Ho Chi Minh City, Oct 22nd 2022 – The Final Round of ‘SCGP Packaging Speak Out 2022 – Vietnam’ competition was hosted by SCGP at HCM Youth Culture House. Under the theme of ‘Rethink for better normal’, the competition in its second year called for breakthrough ideas from young students to re-define the “new normal” in two categories ‘Easy to recycle’ and ‘Upcycle’. Amongst the 11 finalists, team QIN from Van Lang University was named the winner with their unique idea of Mooncake packaging design. Team Magic Cat from HCM University of Technology & Education became the runner-up with the creative idea l of Jelly Zoo packaging.

As an idea-crowdsourcing contest, SCGP Packaging Speak Out 2022 – Vietnam successfully delivered a playground that inspires the young generation to ‘Speak Out’ their voices in imagining, shaping and curating a better world. The final event welcomed hundreds of audiences, both offline and online via SCG Vietnam fan page. Hosting this program is a part of SCGP’s continuous efforts to promote sustainability where it operates, aligning with the corporate strategy of circular economy and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance). 

Mr. Sompob Witworrasakul, Chief Regional Office of SCGP shared: “One of our approaches to innovation and sustainability is having commitment and determination to bring new perspectives and development in packaging design. Organizing SCGP Packaging Speak Out 2022 in Vietnam for the second consecutive year is part of our initiatives to encourage young people to show their creativity and provide a platform where their potential in design can shine through. SCGP believes that the future belongs to this young generation, of which the members are going to build and create tomorrow’s society. This is why we named the project ‘SCGP Packaging Speak Out 2022’ to let them speak out and change the world through their packaging designs.”

Being one of the most affluent figures in the packaging industry in Thailand, Asst. Prof. Ake Pattaratanakun, Ph.D. (Cantab), Head of Marketing Department Chulalongkorn Business School and Chairman of Executive Committee of Thailand Post shared about the five “C” factors in a sustainable packaging design. Those include Creativity, Creation – Easy to produce, Customer Centricity, Cost and Community. As the judge for the contest, he highly evaluates the fresh ideas showcased by the Vietnamese audience at the final round. 
Accordingly, two highest-evaluated proposals successfully showcased their innovative and original ideas, skillful execution, as well as appealing presentations. In particular, the winning design from team QIN explored the challenge of upgrading the packaging from understanding the needs of consumers, turning the familiar Mooncake box into handy lanterns that can be used as the traditional toys during Mid-Autumn Festival, and some parts can be used as eating utensils or stationary afterward. Meanwhile, team Magic Cat aimed to tackle the issues of packaging waste by taking advantage of the jelly box after use into a set of creative games for children. They are both notable issues for customers and packaging manufacturers.
A representative of the winning team QIN, shared: “We are surprised and truly honored to be awarded the highest prize. At the beginning, our team joined this competition seeking more a playground for creativity, rather than a race for merit. However, this competition turned out much more fruitful than we expected, as we can learn a lot from design experts as well as our fellow competitors. Nowadays, our young generation cares a lot about environmental issues and climate change, and we truly appreciate great opportunities like this to spread out the message of protecting the Earth.”
 

Mr. Tran Quang Tung (Tung Juno), CEO/ Creative Director at RIO Creative Vietnam, one of the jurors since the first competition last year, enjoyed grading this year’s  ideas: “Competition like ‘SCGP Packaging Speak Out 2022 – Vietnam’ is a great platform for young Vietnamese designers to showcase their talents and contribute ideas for changes in the industries and communities. The finalists this year gave me a pleasant headache for their quality of work. They have designed very ingeniously and methodically. With this year’s design question, all the teams had to explore consumers’ insights, understand emerging needs in the market and strategically drive their ideas to solve the customers’ demand. And similar to the previous year, local culture inspirations are cleverly employed.”

‘SCGP Packaging Speak Out 2022 – Vietnam’ has become a local think-tank for packaging design. Besides the 2 winning entries, other finalists also offer practical suggestions to shift the industry toward a more circular approach. Future designers also prioritize the use of environmentally friendly paper and ink materials to increase sustainability. This is a step forwards in improving user experience and optimizing production resources. With the quality of ideas gathered in the last two years, the program has motivated SCGP to facilitate future activities to promote the discussion of sustainable packaging in Vietnam and the region. 
More sustainable packaging design ideas can be found out on the competition website at: https://thechallenge.scgpackaging.com/vn/speakout2022