This year, The FAB Awards have added a new edge – the introduction of the FAB Choice Award, an exciting experiment to learn what, in 2018, consumers intuitively love.

We are proud at F&f to be involved with getting this idea off the ground –

“In the world of packaging creative and effectiveness awards, I hold up FAB as one of the greats; always meticulously judged by real industry experts with carefully measured views.

Notwithstanding, I always have that slight niggle, that as designers and marketers we live in a bit of a bubble. The thought occurred to me that, although an agency or designer makes choices on consumer’s behalf before the brand ever hits the shelf, the end user ultimately defines design success” said Derek Johnston, Strategy Leader at F&f.

 As a logical extension of the process, we thought it might be exciting to mirror the process by allowing the design experts to judge the best of entries, but then ask potential consumers what they loved the most too.

“This is not trying to be the X-factor where talent spotting is put in the hands of the audience, rather it acts to ‘seal the deal’ on what is already considered truly fabulous” continued Derek.

The FAB Awards proceeded to team up with research agency Link Consumer Strategies and Mindlab, where a bespoke process was designed, in order to uncover what consumers would choose as their winning pack.

“This year, all designs that win either a Silver or a FAB Packaging Creative Award will automatically be entered into the running for The FAB Choice Award. Mindlab will then conduct a series of implicit tests to determine which of the designs perform most strongly and, through analysis, a single winner will be determined. One thousand respondents will take part, representing a cross section of the British public. Said Rachel Turner, director of Link Consumer Strategies.

Using Link Consumer Strategies expertise, four key attributes have been elected as essential measures in judging the winning pack – the testing will uncover how irresistible, imaginative, striking and ground-breaking consumers find the best of last years packaging design.

We’re hoping the FAB Choice Award will provide us with some valuable insights into what consumers are responding to in 2018, and help us make sense of what people love to love.