Winners of 2023 Design Accolades announced

Can Makers, the trade body representing drinks can manufacturers in the UK, has confirmed that four brands will receive its Design Accolade in the second round of this year’s awards.

SYPS, Purdey’s, Portobello Gin, and Williams Grove have each been recognised for exceptionally high design standards across a range of criteria considered by the Can Makers judging panel. Since launching in 2022, the Design Accolades have recognised exceptional design and creative excellence in the canned beverage sector, emphasising shelf presence and brand positioning. 

The panel commended the brands for their creative use of the aluminium can format, establishing new benchmarks for visual appeal and brand positioning in a rapidly evolving market.

Tim Conybeare, Can Makers Chairman, said: “Each chosen design illustrates the role that innovative can design can play in reinforcing a brand’s market presence. SYPS, a new brand of flavoured water, impressed the panel with the bold colours, matte finish, and simple yet effective use of the guidelines in its design, while Williams Grove’s offering, produced exclusively for The Society of Vintners, was noted for its premium print, intricate botanical design and inventive use of colours to represent each of the three wines in its range.

“Portobello Gin’s design similarly made a strong impact with its striking typography, bold, contrasting colour palette and references to its English heritage, and Purdey’s was commended for its sleek use of colour and seamless graduation from darker to lighter tones.”

John Mansfield, CEO at The Society of Vintners, said: “We were thrilled to receive the 2023 Design Accolade from Can Makers, recognising our commitment to excellence in design. We work tirelessly to source outstanding wine and it’s important the can design reflects this high quality. When conceptualising the design for our wine cans, we drew inspiration from the lush Spanish vineyards where our grapes are harvested, with the colours on each can reflecting the unique characteristics of our red, white, and rosé wines and inviting consumers to experience the diversity of our range. We share this esteemed award with our project partners: The Wine Fusion, Greencroft Bottling and Kyte Creative who, respectively, project managed, packed and designed the Williams Grove canned wines”. 

Purdey’s Senior Brand Manager Sam Bidgood commented: “I am so excited our Purdey’s cans have been awarded a Can Makers Accolade. When designing the cans, we focused on ensuring the design was distinctive, eye-catching, and contemporary to really bring the great-tasting drink to life for all our consumers. We wanted the design to highlight the natural fruits, vitamins, and botanicals behind the brand and are so proud this has been a success. As well as a great design, our cans are fully recyclable, ensuring we play our part in reducing packaging waste.”

Founder of SYPS and Brit award winning artist Aitch said: “Thank you so much for awarding SYPS the Can Makers Design Accolade 2023!  SYPS fizzy water was created as a healthier alternative to fizzy drinks, and so to win hearts we knew we needed to match not just the flavour standard of that category but the design quality too. We’re grateful that this has been recognised by Can Makers; it’s made us even more excited for our upcoming launch.”

The Can Makers Design Accolades recognise excellence in design across all market segments, with individual designs judged against set criteria including graphic design, shelf standout, product range coordination, technical innovation, and the quality of finish as well as the use of value-added inks.  

Tim Conybeare added: “The aluminium can has evolved into an incredibly versatile canvas for brand design. With more and more stakeholders throughout the value chain recognising the sustainability credentials of the can as a packaging format, we’ve seen a real growth in the variety and quality of drinks available in cans, as well as a surge in the level of design quality and innovation from beverage brands themselves.”

The Accolades are awarded on a bi-annual basis, with the judging panel set to meet again early in 2024.