Wine Business Monthly PACK Design Awards

General Information

Pricing

• Early Bird - $95 per entry through March 7, 2025
• Regular - $125 per entry starting March 8, 2025
• Re-Design - $150 (Includes design of both old and new packaging)
• Series - $175 (Includes design of 2 to 6 packages in series)

Important Dates

• Tuesday, December 10: PACK AWARDS 2025 is Open
• Friday, March 7: Early Bird Pricing Ends
• April 15: Submission Deadline
• June 9-13: Contestants will be offered a “sneak peek” at their entry, live on the website
• June 16-27: Panel of industry judging occurs
• July 9: People's Choice Voting Opens
• August 6: People's Choice Voting Closes
• August 13: PACK AWARDS 2025 Webinar: Winners announced

People’s Choice

In addition to being entered in the juried wine packaging competition, submissions will automatically be entered into the People’s Choice category.

Categories
(click category for details)

• Classic
• Luxury
• Series
• Redesign
• Alternative
• X

• This category is open to traditional 750ml bottles at any price point.
• You may submit ONE (1) bottle.
  • If your label/bottle has one design that is used for multiple varietals (i.e., Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.), please choose ONE varietal to submit. Your chances will not increase by submitting multiple varietals.
• Outshinery will create 2 images for you: 1 front bottle shot, and 1 back bottle shot.
• Packages will be judged on their visual appeal, design functionality, appropriateness for the price segment and the creative utilization of the classic bottle format.
• Example Submission:

• This category is open to any packaging format that retails for $40 and higher at a 750ml equivalent. Meant for packages that are designed to compete and succeed on high-end restaurant wine lists, in fine wine shops, and in direct-to-consumer sales against luxury wines from around the world.
• You may submit ONE (1) bottle of any size, box, can, or other packaging format.
• Outshinery will create 2 images for you: 1 front package shot, and 1 back package shot.
• Packages will be judged on their visual appeal, design functionality, appropriateness for the price segment and quality of packaging materials used.
• Example Submission:

• This category is open to entries consisting of two or more pieces that work together as a cohesive whole but have different labels/designs
  • If the only difference between designs is the name of the varietal on the label, this is not the correct category. Please choose ONE item and submit it in either the Classic, Luxury or Alternative/Non-Glass categories.
• Your submission will include ONE (1) cohesive series of up to SIX (6) individual items. One entry will cover all items in the series. You do not need to enter each item in multiple submissions.
• Outshinery will create:
  • 2 images of the full series together; 1 front shot & 1 back shot
  • 2 images per individual item: 1 front shot & 1 back shot
• Packages will be judged on the cohesiveness of the series, their visual appeal as a series and as individual bottles, design functionality and appropriateness for the price segment.
• Example Submission:

• The redesign must have been introduced to the marketplace between April 1, 2024, and April 1, 2025.
• You must submit the old design art files and information, as well as the new design to be considered. Therefore, your submission will include TWO (2) packages: 1 old design and 1 new design.
• Outshinery will create:
  • 2 images of the old design: 1 front shot & 1 back shot
  • 2 images of the new design: 1 front shot & 1 back shot
• Packages will be judged on the successfulness of the redesign, their visual appeal, design functionality and appropriateness for the price segment.
• Example Submission:

• This category is open to any wine containers NOT in a glass bottle format.
  • Acceptable examples include bag in box wine, plastic, cans in 125 ml and larger formats, Tetra Pak, aluminum bottles or paper bottles. Please contact erin@winebusiness.com if your package contains a material not listed.
  • Noneligible formats would include shipping boxes, gift boxes, carriers, etc. If the package you submit does not contain the wine itself, it is not eligible.
• You may submit ONE (1) bottle of any size, box, can, or other packaging format.
• Outshinery will create 2 images for you: 1 front package shot, and 1 back package shot.
• Packages will be judged on their visual appeal, design functionality, appropriateness for the price segment and creative utilization of the alternative packaging format.
• Example Submission:

