Label designs for Australian supermarket chain Coles' beer and gin products won gold and silver respectively in the private label sub-category while graphics for Native Soda products took out the bronze in the water sub-category.
Mr Galbraith's design for a Lover's Gin label produced for the Sydney mardi gras celebration of love was a collage inspired by the mardi gras colour, costumes and glitter.
“It has a bit of a social feel-good theme that celebrates the spirit of love. I have a feeling that probably resonated with the judges.”
The name Ben Galbraith will be familiar to many in this region as the writer and illustrator of the award-winning children's book The Three Fishing Brothers Gruff. He also illustrated Kiri Lightfoot's book, Every Second Friday, and David Davis's Fandango Stew.
Mr Galbraith gained a Bachelor of Design in Wellington and focused on illustration but found more work in graphic design and focuses now largely on beverage label designs.
“Most of my work is in labelling for alcoholic beverage packaging. This involves coming up with brand stories, logos and identities.
“I treat every project I do on its own merit,” he says.
“There is a bit of illustration to them which probably comes from my training in illustration.”
After working at Te Rau Press in Gisborne he relocated to the UK and developed his experience in graphic design then moved to Sydney but returned with his partner to his home town shortly before Christmas.
The Dieline Awards were judged across five categories — creativity, marketability, innovation, execution, and on-pack branding, and ultimately went through two rounds of critique and appraisal.
The awards' jury features a who's who from the world of design, says the Dieline webpage.
“Basically the people you want eyeballing your work.”
