PLD Innovation Awards 2026 finalists
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PLD Innovation Awards 2026
In November 2025, our prestigious jury, featuring brands such as Bacardi, Pernod Ricard, and Veuve Clicquot, came together to assess the entries for the PLD Innovation Awards.
Mass Market Innovation
The finalists...
award
RAFEIRA Craft Beer Pack
The final design features a U-shaped corrugated cardboard structure that holds the bottles securely using only the product’s weight, with no glue or plastic required. A top locking piece ensures stability. Made from high-strength corrugated board (CKB carrier with micro-fluting), the pack delivers both protection and a premium on-shelf presence.
The key innovation lies in the integration of three detachable coasters, die-cut from the base of the pack. Consumers can remove and use them, adding an unexpected function that turns the packaging into an interactive brand experience.
This multi-use concept supports a circular approach, where the packaging not only protects the product but also becomes part of the consumption ritual
Premium Innovation
award
La Visione di Luigi (Grappa)
THE LABEL
Uncoated printing paper, matte, smooth, and woodfree: rCrush Grape, made from 15% grape residues, 40% post-consumer recycled fibers, and 45% virgin wood pulp.
Bronzine or powdered hot foil stamping, a copper/zinc metallic enhancement applied only to selected areas, without plastic film, delivering a durable, distinctive powdery finish.
Augmented reality: scan the QR code to enter the world of the Francoli family→ https://vimeo.com/934827824/e5649d2f16?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
An inner die-cut at the center of the QR code, elegant and transparent yet technically complex; MCC developed a solution that preserves full compatibility with automatic label application.
Certificate
ALTIUS FORTUS
We wanted maximum creative freedom for this cuvée, which led us to collaborate with tattoo artists who embraced the challenge. The bottle was chosen for its modernity, height, and elegance. The main challenge lay in the complexity of the screen printing: only one company agreed to take it on, considering the project so innovative that a prototype was showcased in its showroom.
Due to the bottle’s complex shape and varying diameters, the decoration required seven printing passes. The gold elements were produced using hot stamping, adding an extra layer of technical complexity. The precision of the details, especially the gold stars, enhances the bottle’s overall visual impact.
Super & Ultra Premium Innovation
award
CUTTY SARK 17-YEAR-OLD
The packaging meets every expectation with a striking black presentation box, enhanced by gold lettering and Cutty Sark’s iconic yellow flash, combining luxury with strong brand recognition.
A rope-and-eyelet detail subtly references the brand’s nautical heritage, while the black glass bottle and rope-effect closure deliver a distinctive, tactile, and collectible finish.
This interplay of contrasting materials, craftsmanship, and storytelling elements allows the packaging to honor the brand’s heritage while redefining its premium image.
Certficate
InchDairnie Distillery Taste Revolution
The construction of the metal tube lid directly echoes the bottle’s closure.
The perforation of the cylinder mirrors the design of the top of the bottle as well as the strainer function used in the whisky production process.
Embossing highlights the product’s exclusivity.
Luxury Innovation
award
Grey Goose Altius
By turning a bold creative vision into a technically advanced and visually striking bottle, the project pushed the limits of design and manufacturing. Its exceptionally tall, slender silhouette created significant challenges during glass forming and decoration, requiring extremely precise control to ensure structural integrity and perfectly uniform coating application.
The blue gradient applied to the upper section of the bottle demanded advanced spraying techniques to achieve a smooth, even transition. Precision and fineness in the engraving were essential to deliver a refined, tactile result, enhancing the bottle’s premium character without compromising clarity or production consistency.
Finally, the specially designed mountain-shaped base required innovative glass tooling to successfully combine aesthetics and functionality. Bringing all these elements together was only possible through close collaboration between the design, engineering, and production teams.
Hyper-luxury and bespoke products
award
The Glenrothes 51 Year Old
The brief was to design a protective shell capable of preserving the whisky, yet intended to be broken open with a hammer, while keeping both the inner sculpture and the whisky perfectly intact. One of our most ambitious challenges to date.
