Color-Box Receives PPC’s Prestigious Gold Award

ATLANTA, Ga.—Color-Box, a subsidiary of Georgia-Pacific LLC, was honored at this year’s National Paperboard Packaging Competition with a Gold Award for its design of General Electric’s NIGHTHAWK Blue-White Light Automotive Headlamp package.

The competition evaluated 150 entries across 30 categories; only 20 were selected as Gold winners. Packages were judged on internal production/converting excellence, consumer product company excellence, and end-user/retailer excellence.

General Electric launched its NIGHTHAWK Blue-White Light Automotive Headlamps with Color-Box packaging that was specially designed for younger consumers, a demographic driving recent growth in the automotive aftermarket. The package was designed to stand out in the competitive retail environment, as well as protect the delicate headlamps from damage during transport.

“Like all good package designs, we set out to provide a design that balances form and function,” Tony Paterini, sales representative, Color-Box. “The NIGHTHAWK package is structured to protect the product, while graphics establish an instant visual connection with the buyer.”

To enhance package shelf appeal, Color-Box selected four-color printing and aqueous coating with holographic silver foil stamping. The metallic finish reflects and illuminates light, supporting the headlamp theme and differentiating the product from the competition. The NIGHTHAWK image, positioned in front of the headlamp, is die cut onto the front panel window to provide strong shelf presence, and to further support the product and brand name.

To protect the product, four die cut tabs on the top and bottom of the package collapse to become a supportive structure. By eliminating the need for an insert, this structural design gave General Electric the necessary package stability while reducing raw materials and related costs. The corrugated package is strong enough to eliminate the need for an over pack when stacked and shipped on a pallet, further reducing material and handling costs.

Color-Box was also recognized with seven excellence awards for package design. For additional information on the awards program, visit http://www.ppcnet.org/NationalCompetition/index.aspx