IPL Packaging has launched a project in partnership with the Glasgow School of Art (GSA), engaging third-year product design engineering students in a challenge that involves designing premium whisky packaging for 2035-2040.
The brief presents a real-world challenge: to reimagine premium whisky packaging for 10-15 years in the future, navigating the intersection of luxury brand values and stringent environmental regulations.
Students must design solutions that address regulatory compliance, sustainability innovation, material exploration, technology integration, and premium positioning.
IPL explained that the challenge is particularly significant for Scotland – home to world-renowned whisky heritage – and reflects the pressures the business navigates with clients including Pernod Ricard, LVMH, Bacardi, and Edrington.
Michael O’Donnell, project manager at IPL Packaging, said, “With PPWR and extended producer responsibility on the horizon, we’ve been exploring potential solutions internally, so it will be extremely interesting to see the concepts the students develop. Luxury packaging offers a wide variety of materials, finishes and design considerations, making it a rich area for creative exploration – and this project will certainly challenge them as they become familiar with two complex industries within a relatively short timeframe.”
IPL Packaging’s central Scotland team will provide students with direct access to technical specialists and manufacturing insights.
The project is scheduled to run from November through February, with an exhibition taking place on the 13th February in the Art School. The collaboration aims to provide students with authentic industry mentorship while giving IPL access to fresh perspectives from the intersection of GSA’s creative excellence and Glasgow University’s engineering expertise.
