Winning designer marries mythology with innovation
March 14, 2022
In our 2021 Design Awards, talented young designers took the capabilities of O-I : EXPRESSIONS to the limit – including winner Rebecca Edwards whose striking snake-themed design was inspired by the Viking legends of Scotland.
A designer at Hunter Luxury in the UK, Rebecca beat strong competition from across Europe to be announced overall winner of the Awards during a ceremony at the Packaging Innovations exhibition in London in December.
The Awards asked students and junior designers to create a high-end glass packaging design that conveyed both premium brand cues and enhanced sustainability – a familiar challenge for spirits brands – using the capabilities of O-I : EXPRESSIONS.
Rebecca’s winning design did this and more. The brand she conceived, ORMR (meaning snake in Old Norse) was inspired by the myth of the giant serpent Jörmungandr which grows so large that it encircles the world.
She explains: “I have family in Orkney and Shetland in Scotland, so grew up with Viking legends. I liked the idea of creating a design which combined this ancient mythology with a modern and innovative manufacturing technique.”
Showcasing the visual and tactile effects that can be achieved with O-I : EXPRESSIONS, Rebecca’s serpent design encircles the entire bottle, with the snakeskin pattern portrayed using detailed relief printing Using a minimalist colour scheme of black and red, her 360˚ design also hints at the circular economy and underlines the sustainable credentials of a pure, unlabelled glass bottle.
Rebecca comments: “My job is predominantly designing secondary packaging, so it was exciting to have the opportunity to explore what you can do with glass packaging. It is an honour to be recognised in the competition and a great way to start my career in the industry!”
The Awards recognised five finalists whose entries were created using Lux bottles. The other finalists were Diana Moreira’s ‘Waste Spectrum’ which played with the contradiction between luxury and garbage; Rita Pires’ ‘Genius of London’ drawing on iconic London landmarks to highlight the threat of rising water levels; Joao Vieira’s ‘BrightFuture which offered the buyer a doorway into a more optimistic world; and Rodrigo Villalba’s ‘Cherish’ which used tropical plants and flowers to remind consumers of the urgent need to protect our beautiful world.
Are you a young designer inspired the idea of designing using O-I : EXPRESSIONS? The 2022 O-I : EXPRESSIONS Design Awards – which will this year be part of the PentAwards – just opened: https://pentawards.com/live/en...
“Rebecca has created a package which stands out for many reasons. The story and meaning behind the brand are intriguing and the concept is beautifully executed. The way the snake travels around the bottle and through the letter ‘O’ is very clever and the textured design makes you want to reach out and touch the bottle. The 360˚ treatment means you can recognise the brand from any angle.”