On December 7, Social Club TV livestreamed the third annual Clio Cannabis Awards ceremony. Agencies, packaging companies, advocates, and various other cannabis industry creatives were honored for their contributions in cannabis marketing and communications. Two Zenpack projects—Zenlock and Aura Cannabis—were awarded for their unique brand design and packaging.
In the Brand Design medium, Packaging category, Clio awarded Zenlock Bronze. Aura Cannabis took home a Shortlist Award in the same category, as well as another Shortlist Award in the Brand Identity category.
The relatively new cannabis brands found themselves in good company. The 2021 Winners Gallery includes outstanding work by agencies and cannabis companies like Kiva, Flowr Cannabis, and Leafly. Clio also recognized entrepreneurs Mary Pryor and Ophelia Chong with the Impact Award, artist Fab 5 Freddy with the Honorary Award, and musician Willy Nelson with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Here’s a breakdown of our big day at the 2021 Clio Cannabis Awards.
Zenlock
Medium: Brand Design | Category: Packaging
Nearly every child-resistant mechanism is made using plastic. In 2019, Zenpack decided to use their eco-friendly materials expertise to create a sustainable alternative. The first all-paper rigid box solution in child-resistant packaging, Zenlock challenges the cannabis industry to think beyond the status quo. Zenpack released Zenlock just as the new California law requiring CR packaging on all cannabis products went into effect.
This is Zenlock’s third award of the year. The eco-friendly design won Third Place in the Plastic Free category at The Dieline Awards, then achieved a Shortlist Certificate from the Pentawards in the Sustainable Design – Home, Leisure & Other Markets category.
Aura Cannabis
Medium: Brand Design | Category: Brand Identity
Medium: Brand Design | Category: Packaging
Zenpack and Haptik Studio developed an atypical brand identity, packaging, photography, and a website that offers a modern alternative in a crowded market.
Aura offers a fresh approach to cannabis with specialized strain profiles—Blaze, Roar, Cosmic and Flare—designed for customers to learn more about the effects so they can personalize their experience based on individual goals. Each profile comes to life through vibrant colors, specialized printing, and premium materials, inviting the customer to make a deeper connection with the products inside.
Zenpack developed a reusable set of bespoke packages that breathe life into the ritual cannabis experience. The family of packages consists of glass jars, boxes, cartons, and pouches, including an innovative sliding box that unfolds to reveal perfectly dosed pre-rolls in their own compartments. The four effects have distinct yet related color palettes unified across sturdy structures with textured paper and gold foil printing.
With these two Clio Cannabis Shortlist honors, Aura has now won four total awards in 2021. These include the Core77 Community Choice Award in the Packaging category and the Pentawards Bronze Award in the Home, Leisure & Other Markets – Products for Smokers category.
Thank You from the Zenpack Family
We are so grateful for our incredible clients who provide us the opportunity to work on their branding, design, and packaging. Thanks to them Zenpack has become a household name in terms of cannabis packaging design. Many years of hard work culminated in an unforgettable 2021. Thank you!
If you want to know more about Zenpack’s services
Let our packaging consultants help you turn your idea into reality.
