Kudos to kid-inspired cushioning creativity
Fifteen young inventors announced as semi-finalists in Bubble Wrap brand cushioning's 50th birthday.
The packaging community has long honored flexible and rigid packaging structures, consumer packaged goods companies, converters, and suppliers for their varied contributions. An April 13 PR Newswire press release reported on a rather creative "packaging" announcement: Sealed Air Corp.'s selection of 15 semi-finalists in the Fourth Annual Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors.
"Chosen from more than 2,500 entries from 40 states, [the 15] will vie for over $20,000 in prizes and savings bonds in a competition that encourages creativity and ingenuity," said the PR Newswire report.
All 15 will need to "build and deliver full-scale versions of their invention to be reviewed by the panel of judges," with three winners announced May 4 and a grand-prize winner named May 22 at a ceremony in New York City.
The "competition encourages students nationwide in grades five through eight to demonstrate their creativity and ingenuity by designing an invention that incorporates the use of Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning," says the article.
A plug for the cushioning supplier, sure, but the competition affords an opportunity for a new generation to have a voice. Granted, these 15 semi-finalists' applications focus on using the cushioning as a product—not a package—but maybe package design and focus group testing will consider this competition in developing packages in the years ahead.
-Jim Butschli, Editor