The most common question entrants ask is not about the jury or the rates. It is category fit: where does this project actually belong? For 2027, the category structure has more right answers than any previous year, with five new categories and significantly expanded subcategory depth.
Brand Worlds & Experiential
For packaging that creates an immersive brand experience: collector sets, theatrical gifting, atmospheric launch packs. Under the old structure this work got squeezed into Limited Editions or a market category and lost its defining quality. Now the world-building itself is what the jury scores.
Functional Innovation & Accessibility
For packaging that leads on usability and inclusive design: easy-open, ergonomic, accessible, adaptive. Work that solves for real hands and real ability levels used to compete against pure aesthetics. It no longer has to.
