The Zurich, Switzerland-based Pro Carton association bestowed several awards at its European Carton Makers Annual Congress Sept. 16 in Italy. From 131 entries, a few of the winners are described here.

Taking Carton of the Year honors was A&R Carton GmbH (Kriftel, Germany) for the FS "Promised" package (A)—a hexagonal box printed in 6 colors with gold and lacquer finishes. Foil stamping and embossing boosts shelf impact for the liquor carton.

Winning Most Innovative was E. Gundlach Verpackung GmbH (Germany) for its Nestlé After Eight Mints box (B). Printed in 6 colors, the seemingly rectangular carton converts with a simple pull of a tab into an eye-catching shape to display the product.

In the Other Food category, Van Genechten Packaging (Belgium) won for its Unilever Foods Eiscreme box (C). The cartons' curved corners break the mold in a market dominated by conventional shapes. They are printed in 5 colors using metallized inks.

M-Real Meulemans (Belgium) won for Best Beauty & Cosmetics carton for its Cosmetique Active sample-dispensing package (D). Printed in 8 colors with varnish, the box features drawers that dispense one sample sachet at a time.