Press Promotion

Steklarna Hrastnik reveals competition winner

In response to its international design competition, organised in collaboration with partners DekorGlass, a Polish glass decorating company, and Paragraph Publishing, Steklarna Hrastnik received submissions from 81 designers in 14 countries.

The competition was aimed at finding innovative ideas and solutions for standard bottles to be included in Steklarna Hrastnik's HighGlass collection. The three winners were selected by a jury of nine industry experts. First place went to Max Stefen from Belgium, Adam Klein from the USA ranked second, while Marino Funakoshi from Japan placed third. In the last week of March, a festive award ceremony took place at the prestigious Whiskies and Spirits Conference in London, which is attended by participants of the spirits beverage industry.

The competition was aimed at finding ideas for the HighGlass collection of standard bottles, which currently includes 11 standard bottles of super premium quality. They were looking for bottles that would stand out for their creativity, aestheticism, decoration and story.

In addition to super premium quality, the HighGlass collection is distinguished by adaptability, a characteristic that gives buyers the option to add their own decoration, giving the bottle a unique mark or their brand logo for added authenticity.

Competition winner Max Stefen from Belgium said that his inspiration for the creative idea behind the winning bottle came from Art Deco elements. While the main property of his bottle is simplicity, the shape nevertheless gives a feeling of premium quality, making it possible to upgrade the product and adapt it to the buyers' needs by adding decorations.

When it comes to working with Steklarna Hrastnik, the winner says: "The fact that Steklarna Hrastnik offers a partnership to the winners shows that they are not just looking for a new product, but for a long-term partner. This was the reason I entered the competition."

Ivan Vučetić, sales and marketing director at Steklarna Hrastnik, says: “We recognise that 80% of the end product's success in the premium segment on the shelves depends on the packaging.”

Andrej Božič, general director of Steklarna Hrastnik, says: "Our flexibility makes it possible for Steklarna Hrastnik to produce smaller batches, replicate the highest quality and provide the full range of services.

13 April 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor