When announcing the judging panel for the first annual Vertex Award global private brand packaging design competition, My Private Brand President and Chief Strategist Christopher Durham says, “It's time to stop rewarding mediocrity and encourage greatness. To that end, we've created an award-winning international panel of renowned creative minds to judge the competition.”
We searched out design luminaries from eight countries and tasked them with holding entrants to a higher standard for private brand design. “This is a first of its kind international panel of judges, the creative dream team of packaging design. We’re still accepting nominations for a judge to represent Asia.”
The ten international judges include:
Daniel Bray, Creative Director, Marque Brand Consultants
Bray has over 16 years experience within the creative industry. He specializes in brand creation, packaging design and development, and has worked with Woolworths, ASDA, Morrison’s, Lakeland, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury.
Gustavio Piqueira, principal, Casa Rex
Piqueira is one of the most recognized graphic designer in Brazil, receiving over 200 international design awards and serving as consultant to major global companies as a leading trendsetter. He has designed typefaces, illustrated children’s books and written 13 books on various topics.
Adrian Whitefoord, co-founder, Pemberton & Whitefoord (P&W)
Whitefoord believes the best design requires a combination of emotion and logic. Pemberton and Whitefoord clients include Tesco, Nestlé, Starbucks and Seicomart.
David Léonard, Creative Director, CBA BE
Léonard has led global creative direction for brands like Yves Rocher, Givenchy, Hennessy and Parfums Yves Saint Laurent. He enjoys working in different design disciplines while creating brand design consistency that is aesthetically pleasing while serving pragmatic market reality.
Koen de Jong, Founding Director, International Private Label Consult
Specializing in strategic direction and project management support for manufacturers and retailers, de Jong has extensive European private label experience. His book, Private Label Uncovered, was nominated for the 2011 Marketing Literature Award.
Paula Bunny, Creative Director, Brother Design
Prior to returning to New Zealand to manage the Foodstuffs New Zealand’s Pams brand, Bunny crafted private brand design for global companies including Johnson & Johnson, Gillette and Kraft Foods.
Nacho Lavernia, Founder/Graphic & Industrial Designer, Lavernia & Cienfuegos
Lavernia has served as president of the Designers of Valencia Association (ADCV) and the Spanish Federation of Design Associations (FESAD). Projects by Lavernia and his partner, Alberto Cienfuegos, have won Dieline awards (2010) and the Pentawards (2011/12).
Rick Barrack, Chief Creative Officer & Managing Partner, CBX
Barrack has twenty years experience in consumer and retail branding, and is the creative vision behind U by Kotex and the rebranding of Duane Reade’s private brand portfolio.
Steve Kazanjian, Vice President of Global Creative, MeadWestvaco
Kazanjian serves as the creative lead for MWV’s most valuable brand-focused projects. His creative strategy is stunning in its simplicity: connect a brand’s emotional context with consumer purchasing habits. His workshops on innovation within the packaging industry make him a sought-after speaker internationally.
Glenn Pfeifer, Executive Creative Director, Galileo Global Branding Group
Pfeifer is responsible for brand and creative development for packaging and shopper marketing clients. He has led brand development and package design for
numerous retailers across six continents including brands for Meijer, Rite Aid and Kroger. He brings a unique perspective to his work, having worked on marketing creative for a diverse global client list, including Citigroup, Sony, Bacardi and ESPN.
Open to retail owned brands worldwide in any trade channel, the Vertex Awards encourage retailers, agencies, consultants, graphic design firms, manufacturers and brokers to submit their private brand entries.
For a design to qualify, it must have been introduced in-store between November 2012 and November 2013. Points will be awarded for design, information architecture, originality, structure and x-factor.
“Awards are given based on a numeric score,” says Phillip Russo, publisher, Global Retail Brands. “So if five entries earn enough points to qualify at the bronze level in a given category, all five will receive the Bronze Award.”
“Because it's based on a standardized numeric score, it's possible there will be no winners at a given level," adds Russo. "If the minimum score for a Gold Award is not achieved, no Gold will be given. The scoring system was developed to reward the best Private Brand package design in the world, not mediocrity."
Winning work will be honored in March on the competition website, in Global Retail Brands’ March print issue, on My Private Brand's website, www.myprivatebrand.com, and on the Global Retail Brands’ website, www.globalretailmag.com. In addition, all winning entries will appear in a book to be available on Amazon.com.
Entries are $95 and will be accepted October 15 through January 15, 2014.
Complete information and entry forms can be found at www.vertexawards.org.
