We’re thrilled to share that Zenpack earned multiple honors at the 2025 Pentawards. Huge congratulations to our design, engineering, sourcing, and production teams across San Jose, Taiwan, and China—and heartfelt thanks to our clients for trusting us to bring bold ideas to life through meaningful packaging. Your partnership makes nights in the studio and early morning pilot runs worthwhile.
Below, we introduce the four awarded projects and the design choices that made each one stand out.
Dwell Dripper for Verve Coffee Roasters — Platinum (Home, Leisure & Other Market • Household Goods) & Bronze (Sustainable Design in Home, Leisure & Other Market)
For Verve’s first-ever brewing product, we designed both the packaging and a matching scoop to create a cohesive, travel-friendly system. The dripper itself is 100% BPA-free silicone and ships in seven colorways. Our single-part dieline (E-flute + SBS) folds into a triangular carrier with an easy-grab handle, framing the product like a display and eliminating unnecessary void fill. Judges highlighted how the structure draws on “paper-bag lunch” cues to deliver a friendly, take-anywhere unboxing—purposeful, plastic-free, and retail-ready.
Design highlights
- One dieline, many wins: structural simplicity that ships flat, assembles fast, and reduces waste.
- Product-as-hero: die-cut window and stage-like geometry amplify colorways on the shelf.
- Integrated accessories: dedicated compartment for the Zenpack-designed scoop.
Explore more about Dwell Dripper for Verve Coffee Roasters case study
PulpFixin Paper-Based Labware — Silver (Sustainable Design in Body, Health & Beauty)
With Scilutions, we reimagined standard lab components—such as tube racks, pipette tip trays, and cryogenic storage boxes—in layered paper-based constructions that replace conventional polypropylene and polycarbonate parts. The result is a recyclable and compostable labware platform that reduces microplastic waste without compromising workflow. Early market response has been strong, with the paper-based line now in use and expanding.
Design highlights
- Material swap, same job: paper-based assemblies that meet everyday lab demands.
- Circular intent: recyclable and compostable components at scale.
- Systems thinking: a whole family of parts to ease adoption.
Explore more about PulpFixin Labware case study
Holiday Wine Packaging — Silver (Brand Identity & Connected Packaging • Self-Promotion)
To thank clients while showcasing what our brand and packaging can do, we created a one-of-a-kind holiday gift: a limited run of Zenpack-branded cabernet sauvignon, made in collaboration with Domenico Winery (Lodi, CA), each bottle featuring its own unique label. Instead of new stock, we repurposed pages from a vintage art book. We overprinted a bold, typographic collage—turning every label into an original artwork and every bottle into a keepsake that extends the Zenpack story. It’s a self-promotional piece that blends sustainability, craft, and brand identity in a way that feels personal, collectible, and unmistakably “us.”
Design highlights
- Authentic collaboration: Partnered with a local winery to produce our own 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon; the wine became a canvas for our graphic design talent.
- Upcycled art, zero pretense: Sourced used copies of XX Century, Drawings and Watercolors by R. Cogniat; the naturally aged, semi-coated paper brought texture and provenance no new material could match.
- Edition of ~100, each truly unique: Carefully selected and extracted pages, then hand-applied to ensure ideal placement—no two labels alike.
- Striking print & structure: Single-color UV printing (black or white, chosen to complement the artwork) and an oversized die-cut label that extends beyond the shoulder and creases around the neck for a sculptural look.
- Sustainable by design: “Use what you have” approach—repurposed materials, local partners, and a gift meant to be enjoyed or saved—demonstrates our practical sustainability ethos.
Explore more about Zenpack x Domenico Winery case study
Boomii Balm Case Refill System — Bronze (Beauty) & Bronze (Sustainable Design in Body, Health & Beauty)
Boomii asked for an elegant, truly circular alternative to plastic-heavy beauty compacts. We designed a durable refill system centered on an infinitely recyclable aluminum case with a polished steel mirror and magnetic insert to secure stainless-steel balm refills. The compact is intended to be kept and refilled; if it’s ever discarded, it can be placed directly into curbside recycling—standard facility processes remove the magnet and mirror to maintain clean material streams. Form-wise, the smooth, “river-stone” silhouette sits naturally in the hand for daily use.
Design highlights
- Heirloom refillable: aluminum shell built for long-term reuse.
- End-of-life clarity: curbside recyclable with disassembly-friendly details.
- Tactile ergonomics: an organic form factor that enhances grip and ritual.
Explore more about Boomii Balm Case case study
What ties these wins together?
Across beauty, lab science, coffee, and self-promotion, the common thread is practical sustainability—structural efficiency, material honesty, and clear end-of-life pathways—wrapped in brand experiences people actually want to keep and use. That idea came to life on stage at the Pentawards Gala in Amsterdam on October 4, 2025, where our designer Kamaljit Mallhi accepted the awards on Zenpack’s behalf. (Scroll to see the photos from the moment.) As Pentawards highlighted this year, the most compelling work blends responsibility with retail presence and everyday usability—and we couldn’t agree more.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Ready to build your next award-winning launch?
These four wins reaffirm our approach: design that’s beautiful, resource-smart, and built for real-world use—from refillable beauty to paper-based labware and travel-friendly coffee gear. If you’re replatforming a hero SKU, introducing a refill system, or scaling a more sustainable supply chain, we’re here to help you launch smarter (and win on shelf).
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Form. Function. Feel-good design—made to win on shelf and in the real world.
