As the Diamond – Best of the Show winner of this year’s Pentawards competition, we look at the Air Company brand, product, and packaging, and what made it stand out for our judges.

World’s First Carbon-Negative Vodka Brand

The Air Company’s mission is to be the most sustainable alcohol brand in the world. The result is reusable and 100% sustainable packaging for the world’s first carbon-negative vodka brand.

In creating Air Company, the team wanted to deliver a superior product in quality design. That leaves a good impact on the planet while reflecting their alcohol’s purity through a novel yet beautiful and thoughtful bottle design. The aim was packaging and design that was as forward-thinking, modern, and transformative as their approach to creating the brand and company.

Focus on 100% reusable and recyclable

For this, they collaborated with a partner to create a thoughtful packaging program that is 100% reusable and recyclable. Labeling was kept at a minimum to reflect the purity of the vodka and minimize material usage.

Through every detail of design and packaging, the Air Company team continued to carry out its mission to make goods that do good and better the world we live in by redefining conscious consumption. 

Reflection of Design

The design exhibits a modern-day aesthetic, unlike any other in the marketplace. Visually the team aimed for the bottle to remember the minimal and clean inputs of their vodka, which guided the entire design process and influenced the materials selected.

100% FSC certified label and its features

Air Company’s vodka is the star of the bottle, with ample space displaying the liquid instead of heritage methods of placing a label towards a bottle’s top. By placing the title lower, the vodka first meets the eye.

As repurposing is the height of sustainability, the 100% FSC certified label has adhered with a custom-made, natural, non-toxic adhesive that allows it to be easily removed so the glass bottle can be kept for other purposes, such as a bedside carafe, water bottle, flower vase or candleholder to name a few.

Carbon Offset Printing

All printing is fully carbon offset with tree planting in South and Central America, and the label messaging actively encourages consumers to reuse the bottle and support sustainability.

Air Company’s vodka itself is the most sustainable on the planet, removing 1 pound of carbon from the atmosphere per bottle, while other vodka brands omit approx. 13 pounds per bottle. This technology brings us closer to a better, greener, more sustainable world without sacrificing their products’ quality. The company’s purpose and mission-centered around helping improve the world we live in a while inspiring others to innovate.

What did the Pentawards Jury think?

‘We talk about the future of enjoyment and sustainable luxury, and this is it Clem Halpin, who the President of the Jury and former Creative Director at Bulletproof – UK.

The Air Company suggests like it’s leading a new era of design. The packaging itself is stunning and represents its excellent backstory. The whole package is ground-breaking.’ – Steve Honour, Design and Visual Identity Leader, Innovation, Europe & Africa at Diageo – UK.

Find out more about Air Company

Air Company is an organization that was developed to change the world, intending to create some of the world’s first-ever carbon-negative products, starting with spirits. Utilizing first-to-market technology, the team can transform carbon dioxide into the purest, highest quality, and most sustainable alcohol on the planet while improving the air we breathe.

With focus inputs of only carbon dioxide, water, and renewable electricity, the Air Companies production system actively helps prevent climate change by eliminating the most abundant greenhouse gas from our planet (CO2) and converting it into ultra-high pure alcohol. The team is actively tackling the planet’s most vexing problem, turning a negative into a positive.

Read more: Toppan Packaging won WorldStar Packaging Awards 2020