This year's digital Pentawards ceremony still managed to showcase a host of innovative packaging designs, despite the disruptive nature of the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve highlighted some of the stand-out winners from this year's awards.

Happy Ghost by Pavla Chuykina, Russia

As the inaugural Professional Concept Platinum award, this playful design is something that can be easily replicated for products going into the market. The design features a ghost that first made an appearance in 1916 and has been spotted in recent years on the shelves of liquor stores. To create this character, the design uses a deep indentation at the bottom of the bottle and adds a pair of ghostly eyes to it, whilst the glass creates a dark fog and mystical atmosphere.

NongFu Wangtian by ShenZhen BOB design, China

What struck the judges with this piece is the simplicity and effectiveness of the design. The creative idea of this product packaging is that by combining the shape of a chilli with the container, it brings the experience of picking chillis directly to the customer. Its distinctive and playful design will make it the first to be noticed on the shelves, enticing consumers to try it.

Chioture by Shanghai Nianxiang Brand Design & Consulting Co., China

This base makeup kit for CHIOTURE, a vibrant and youthful makeup brand, focuses on the unpacking process of the product. Factoring in the simple and fun characteristics of the brand, an innovative design was used to effectively demonstrate the product’s features: a beautiful and adorable soft light camera. The user unscrews the ‘lens’ and then pulls out the ‘handle brush’ on the right, which can then be placed on the ’Brand Icon Viewfinder’ in the upper left corner of the camera if on the go.

HEMA by Magnet Design, Netherlands

This charming range of packaging for Dutch retailer HEMA contains summer water inflatables. The design concept is to show a range of summer products that look like they have been dropped into mini swimming pools, and there’s even a steel step that leads into the pool on the front, bringing the image to life.

All toys have been designed exclusively by HEMA and represent the retailer's most famous icons like HEMA’s smoked sausage, Takkie the Dog, tompouce pastry, and summer ice creams. HEMA’s overall ambition is to stop putting plastic products into plastic packaging, so carton boxes were being chosen to package and protect the products inside.

Hennessy by Felipe Pantone - Appartement 103, France

Released globally at a limited quantity of 70 pieces, this Collector's Edition from Hennessy was created in partnership with the world-renowned and pioneering street artist Felipe Pantone. The result of this collaboration is a super clean, shiny white PET box that once opened reveals the whole world of Felipe Pantone through a prism of graphical elements and textures.

At the centre of the experience, the consumer is invited to build their own art sculpture around a customised Hennessy V.S bottle which is printed with the latest cutting-edge digital technologies in CMYK. The exclusive carafe stands on a pedestal in the centre of a grid of moiré-finished rods that consumers themselves can place, move and interchange to alter the bottle's optics.

Pridem’s Gin by Enpedra Estudio, Spain

The design concept for Pridem’s premium gin centres around the idea of a sailor. The beautiful design is made up of two complex elements: a striking stopper shaped like a sailor’s hat that gives the product personality and emphasises its uniqueness, and a label that is made up of four separate parts that wrap completely around the frustoconical bottle.

AKIO by Robert Dadashev, British School of Art & Design, Russia

More than anything, children love to play. Akio is a Japanese-style bathing tool that turns the bathing process into a fun and interactive game. Parents can play with children during bathtime to get their attention thanks to the fun and colourful design. The removable kimono will surprise a toddler, grab their attention, and help make the bathing process more fun and enjoyable.

AIR CO by AIR CO, the US

When it came to selecting the 14^th winner of the Diamond – Best Of Show Award, the judges were unanimous. Air Co’s packaging and design is as forward-thinking, modern and transformative as the approach to creating the brand and company itself.

With a mission to be the most sustainable alcohol brand in the world, the packaging for the world’s first carbon-negative vodka brand, Air Co., is both reusable and 100% sustainable. Keeping the vodka as the star, the label is placed towards the top of the bottle giving ample space to display the liquid.

By placing the label lower, the vodka is the first to meet the eye. The label itself is simple, custom-made, natural and non-toxic and can be removed easily so the bottle can be used as a water bottle, candle holder or vase.

Steve Honour, design and visual identity leader of innovation for Europe and Africa at Diageo UK said of the winner: "Air Co feels like it's leading a new era of design. The packaging itself is stunning and really represents its fantastic backstory. The whole package is ground-breaking."

All images: Pentawards