The Label Design Challenge 2026
Design for Impact – Meaning that lasts.
Collaboration with Croix de Malte France
Create a label that is more than decoration: A Symbol of Hope.
In collaboration with ORDRE DE MALTE FRANCE we invite creative minds to design with real social impact.
Whether it’s a warm, hopeful design for a charity candle or a luxurious, prestigious label for an exclusive Armagnac bottle, your idea can tell a story of Light & Spirit. Apply your knowledge of materials, embellishment, and label production to craft a meaningful design: emotional, powerful, and lasting in its impact.
What's in for you?
• Let your creativity flow with an open design brief and plenty of creative freedom.
• Explore new ideas for label shapes and embellishments in collaboration with our industry partners KURZ, UPM and CCL.
• Build valuable skills for future client work.
• Take the chance for your design to be selected, produced by our partners KURZ, UPM and CCL, and used to generate donations.
• Get featured in our spring conference exhibition.
The Brief - Create label designs for a candle and/or a bottle of Armagnac.
A candle in a glass jar
Croix de Malte will offer this candle in a quantity of 200 pieces at 20 – 25 Euro/piece to small-scale donors in the French market via their web shop in winter 2026/2027
A mega bottle of Armagnac
Croix de Malte will give 3 unique bottles to their 3 major donors at the gala in November 2026
Key Message
“Every light, small or grand, creates a ripple of hope.”
Timeline
13 January 2026 · 15:00–16:00 (CET): Online Intro Session
Discover the project background, partners, and brief. Attendance is free! Every designer interested is welcome to join.
28 February 2026: Entry Deadline
Submit your design via the EPDA SharePoint.
March 2026: Evaluation
The jury reviews all entries and selects the winners.
April/May 2026: Production
Industry partners UPM, KURZ, and CCL will produce three selected label designs for each product., candle and spirit.
11 June 2026, epda Conference Opening, Helsinki: Celebration & Presentation
All entries will be showcased, and the winning designs for candles and Armagnac will be presented as final products.
Are you ready to design something that makes a difference? Join the challenge and create a symbol that truly matters:
* 16 Dec 2025: Download all documents
* Return the Sign-up Form
* 13 Jan 2026: Learn more online - Register here
