World-leading food processing and packaging compan,y Tetra Pak, has won Gold in the Beverages Category at the Afristar Packaging Awards 2022 for its work in East Africa on the Tetra Prisma Aseptic 500ml packaging.

Tetra Pak  partnered with the Lewa Safari marathon in Kenya to hydrate the runners with its new sustainable cartons of water. The cartons featured a bespoke connected experience developed by the team at Appetite Creative, accessible via QR codes. 

“Our winning product was the first ever carton of water with connected packaging that used QR technology to offer a completely new interactive experience in Africa,” said Stella Ondimu, Head of Communication, Tetra Pak East and West Africa. “The connected experience was used by the runners and attendees of the 2022 Lewa Safari marathon, focusing on unique educational content, games and videos about Lewas wildlife. It also helped runners and spectators keep track of the race with its integrated map of the race.

“This award is exciting because it is the first for our team in East Africa and shows that connected packaging is becoming a ‘must have’ for brands. Partnering with customer, Excel Chemical Limited, the water packed in Tetra Prisma Aseptic 500ml, provided the runners with a natural fit for the hand to carry during the run.”

Noting that over 2,000 runners from Africa and across the world interacted with this popular packaging and connected experience, Jenny Stanley, Managing Director, Appetite Creative, said the Afristar award recognition was “the icing on the cake”. She said: “We are incredibly proud to have developed a connected packaging experience that is not only valuable and award winning, but also innovative and sustainable,”

Entries into the Afristar Awards were judged by an impartial and experienced jury with a wide range of packaging knowledge. The judges considered the application and execution of new, innovative or creative packaging produced in Africa.