PPB July 2019

the company won seven Pyramids for projects such as a full-wrap, lenticular book cover and a point-of-purchase display that used offset printing, foil lamination, screen-printing of a high- profile coating and hand assembly. “Winning a Pyramid gives you instant and sustainable credibility among your peers, customers and in the industry,” he says. “At the show, people will come by [your booth] to see what you won. The halo effect lasts for 30-90 days after the show. Long term, it put us in the same stratosphere as some of the really big suppliers.” Supplier My Green Bag! has won 10 Pyramids for decorating since the program began; this year its winning entries included a custom polyester beach bag decorated with a sublimation process. The original art included fine details, vibrant tone variations and edge-to-edge decoration which were replicated perfectly. “The products we do are pretty unique and spectacular,” says Dominic Demers, owner of the Carignan, Quebec-based supplier. “It gives us a lot of credibility with clients. It’s such a big market and the fact that we’re in Canada means smaller distributors in the U.S. may not know our product.” Jim Ristuccia, CEO of A+ Wine Designs in San Diego, California, winner of four Pyramids just this year, says winning a PPAI Pyramid in supplier decorating validates the work of his entire team. “It’s great to get the recognition that we’ve created something noteworthy beyond just getting a ‘thank you’ from the customer. As a small company, it’s very empowering to know how well our creativity and artistry stacks up against much bigger companies in the industry. That we can do better than companies 100 times our size is pretty cool.” See this year’s stunning winners on the following pages and consider entering the next competition, which opens in late Spring 2020. A.T. Designs 2019 PPAI Pyramid Awards—Supplier Decorating Customized Non-Catalog Product ($101 and Up) Trophy Collection – Silver Winner Dome Lapel Pin – Gold Winner New Product Development ($1 to $25) Recognition Products – Gold Winner A+ Wine Designs Customized Non-Catalog Product ($26-$100) Etched Ice Bucket Gold Winner Customized Non-Catalog Product ($26-$100) Etched Moonshine Jars Gold Winner Customized Retail-Branded Product Custom Soda Bottles – Silver Winner Etching/Engraving/Laser Custom Wine Bottles Gold Winner FEATURE | Pyramid Award Winners—Supplier Decorating | JULY 2019 | 23