 80 finalists.
Hendrick’s Gin (Willian Grant & Sons), in collaboration with Hunter Luxury and Boundless Brand Design, triumphed at this year’s awards, winning the Everyday Drinks Innovation Award for The Whimsical Watering Can and its theatrical, collectable design that vividly brings the brand’s eccentric personality to life.
“If you drink Hendrick’s, you know Hendrick’s is always the brand that represents fun, adventure, disruption, and anything that is so unexpected. So, I think this award means that Hendrick’s has the capability to break all the rules and bring fun to your everyday life,” said Emily Ng, GTR Merchandising Lead – Global Marketing Team at William Grant & Sons.
“When it comes to packaging, everyone jumps straight into a box, a rigid pack, but what Hendrick’s is trying to achieve is, ‘can we bring consumer experience, can we bring storytelling all on the pack itself? We think this will re-energise the category, and other brands will need to think about how they can bring something even more experiential than we can bring.”
The Macallan was honoured twice, with A Study in Oak – 33-Year-Old 1991 Origins Sherry & Mizunara Edition, a collaboration with Bill Amberg Studio and Ephemerus Concepts, taking the Luxury Packaging Innovation Award.
The concept combined artisanal leatherwork, precision engineering, and timber craftsmanship to transform the opening into a ceremonial, immersive experience.
Meanwhile, in the Luxury Drinks Innovation Award category, The Macallan TIME : SPACE Mastery – HH Global / MDI / Macallan (Edrington) was awarded a Certificate of Excellence.
Hennessy X.O’s ‘Spirit of Travel’ Collection, created with Knockout Design, triumphed in the Premium Drinks Innovation Award, blending cultural storytelling, sustainable materials, and multi-sensory design, featuring 100 percent recyclable pulp cases, upcycled leather luggage tags, and city-inspired illustrations.
Ardbeg’s The Abyss took first place in the Luxury Drinks Innovation Award, transforming whisky packaging into an immersive, collectable experience. Inspired by a diving helmet, the design features a bespoke 3D-printed locking mechanism, a chamber that reveals hidden treasures, and integrated comic artwork that tells a story as bold as the Islay distillery itself.
Trinny London, in partnership with Curtis Packaging, took home the Beauty Accessory Innovation Award for its Christmas 2024 Gift Bag. This functional, beautiful, and reusable pack combines a striking holographic foil ‘TT pattern’ with a clever fold-flat, pop-up design.
SLG Brands’ Rhyme & Reason Haircare by SLG Brands won in Haircare Packaging Innovation, praised for its sustainable approach using 100 percent recycled materials without compromising aesthetic or performance.
DAISYFACE won the Skincare Packaging Innovation Award, pairing playful, refillable aluminium packaging with airless pump technology and biodegradable daisy-seed paper outers.
Meanwhile, Pierre De Velay by Art of Perfume and Roja Dove triumphed in the Perfume Packaging Innovation Award category for its bespoke presentation box with an elegant lifting mechanism.
In the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award, PA Consulting and Diageo received top honours for their Dry Moulded Fibre Bottle - a groundbreaking step forward in low-carbon, fully recyclable paper packaging for drinks.
The Johnnie Walker Black Label paper bottle, created with PulPac’s Dry Moulded Fibre technology, is 90 percent paper with a thin plastic liner – around 60 percent lighter than glass and with up to 47 percent potential carbon reduction.
“Breakthrough innovation takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of partnership, and so having big brands like Diageo and others sponsor our technology helps us move forward,” said Jamie Stone, Partner Head of Design & Sustainability, PA Consulting.
“Every technology needs to reach a wider audience; you need people to understand it. Winning some of these awards is a great indication that we're on the right track, step by step.”
In the Food Packaging Innovation Award, Hotel Chocolat triumphed with its Extra-Thick Easter Egg, using 100 percent kerbside recyclable paper pulp infused with cacao husks, and Kintsugi-style gold foil detailing to celebrate craftsmanship, natural inspiration, and circular design.
Vitals+ by Heights won the Consumer Pack Innovation Award for its elegantly curved jar and lid, which combines striking design with practical stability and convenience.
In the Homeware Innovation Award category, Aroma Therapy’s Cashmere Candle – Essential Oil Blend claimed first prize with a design carefully crafted to minimise environmental impact while delivering a premium sensory experience.
Its outer box, made from agricultural by-products and mycelium, can be fully broken down and returned to the earth once unpacked, blending sustainability with luxury.
Elsewhere, the Innovation Awards judging panel, representing leading brands, consultancies, and design experts from across food, beauty, drinks, and luxury sectors, also commended a number of standout entries with certificates of merit - including Charlotte Tilbury, Lush, Innocent Drinks, Spudos, and Shellworks - for creativity, storytelling, and sustainable impact.