How to Enter

1. Complete online entry form by April 15, 2025
2. Follow link in receipt to your Outshinery form to have your professional images created
   1. Please select the correct category for which you entered.
   2. Provide package information, like mold #, material info, material color, liquid color (if visible), closure type.
   3. Upload artwork files (ideally layered designer files or printer proofs). Photos or low-res files of the labels are not sufficient. The better the files quality, the higher the quality of the output for the judges to see.
   4. Upload files for any other custom elements (like necker, closure artwork, etc.)
   5. Provide reference image(s) if have them. Existing photos are NOT used for entry. Outshinery will create images for each package, so all are consistent for judges to review.
3. It is your responsibility to provide all information and files to Outshinery by April 15th to ensure your entry is complete.
   • Check specific category requirements above

What Happens Next?

1. Outshinery receives your form and will reach out to confirm receipt, or they may request additional information at this time.
2. Outshinery creates the image(s).
3. Outshinery sends you a link to review the image and approve or let them know what to change.
4. Outshinery does the front label approval process and images first, then the back label approval process will follow.
5. Once your image is approved it is sent to our team and prepared for the website.
6. Once posted to the website, you will receive an email allowing you and a winery representative
7. ONE WEEK (June 9-13, 2025) to ensure all information is correct. If we do not hear from you or the winery representative you reach out to, we will assume everything is accurate.
8. Professional judging will then take place (June 16-27, 2025).
9. People's Choice voting then runs from July 9, 2025 - August 6, 2025.
10. Tune in to the Awards Ceremony on August 13, 2025, to find out if you won!

Outshinery Submission Requirements

• Wine Name
• Vintage
• Bottle shape/ mold
• Glass (or other material) color
• Closure type
• Closure color (if custom, provide file)
• Capsule finish: matte/gloss/ semi
• Closure length (optional)
• Liquid color (on its own, we will apply it depending on the glass color)
• Paper Stock or if Silk-screen
• Label position
• Any special notes on the label finishes
• Label file - ideally layered pdf or .ai type file, proofs from the printer likely to work as well. Think designer files vs a screenshot of the label, so we can really work with each texture individually and make the bottle shot really stunning.
• Back Label file - same as above
• Reference picture
• Any extra notes

Rules and Eligibility

You are eligible to submit a package design if you are a winery, wine industry packaging supplier or graphic designer.

The package is eligible if it is sold within the U.S. and is currently available, will be available or was available to the general public between April 1, 2024, and April 1, 2025.

Submissions from previous years may be resubmitted if: 1. The entry is still eligible and 2. If it was not a medal winner in the category in which it is being entered.

Professionally Juried Judging

The 2025 Pack Design Awards will be judged by an independent panel of wine industry and design industry experts.

The winners will be announced during the PACK AWARDS webinar on August 13, 2025.

FAQ

• Can I submit my wine from another country?
  Yes, as long as your wine is sold within the U.S. it is valid for entry.
  
• What if I already have images?
  In order to ensure fair judging, all static images are produced by our partners at Outshinery. They have extensive experience recreating any visual effects in still images, capturing everything from embossing to etching and beyond. This ensures that all images have the same neutral setting, highlight the package itself, and judges are not influenced by framing.
  
• What if my package requires a video to showcase an essential design element?
  If you have moving components, mixed reality, or other elements that require a video to properly showcase your design we will evaluate them on a case by case basis. There is a maximum of 1 video per entry and it must be short, set with a neutral/flat background and should be in a vertical format for the viewing page. Contact erin@winebusiness.com about your design.
  
• Can I enter the same category multiple times?
  Yes, you may enter the same category multiple times with different packages with different designs.
  
• Can I enter the same package into multiple categories?
  A package can be entered into every category that it is eligible for.
  
• Can I use the photos from Outshinery in our own promotions?
  Yes, one of the benefits of our partnership with Outshinery is you get to use the professional images in your online promotions after the PACK Awards entries page opens for live voting.