Students compete in creating packaging for all five senses in Billerud’s design competition PIDA

Representatives of the press are welcome to attend PIDA. Please find the dates for the different events below and register here.

This year’s event is the 16th event since the start of the competition back in 2005 and the competition has engaged thousands of students throughout the years. This year we are not only developing the competition into a modern, digital event, but we are also expanding geographically by including design schools in the USA in the competition. During May and June, BillerudKorsnäs will host the competition at four events: Sweden, France, Germany, and a joint event for the UK and the USA. In September, an international winner will be selected in a Grand Finale at Luxe Pack Monaco.

Bois Underwear – the latest winning concept in the PIDA Grand Finale.

“When we launched PIDA, we wanted to challenge the conventions of the industry and drive the development of packaging design forward. Which is why we chose to highlight young new talents and their ideas. Our hope being that their creativity and smart solutions would contribute with inspiration and new thinking for the whole industry. Which is something that the students have really lived up to. Over the years we have seen loads of smart and innovative packaging solutions, and naturally expectations are high this year as well,” says Lena Dahlberg, Manager Application Development Paperboard at BillerudKorsnäs.

This year’s brief – a trend on YouTube

“The brief this year is Awaken the Senses, which encourages the students to create a sustainable, innovative, and functional packaging concept that stands out compared to the conventional applications that we find in stores today. The packing needs to engage our senses. It can be about making an impression through smell, sound, or tactile experience,” says Lena Dahlberg.

“Awaken our senses” is a big trend on Youtube. Unboxing videos where consumers unbox a product while smelling, touching, rustling, and studying every little graphical detail is a frequently seen phenomenon in social media.

“Packaging that speaks to our senses is a fast-developing trend. In the future, we can expect packaging concepts with sound effects, visual illusions and augmented reality. In an increasingly digital world, the packaging needs to stand out and in the interaction with consumers speak to all their senses,” says Anders Gathu, Marketing Manager Cartonboard at BillerudKorsnäs.

The packaging designers of the future

Students compete in four different categories: sustainability, user friendliness, innovation, and “Gold Award – winner of all categories”. The jury at each individual event consists of experts from the industry. The “Gold Award” winners of the four PIDA events will meet in an international grand finale at the prestigious packaging trade show LuxePack in Monaco this autumn. The winning team in the final will be invited to participate in a design summit in Frövi, Sweden later this year.

“PIDA offers a win-win situation for students as well as for the audience. Aside from the actual competition, PIDA offers a unique opportunity for the participating students to create relationships and build themselves a network within the packaging industry – while the audience gets to enjoy an enlightening and entertaining event filled with inspiration, creativity, and innovation,” says Anders Gathu.