The journey required the development of a bespoke, durable material tailored to this purpose. Extensive R&D was carried out to achieve a material that breaks into clean, well-defined pieces without crumbling, while ensuring the internal elements remain fully protected
Jury award
award
Sous les Mers
Traditionally, packaging is meant to protect its contents. For this cognac matured beneath the ocean, Les Ateliers Camus reimagined that role while preserving its symbolism, creating a true guardian for the spirit. Inspired by a chapter of Jules Verne in which the Nautilus is attacked by giant octopuses, they partnered with Daum to bring the creature to life. The tentacles were cast in bronze and the head shaped in pâte de cristal, featuring a major innovation: the counter-mold, usually made of clay, was 3D-printed in wax, significantly reducing production time while maintaining a handcrafted feel.
The most responsible creative act is often to reuse what already exists. The crystal decanters were sourced from Daum’s archive stock, adding a poetic and conscious upcycling dimension to the project
Special jury mention
Johnnie Walker x Olivier Rousteing
Packaging Redesign
award
Havana Club Iconica Tributo 2025
For this redesign, we redeveloped all the dry materials of the Tributo 2025 product. We reused the recently developed Iconica bottle, which is 20% lighter than the one used for Tributo 2023.
With optimization in mind, the shapes and structures of the caps and labels were reused. For the cap, laser decoration was applied to the wooden top, and the HC15 gold medallion was reused, helping streamline references and reduce both costs and MOQs.
The main challenge was to make the case 100% cellulosic (paper, greyboard, ribbon), including the rotary system patented by Cosfibel, which was previously made of plastic and magnets. It is now entirely produced in greyboard, with the ribbon also developed in paper, ensuring a fully recyclable, mono-material packaging solution.
Value Added Packaging
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The Hendrick’s Whimsical Watering Can
Made from galvanized, stainless steel, the Whimsical watering can combines a watertight internal design, ultra-precise welding, and ergonomically positioned handle and spout. Its curved silhouette is enhanced by a glossy black powder-coated finish, while a perforated gold metal embossing adds character. The lid features a circular opening that reveals the bottle while keeping it protected.
Testing including drop, vibration, leak, and repeated-use tests confirmed its robustness. Achieving consistent dimensional accuracy and perfect sealing at scale required highly specialized engineering.
The result is a reusable, experiential packaging solution that enriches consumer interaction, extends brand storytelling, and delivers a bold on-shelf presence. It redefines expectations for spirits gift packs and sets a new benchmark for immersive, playful experiences.
Certificate
100% Hemp Silk Paper printed with OK Home Compost Ink
“We immediately proposed our 100% hemp paper: the natural version for Boizel and the white version for Philipponnat. We also suggested using OK Home Compost–certified ink for printing, ensuring full compostability of the paper.
Hemp is the most environmentally friendly fiber available for papermaking: it requires very little water, no phytosanitary treatment, helps regenerate soils, and is produced entirely in France.
The hemp paper is manufactured, printed, and die-cut in France.”
Ritual of Service
AWARD
1.75L Cradle D'Ussé Cognac
The project needed to be simple to develop, as it was produced in small quantities, while also being easy to transport, since it is used worldwide and often on the move, and intuitive to handle so that servers and brand ambassadors could quickly understand how to use it and serve with it. We also had to stay within a defined budget, which proved challenging given the delicacy of the service ritual.
Certificate
STELICE
This unique object is the result of a collaboration with designer Eric Berthes. Its production was entrusted to Orfèvrerie d’Anjou, founded in 1710, where artisans perpetuate exceptional craftsmanship using pure, 100% recyclable pewter. Each piece is meticulously shaped, reflecting the metal’s brilliance and the elegance of artisanal skill.
Its purpose is clear: to keep champagne at the ideal temperature of 10 to 12°C, without ever altering its aromas. The device preserves the cuvée’s subtle evolution. Both a design object and a technical instrument, it embodies the philosophy of Fleur de Miraval by celebrating contrast and delivering a unique sensory experience.
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