Leading Cornish design and brand agency, Absolute, has been announced as the Headline Sponsor of the prestigious International Wine + Spirits Competition (IWSC) Design Awards.
The International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) is an annual wine and spirit competition founded in 1969 by the German/British oenologist Anton Massel. Each year the competition receives entries from over 90 countries worldwide. The awards given by the competition are considered as high honours in the industry, and the annual contest reviews and assesses several thousand wines and spirits from its London base; as well as across the world with special “in situ” tastings including Italy and South Africa in 2022 and more destinations planned for 2023.
The IWSC is proud to set the international benchmark for quality, standing out in the crowded world of drinks awards with hundreds of global experts – including buyers, producers, distillers, sommeliers, distributors and influencers – judging wines and spirits throughout the year.
The 2022 Design Awards flip the usual Wine & Spirit judging on its head – this time round, the packaging will play the lead role rather than the liquid. Cornish agency Absolute is pleased to take on the sponsorship role as well as having Founder and Creative Director Helen Stephens as a judge of the prestigious awards.
Over 450 entries will be judged by the highly experienced, expert judging panel and the full judging panel will be announced on our social media channels shortly.
For 2022, the IWSC has launched six new categories to allow brands to showcase their design flair and expertise – Limited edition, Gift pack, Traditional design, Contemporary design, Redesign/rebrand and Eco-friendly packaging, with one winner and up to three highly commended trophies available per category. Judging is taking place on 23rd August and the results will be announced on 31st August.
Helen Stephens, Founder and Creative Director of Absolute, comments on the new partnership: “Across our 3+ decades of graphic and interior design experience, we have always held a high level of specialist interest and passion for the wine and spirits design sector and for the hotel, hospitality and bar creation industry. Given our extensive, multi-award winning experience in all of these areas, we’re confident that we know top quality work whenever we see it.”
Helen continues, “We are therefore honoured to take on the role of Headline Sponsor of the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition [Design Awards] and are very much looking forward to being inspired by the sectoral leaders and pioneers and their entered work to all categories.”
Christelle Guibert, CEO for the IWSC added: “While the IWSC focuses on the quality of the liquid for most of the year, we appreciate how fundamental design and packaging is in influencing buying decisions; especially within the wine and spirits industry. Therefore, we are delighted to have the support of leading design agency Absolute for our annual Design Awards which gives producers the opportunity to showcase their creative flair.”
Find out more about the awards at www.iwsc.net/additional-awards/design-awards.
